Galactic Patrol

Lensman #3

by E.E. "Doc" Smith

The Galactic Patrol has been given the ultimate weapon in its war against the evil pirate The Lens. But even though the Patrol's Lensmen are the most feared peacekeepers in the galaxy, they aren't quite sure how to use their unique gift. Things are about to change, however. Kimball Kinnison has just graduated from the academy, and now that's he's earned his Lens, he's determined to figure out how it works. Kinnison begins his journey of discovery by taking command of the Brittania, an experimental ship that's as likely to kill him as it is the Boskone raiders it was built to fight. That leads him on a series of whirlwind adventures that include a visit to the planet Arisia--where the mysterious creators of the Lens make their home--and end up in a confrontation with Helmuth, who may well be Boskone himself. Although this is the third book in the Lensman series, it's the novel where, as SF critic John Clute puts it, "the story has started, and it does not stop." This is a rip-roaring tale of heroes, aliens, space battles, and bold deeds, the stuff that Golden Age science fiction was built from. --Craig E. Engler

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fiction, Classics, Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Pulp

Paperback

First published September 1, 1937

About the author

Edward Elmer Smith (also E.E. Smith, E.E. Smith, Ph.D., E.E. “Doc” Smith, Doc Smith, “Skylark” Smith, or—to his family—Ted), was an American food engineer (specializing in doughnut and pastry mixes) and an early science fiction author, best known for the Lensman and Skylark series. He is sometimes called the father of space opera.

Reviews

[Manny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dreadful space opera trash - none the less, this book holds a special place in my heart because of the circumstances in which I read it. I discovered E.E. Doc Smith when I was 8 (this is the right age to appreciate him), and was so entranced that I brought Galactic Patrol with me to school so that I could read the exciting conclusion during morning break. A few days later, I was mortified to hear my teacher tell my parents how cute it was that "I was pretending to read this adult book that was obviously way past my reading level".

Well, she clearly knew as much about me as she did about E.E. Doc Smith. Are you out there, third grade teacher? YOU WERE WRONG!

[Graeme Rodaughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Galactic Patrol Scandal! Diabolical Drug Used on Trenco! "Well, those Lensmen started handing out sugar and the next thing you know - I'm addicted to the stuff. Now I just hang around their base doing anything they want for a little taste..." - The Trenconian Tattler

Yeah, apart from the corruption* of the natives of Trenco, the Galactic Patrol continues to defend the Galaxy against the vast, cold, ruthlessly implacable evil of the Boskonians.

There's the usual space pirates, and more enemy bases that are infiltrated and destroyed than you can poke a stick at, and it was getting kinda repetitive by the last one.

The best of this book is in the first 40% when Kinnison and VanBuskirk meet Worsal the Valentian, and they join forces to lay waste to the despicably evil mind masters: The Delgonians.

Worsal is perhaps the most endearing secondary character in the whole series, and is one of my favourites in all of sci-fi. He truly believes that his mission against the Delgonians is doomed, but he persists as best as he can and finds uncommon aid after saving Kinnison and VanBuskirk from certain and grisly death.

The impact of hope upon Worsal is something to witness.

*There are little incidents like this one that absolutely undermine the ethical stance of the Galactic Patrol and the Lensmen.

Recommended. 4 'Gosh, Pirates and More Pirates,' stars.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ad-hoc series read late 2023
Well my comment in 2015 (below) was quite succinct, but still holds true. I somehow , after the first in the series was chosen by one book group as a monthly read some months ago, appear now to be trapped in another series read. Now this is not a bad thing, as given my age 8 years is long enough to forget who did what and so still enjoy the books. However it does mean that as ever I have put myself under pressure as I had already "promised" I would read some books by authors who contacted me directly, and as we have just started the stressful and time consuming process of moving house (again) I am up against time constraints due to this move.

Hey ho, what will be , will be, (thanks to Doris for use of the quote).

Right, the book. Son of one of the early lensman, realises he is not getting the best out of his "Lens" and so returns to Arisia to get further training, where he discovers the all powerful Arisians thought he would be one of the first to return. After extra training he is ready to take on the evil "pirates" led by the heinous Helmuth of Boskone, no easy task despite all his new lens-enhanced abilities.
Probably the most well written and complex story so far.

