Boldly Strange Pulp Sci-Fi! Review of "First Lensman"

Another dose of E.E. "Doc" Smith's fun (if a bit dated) pulp science fiction epic! First Lensman was published in 1950, after all of the other Lensman books, yet it sits as number two in chronological order of the story.

The book is about the first contact of mankind (and aliens allied with mankind) with the Arisians, and their receipt of the first Lenses.

Now, considering that this was turned into an anime, I had an image in my head of some kind of Power Rangers-esque adventure, but what I actually got was very different.

The Lens does a few things:

1. It provides a means for instantaneous telepathic communication with other Lensmen and their allies
2. It allows a Lensman to evaluate other beings and determine whether they are qualified to be Lensmen
3. It allows a Lensman to transmit the truth, as he understands it, to others, with no chance of him misdirecting people by transmitting things he doesn't believe

What the Lens does not do:

1. Shoot laser beams
2. Allow a person to transform into a colorfully-suited, super-powered martial arts hero

So, I was zero for two going into this book.

Aaaaanyway, First Lensman is actually a crime drama! The Galactic Patrol's first series of missions have them tracking the perpetrators of an interstellar drug ring. If that kind of story appeals to you, you'll probably like it.

Also worth noting is that "Doc" Smith's worldbuilding made some bold choices that you would probably never see "legitimate" authors making today. Despite this, Smith is unapologetic and runs with the story, weaving an action-packed and fun adventure story.

If you want more details, watch the embedded video up top.

However, I will say one more thing: I was zero for two on what the Lenses do, but somehow I nailed the "shape" of the spaceships in Triplanetary. Go figure.