Re: "Chronicles of the Lensmen, Volume 1 (Triplanetary, First Lensman, Galactic Patrol)" by E. E. "Doc" Smith

On 8/21/2024 2:10 PM, Bobbie Sellers wrote:

On 8/21/24 10:42, Lynn McGuire wrote:

"Chronicles of the Lensmen, Volume 1 (Triplanetary, First Lensman, Galactic Patrol)" by E. E. "Doc" Smith
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https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Lensmen-Triplanetary-Lensman- Galactic/dp/1568658044/
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Book number one of a two book space opera science fiction series.  I read the well printed and well bound hardback published by the Science Fiction Book Club in 1998 that I bought used from Amazon recently.  In fact, I was inspired by Heinlein's "The Pursuit of the Pankera" that I read recently to read this book.  I have ordered book two of the series and will read it soon.
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https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Pankera-Parallel-Novel-Universes/ dp/1647100291/
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This book actually consists of three books published by E. E. "Doc" Smith.  "Triplanetary" was published in 1948.  "First Lensmen" was published in 1950.  And "Galactic Patrol" was published in 1950.  The books are dated by time with what was normal in the 1930s and 1940s is no longer normal for our times other than a minimal segment of the United States society.
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"Triplanetary" starts off with a detailed conflict between the Arisians in our galaxy and the Eddorians in a second galaxy over two thousand million years ago.  The two galaxies are colliding over and incrdible period of time and the two races are conflicting for control of the merged galaxy.  Also detailed is the various time periods on Earth and other planets that the Eddorians destroyed in order to maintain their supposed supremacy over the galaxies.  They even caused a nuclear conflict between Atlantis and her colonies.
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"First Lensmen" is the story of the Arisians contacting the Virgil Samms to become the first Lensman and spread the Lens technology among individuals who are deserving of the technology.  Other technologies are rapidly advanced such as multiple light year speeds of space travel using inertialess generators.
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"Galactic Patrol" is the story of the various conflicts between the Eddorian supported space pirates and the Arisian supported Lensmen. Most of the book is about Rod Kinnison's various exploits to expose and destroy the space pirates that are plaguing the commerce of the galactic free planets.
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My rating:  5 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating:  4.4 out of 5 stars (82 ratings)
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Lynn
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I concur on your evaluation of the series which is a bit longer than
than you review as I remember but I read this stuff quite a while
back. We have volumes that deal with the defeat of Arisian's foes.
and the eventual emergence of a LensWoman. I remember Worsel the
Velantian who was quite dragonlike and a lot of other imagined
alien life forms who joined the Galactic Patrol.
       But it is over 50 years since I looked at those books
and I awaited them with abated breath on trips to the Sacramento
City Public Library.
      bliss

It has been over 50 years since I first read these books also.  A long time ago.  I think that I read them in the Houston Public Library that was between my home and my junior high school as I would stop on my bike on the way home from school from 1973 to 1975.
Lynn