E. E. "Doc" Smith's "Skylark of Space" Series
he first book in the series was Written in the 1928, for Amazing Stories, and the fourth and last book in the series, "Skylark DuQuesne," was written in 1963. These books are a classic space opera, and many credit the series as the first and original Space Opera.
Edward Elmer "Doc" Smith is often referred to as the "farther of Space Opera."
Doc Smith was a food chemist by trade.
Like the Edgar Rice Burroughs "John Carter of Mars / Barsoom" books, which preceded this series, you can't go into it looking for "serious" science fiction with a level of future plausibility. It has to be taken much like Star Wars - go looking for fun, and go because it's thoroughly entertaining, and go because the reverence comes from the history and wonder of an earlier era, penned in grandiose imagination by one of the early pioneers of the genre.
I had the entire series in paperback in the early 1980's, and totally loved them. While "Doc" Smith was famous for his "Lensman" series, this shorter and less well-known series is a wonderful Summer read for a true science fiction lover.
You can get the first book on the series for FREE here:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20869
and here:
manybooks.net/titles/smithee2086920869-8.html# .
he first book in the series was Written in the 1928, for Amazing Stories, and the fourth and last book in the series, "Skylark DuQuesne," was written in 1963. These books are a classic space opera, and many credit the series as the first and original Space Opera.
Edward Elmer "Doc" Smith is often referred to as the "farther of Space Opera."
Doc Smith was a food chemist by trade.
Like the Edgar Rice Burroughs "John Carter of Mars / Barsoom" books, which preceded this series, you can't go into it looking for "serious" science fiction with a level of future plausibility. It has to be taken much like Star Wars - go looking for fun, and go because it's thoroughly entertaining, and go because the reverence comes from the history and wonder of an earlier era, penned in grandiose imagination by one of the early pioneers of the genre.
I had the entire series in paperback in the early 1980's, and totally loved them. While "Doc" Smith was famous for his "Lensman" series, this shorter and less well-known series is a wonderful Summer read for a true science fiction lover.
You can get the first book on the series for FREE here:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20869
and here:
manybooks.net/titles/smithee2086920869-8.html# .
More information on the series, and a list of all the books can be found here:
www.goodreads.com/series/54701-skylark
And here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skylark_(series)
Have fun!
Dan
www.goodreads.com/series/54701-skylark
And here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skylark_(series)
Have fun!
Dan
Comments
Post a Comment