First Lensman

Secret Planet

No human being had ever landed on the hidden planet of Arisia. A mysterious barrier, hanging unseen in space, turned back all ships. Then word came to Earth, inexplicably but compellingly:

'GO TO ARISIA!'

Virgil Samms, founder of the Galactic Patrol, went - and came back with the Lens, the strange device that gave its wearer powers no man had ever possessed before. Samms knew that the price of this power would be high. But even he had no idea of the ultimate cost - nor of the strange destiny awaiting the First Lensman....

I became aware of the renewed popularity of the Science Fiction "Space Opera" genre when I uploaded a YouTube video about reading the E.E. 'Doc' Smith Lensman series - and discovered it was my most popular video. It still gets daily views after two years. So evidently there is a market for the "classic" period of science fiction in general, and Lensman series, and good reasons why people what to go back and re-read something they experienced as a young person, or to discover for the first time what it's all about.

This edition of First Lensman is annotated where that seemed helpful and fully edited and updated with contemporary grammar and spellings, but no real changes to the text. The inclusion of Triplanetary began as a need to provide context, as First Lensman often refers to things in that early story. As I wrote notes it became obvious it would be easier to include the older work. But immediately I realized there was a problem: Triplanetary was not really fit for print. What had happened is that E.E. 'Doc' Smith had cudgeled his 1934 story into a new mold, and with mixed results. The character of "gray Roger", originally a villain similar in spirit to "Ming the Merciless" as found in Flash Gordon, was pushed into the role of Gharlane of Eddore. This really did not make much sense based on the later fully materialized back story of the Arisian/Eddorian struggle as found in the best books of the series.

So I set about the necessary edits. Lewistons (ray guns) and machine rifles, tractor beams and shields, bold men being Men at visiplates staring down the pirates and aliens in the fight against evil as they defend their tri-planetary league of Venus, Mars, and "Tellus" (Earth) - all this is retained.

This reduces Lensman Book #1 into essentially an addendum intended to enrich First Lensman (which is a much better and more cohesive narrative that rewards re-reading) and shows to some extent how Smith had grown as an author and imagineer.

Enjoy this voyage back to the classic age of science fiction.