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Lost in Space
George O. Smith. Lost in Space. New York: Avalon Books, [1959]. First edition, first printing. Octavo. 224 pages.
- GenresScience Fiction
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1959
13 people want to read
About the author
George O. Smith
217 books11 followersGeorge Oliver Smith (April 9, 1911 - May 27, 1981) (also known as Wesley Long) was an American science fiction author. He is not to be confused with George H. Smith, another American science fiction author.
Smith was an active contributor to Astounding Science Fiction during the Golden Age of Science Fiction in the 1940s. His collaboration with the magazine's editor, John W. Campbell, Jr. was interrupted when Campbell's first wife, Doña, left him in 1949 and married Smith.
Smith continued regularly publishing science fiction novels and stories until 1960. His output greatly diminished in the 1960s and 1970s when he had a job that required his undivided attention. He was given the First Fandom Hall of Fame award in 1980.
He was a member of the all-male literary banqueting club the Trap Door Spiders, which served as the basis of Isaac Asimov's fictional group of mystery solvers the Black Widowers.
Smith wrote mainly about outer space, with such works as Operation Interstellar (1950), Lost in Space (1959), and Troubled Star (1957).
He is remembered chiefly for his Venus Equilateral series of short stories about a communications station in outer space. The stories were collected in Venus Equilateral (1947), which was later expanded as The Complete Venus Equilateral (1976).
His novel The Fourth "R" (1959) - re-published as The Brain Machine (1968) - was a digression from his focus on outer space, and provides one of the more interesting examinations of a child prodigy in science fiction.
Smith was an active contributor to Astounding Science Fiction during the Golden Age of Science Fiction in the 1940s. His collaboration with the magazine's editor, John W. Campbell, Jr. was interrupted when Campbell's first wife, Doña, left him in 1949 and married Smith.
Smith continued regularly publishing science fiction novels and stories until 1960. His output greatly diminished in the 1960s and 1970s when he had a job that required his undivided attention. He was given the First Fandom Hall of Fame award in 1980.
He was a member of the all-male literary banqueting club the Trap Door Spiders, which served as the basis of Isaac Asimov's fictional group of mystery solvers the Black Widowers.
Smith wrote mainly about outer space, with such works as Operation Interstellar (1950), Lost in Space (1959), and Troubled Star (1957).
He is remembered chiefly for his Venus Equilateral series of short stories about a communications station in outer space. The stories were collected in Venus Equilateral (1947), which was later expanded as The Complete Venus Equilateral (1976).
His novel The Fourth "R" (1959) - re-published as The Brain Machine (1968) - was a digression from his focus on outer space, and provides one of the more interesting examinations of a child prodigy in science fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 23, 2019
Pretty basic classic of a lost space lifeboat, from three viewpoints: The searchers, the missing passengers, and aliens closing in. Good ending.
No relation to the "Lost In Space" TV series nor the Space Family Robinson comic books. This was written first.
No relation to the "Lost In Space" TV series nor the Space Family Robinson comic books. This was written first.
January 29, 2017
'A space-needle in a universe-wide haystack
Commodore Ted Wilson's intuition told him right! He should never have let his fiancee, Alice Hemingway, take off on Space Liner 79 — the flight that fate had singled out to change the destiny of the galaxy!
Once out in deep space the ship's engines failed and Alice found herself stranded in a tiny lifeship with two amorous men. Besides this, there was no way for Wilson to find them except by combing the light-years of all space for the tiny craft.
Unbeknown to all of them, the most terrible threat of all hovered nearby. Bizarre and powerful off-worlders were watching the rescue attempts — trying to decide whether humans should be annihilated in toto or simply subjugated to their superior culture'
Blurb from the 1960 D-431 Ace Doubles paperback edition
Commodore Ted Wilson, a man used to travelling in space, despite his only recent promotion, is understandably concerned about his fiancee's insistence on travelling the worlds of the galaxy before she settles down to become a housewife.
She is travelling with her much older boss, Mr Andrews, who has not so far suggested anything inappropriate.
When the ship's engines fail however, Alice Hemingway, finds herself in a lifecraft with Mr Andrews and the hunky captain of the ship, both of whom it appears have designs on her.
Ted puts together a search party of ships to comb the area where the passenger ship came to grief.
Meanwhile a warfleet of aliens is tuning in to their communications. The leader of fleet has two deputies who have opposing views on how to deal with humans. One wishes to attack immediately and subsume humanity into their culture, while the other wishes' to approach the fleet and have Humanity submit willingly to a superior force.
The action flits between the lifecraft, Ted's fleet and the aliens.
Society hasn't moved on in Smith's future since Nineteen Fifty Four when this novel was first published, and the attitudes of Ted and Alice seem somewhat quaint from today's viewpoint. Smith does, to his credit, portray Alice as far more mature and level headed in a crisis than either of her male companions.
The novel is standard fare for the Nineteen Fifties and brings nothing new to the table although Smith does include some interestingly detailed science and engineering concepts.
Commodore Ted Wilson's intuition told him right! He should never have let his fiancee, Alice Hemingway, take off on Space Liner 79 — the flight that fate had singled out to change the destiny of the galaxy!
Once out in deep space the ship's engines failed and Alice found herself stranded in a tiny lifeship with two amorous men. Besides this, there was no way for Wilson to find them except by combing the light-years of all space for the tiny craft.
Unbeknown to all of them, the most terrible threat of all hovered nearby. Bizarre and powerful off-worlders were watching the rescue attempts — trying to decide whether humans should be annihilated in toto or simply subjugated to their superior culture'
Blurb from the 1960 D-431 Ace Doubles paperback edition
Commodore Ted Wilson, a man used to travelling in space, despite his only recent promotion, is understandably concerned about his fiancee's insistence on travelling the worlds of the galaxy before she settles down to become a housewife.
She is travelling with her much older boss, Mr Andrews, who has not so far suggested anything inappropriate.
When the ship's engines fail however, Alice Hemingway, finds herself in a lifecraft with Mr Andrews and the hunky captain of the ship, both of whom it appears have designs on her.
Ted puts together a search party of ships to comb the area where the passenger ship came to grief.
Meanwhile a warfleet of aliens is tuning in to their communications. The leader of fleet has two deputies who have opposing views on how to deal with humans. One wishes to attack immediately and subsume humanity into their culture, while the other wishes' to approach the fleet and have Humanity submit willingly to a superior force.
The action flits between the lifecraft, Ted's fleet and the aliens.
Society hasn't moved on in Smith's future since Nineteen Fifty Four when this novel was first published, and the attitudes of Ted and Alice seem somewhat quaint from today's viewpoint. Smith does, to his credit, portray Alice as far more mature and level headed in a crisis than either of her male companions.
The novel is standard fare for the Nineteen Fifties and brings nothing new to the table although Smith does include some interestingly detailed science and engineering concepts.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews