Action-packed Pulpy Origins: The Skylark of Space!

The Lensman series was a lot of fun, so I decided to pick up E.E. "Doc" Smith's Skylark series! This first book, Skylark of Space, was serialized all the way back in 1928, and, like many of the Lensman books, expanded later on for a standalone release in 1946.

Where Lensman started out as a pretty simple cops and robbers series, Skylark is even simpler:

Richard Seaton (our hero) discovers a new metal which enables rapid conversion of copper into energy and motion. While he's working with his wealthy friend Martin Crane (not the guy from Frasier) on this metal, rival amoral scientist DuQuesne is seeking to get rid of them and monopolize this miracle metal for himself.

After several failed plots to kill Seaton and Crane and steal the metal, DuQuesne ends up kidnapping Seaton's fiancée and running with her out into space.

The chase that ensues involves visiting several planets, the first of which is curiously reminiscent of what Smith would later call Eddore in the Lensman series, and the second of which forces Seaton and Crane to insert themselves into a war between two nations.

Thus, we get some minor intrigue and a hell of a lot of action.

As you probably expect, DuQuesne is thwarted in the end, but escapes to continue to be a thorn in our heroes' sides.

The book is a fun read, nothing too heavy. It's full of Smith's unique dialogue and slang, as well as a decent amount dedicated to his peculiar perspective on how to write romance. It's even pulpier than Triplanetary, which was pretty darn pulpy, and fun and engaging while not being deep. It doesn't ask a lot of questions.

The characters are relatively static with a mild to moderate case of superman syndrome, and the science aspects are fairly vague but occasionally interesting, such as Smith's detailing of different alien races and how they react to various wavelengths of light.

It's short and action-packed, and the sequel is, somewhat confusingly unless you've read this book, called Skylark Three. I'll have to give that one a look, sometime.

I read Skylark of Space here. You can also buy it on Amazon. 

So Much Going On--Maybe Too Much! Children of the Lens Review!

Well, we've finally reached the end of this very fun series, and finally we get to see how the Lens works across generations. Children of the Lens is now the story of Kimball Kinnison, Clarissa, and his five kids, all of whom have seemingly inherited Lens powers, and to a greater degree than anyone seems to realize.

More Lens Swashbuckling and Twists! Second Stage Lensmen Review

At first glance, Second Stage Lensmen seems like more of the same from Doc Smith, which isn't a bad thing: we get action, intrigue, grand strategy, disguises, and larger-than-life characters.

But it turns out that we actually get more: extended looks at the enemy and its operations; the appearance of the first female lensman; more details about space battles, from heavy cruisers down to individual dogfights; and direct mention of Eddore!

Gray Lensman? More Like Great Lensman! Book Review!

Gray Lensman is the next book in E.E. "Doc" Smith's famous Lensman series! This one continues the adventures of the inimitable Kimball Kinnison, actually starting by retelling the ending of the previous book (which I noted was abrupt and not particularly good) with a bit more flair!

If you're looking for something drastically new, you won't find it here, but overall I enjoyed this book very much and if you've enjoyed any of the Lensman books already, you'll find more of it here.

The Lens Just Keeps Getting Crazier! Review of Galactic Patrol!

I've talked a bit about the Lensman series by E.E. "Doc" Smith already, and this time I've got a review of the first chronologically written Lensman book, Galactic Patrol. This book was serialized in Astounding Magazine in 1937 and 1938, then expanded and published as a stand-alone book soon after.

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.

Primo Ancient Pulp Sci-Fi: A Review of "Triplanetary"

In the last week, I read through E.E. "Doc" Smith's book Triplanetary, which is a very weird book in a lot of ways. Most of it was written in 1934, but Smith added a bunch in 1947-1948 to link it up with his Lensman series.

Today, we have to read it with a healthy, thick grain of suspension of disbelief, but it's a pretty cool book with some fun ideas, especially considering it was written nearly a hundred years ago.

Check the video for full details!

MHI for Polyglots: A Review of "The Widow's Son"

Just finished reading Ryan Williamson's book The Widow's Son, and it's a pretty solid pulp western with some nice dark fantasy elements and even some cool steampunk bits. It's a fun, exciting book with some minor negatives that are worth dissecting a bit.

This one gets my recommendation as long as you enjoy that kind of setting. If you're not in the mood for that kind of story, though, you may want to give it a pass.