Series read 2015
Dated but still excellent

[Mary JL · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is listed as Book 3 in the Lensman series but it was actually the first written. It appeared originally in the Sf magazines. When the series was later issued in book form Smith re-wrote parts of Book #1 Triplanetary to strengthen it's coonection to the series and book @2 First Lensmen was written AFTER Galactic Patrol.

So, If you are curious about the Lensmen series, read book 3 first. You can go back and read the prequels later. This third book is where the action really starts to pick up.

Yes, it hokey and dated but a great adventure story. E. E. Smith was one of the pioneers of space opera and you can see his influence on many other writers.

I first read this at age 15 and it has a special place in my heart--it is the first SF book I can remember buying for myself!

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After almost 500 pages of back story...after a history of the conflict between the superraces of Arisia and Eddore that stretches back 2 billion years, and includes glimpses of Earth's lost continent of Atlantis and the Holy Roman Empire...after at least six major space battles, explorations of any number of bizarre worlds, a look at how the Galactic Patrol was formed and how the mysterious, Arisian artifact known as the Lens was obtained by the Patrol...after campaigns against drug smugglers, dirty politicos and space pirates...after all of this and much more, E. E. "Doc" Smith's legendary Lensman space opera finally begins in earnest, in Book 3 of the six-part epic, "Galactic Patrol." As I mentioned in my reviews of the first two books, "Triplanetary" (1948) and "First Lensman" (1950), Smith originally wrote volumes 3 - 6 first, only adding Books 1 and 2 later, when he felt that some kind of explanatory prequel had become necessary. And while it is true that the second section of "Triplanetary" had been written as early as 1934, it was only 14 years later that that section was rewritten to make it fit into the Lensman cycle. So, yes, "Galactic Patrol" does mark the first words that "Doc" Smith wrote concerning his most famous opus. As critic John Clute so eloquently writes in his introduction to the 1998 Old Earth Books edition, "...we plunge headfirst into the heartwood and arterial surge of the vast edifice of the Lensman sequence as E. E. Smith first conceived it, in the 1920s, long before he began parcelling his tale out in serial form over a 12-year period (1937 - 1949) through the increasingly dignified pages of 'Astounding Science Fiction'...."

Indeed, "Galactic Patrol" did originally appear as a six-part serial in the September 1937 - February 1938 issues of "Astounding" magazine, copping the cover artwork for those first two issues (by famed illustrators H. W. Wesso and Howard V. Brown, respectively). It made its first appearance in book form as a $3 hardcover from Fantasy Press in 1950, with a cover by Ric Binkley, and has seen many incarnations during the intervening seven decades. I was fortunate enough to acquire the 1982 Berkley paperback, with gorgeous cover artwork by David B. Maddingly. This third installment of one of sci-fi's greatest space operas takes place an indeterminate amount of time following the events of Book 2 (a period of some decades, would be my guess), and indeed, none of the characters from those first volumes makes a reappearance here. "Galactic Patrol," thus, introduces us to a brand-new set of acquaintances; personages, it is strongly suggested, who will feature prominently in the later volumes.

This Book 3 cleaves fairly evenly into two discrete halves. In the first half, we have our first glimpse of Kimball "Kim" Kinnison--the latest in a long line of Kinnisons from the first two books, although we never do learn his exact relation to North American President Roderick Kinnison, who'd played such a major role in Book 2--on the day of his graduation from the Cadet Corps of the Galactic Patrol. After receiving his honorary Lens, which the Arisians have designed just for him, and which gives its wearer the power of mind reading and telepathy, Kim is given his first, almost hopeless assignment. It seems that the space pirates of Boskone have come up with a starship whose speed far exceeds even those of the Patrol, and Kim is now being tasked to capture one of those Boskonian vessels somehow and learn the secret of its propulsion. Thus, in "Galactic Patrol"'s first half, Kim does captain his first ship, the Brittania, and, after doing battle with a pirate vessel, is able to send a technical team aboard to get the scientific dope. But getting this information back to the Patrol's Prime Base on Earth proves to be a much more difficult proposition. Kim decides to send his crew out in a dozen or more lifeboats, each containing two-man crews, to better the odds of someone making it back to the Patrol base safely with the needed data. He and Peter vanBuskirk (an immensely strong native of the planet of Valeria, where the 4X Earth-normal gravity has made its residents capable of almost superhuman feats; think of a modified Alara Kitan or Talla Keyali from the wonderful new TV show "The Orville") share one of the lifeboats, and later hide from the pirates on the world of Delgon. While there, they meet the dragonlike telepath Worsel, from the neighboring planet Velantia, and help him and his people defeat their cruel Delgonian Overlords. They later visit the insanely harsh planet of Trenco (a world that readers will fondly recall from "First Lensman") to effect repairs and meet a fellow Lensman, Tregonsee, a resident of Rigel IV. We also make the acquaintance of the blue-skinned mastermind of the Boskonian pirates, named Helmuth, and witness his disastrous visit to Arisia to wrest the secret of the Lens from the inhabitants there, while Kim valiantly does indeed make his way back to Earth.

In the book's second half, the Patrol, with improved weapons of offense and defense, destroys a pirate base on "Neptune's moon," and Kim is given the Patrol's highest honor. He is made a Gray Lensman, meaning that he is now largely independent of all authority. Dressed in his plain gray leather garb, he is now a judge, jury and executioner of justice wherever he travels in the galaxy. Unfortunately, while engaged in his first acts as a Gray Lensman--stealthily tracking a pirate vessel to its base on Aldebaran I--Kim is almost killed, and must spend a few months recuperating in hospital. But while there, he encounters a nurse, Clarrissa MacDougall (the latest of a tawny-eyed lineage whose roots we have traced from Atlantean times), who, it is to be inferred, will be a love interest of Kim's in future volumes, although their relationship at first is anything but romantic. Kim does make a full convalescence, however, and is later allowed by the Arisians to return to their planet--the first person to be permitted a second visit--where he undergoes an intensive bit of Lens training. He emerges later with several new abilities--mind control, as focused through his trusty Lens, and what you might call X-ray vision, of sorts--and thus equipped, is able to (a) rescue Clarrissa when she and her fellow nurses are abducted off their hospital ship by space pirates, and (b) trace Helmuth to his secret base world, somewhere just outside our galaxy, and square off mano a mano with the archvillain in a fight to the death....

Okay, I realize that it might sound as if I've given away some spoilers here in this lengthy plot synopsis, but trust me, Smith packs so much in the way of detail and incident into the pages of his book that what I have just given you is merely the bare bones of a very meaty story. And as one turns those pages of "Galactic Patrol," the realization that the author was right and justified concerning the need for those 500 pages of prequel information grows and grows. Thus, whereas to the 1937 reader the motivations of the Arisians must have seemed mysterious and unknowable, modern-day readers can be well aware of their billion-year campaign against Eddore. (That evil race, by the way, is never even mentioned in Book 3, although it is to be suspected that Helmuth is being controlled by Gharlane the Eddorian, just like Emperor Nero had been!) And when the phrase "if he had the sense of a Zabriskan fontema" pops up--a phrase that must have meant nothing to the original "Astounding" readers--well, we know precisely what is meant, as we recall Virgil Samms' encounter with the strange little creatures in Book 2. So, yes, I would most assuredly advise potential readers to experience these books not in the order in which they were written, but rather, in the now accepted, internal chronology, as Smith himself later decided was proper.

As usual, Smith loads so very many wonderful set pieces into his book for the reader to marvel at. The highlight in this installment, for this reader, was when Kim gets riddled with high-powered bullets, as well as zapped by ray guns, and then gets blown out of a window, only to plummet 40 feet down and crash onto the floor of a crater on a dead world. Totally busted up and wounded unto death, he must somehow repair his leaking space suit and make it back to his orbiting ship. It is a thrilling sequence, perhaps even more so than the one at the book's tail end, when he single-handedly infiltrates that secret Boskonian base before his final confrontation with Helmuth. And whereas much of the details of Books 1 and 2 strongly suggest possible inspirations for the "Star Trek" universe (ship's deflector screens, for example), Book 3 is most forcefully reminiscent of the world of "Star Wars." Indeed, the segment in which Kim is trained by the Arisians for many weeks must surely have resonated with George Lucas before he gave us Luke Skywalker being tutored by master Yoda, and Kim's resultant skills, 40 years later, might be thought of, by a later generation, as "Jedi mind tricks." To be sure, this Golden Age space opera of E. E. Smith is seminal in so many ways.

Of course, some minor sticking points inevitably do crop up. For example, as regards that Neptunian moon that the Patrol attacks, whereas Smith makes it seem that it is the only moon revolving around its planet, we now know that Neptune has no fewer than 14 such! The section detailing how ships' occupants coming out of faster-than-light space drive must be made inert in specially designed nets was a little hard for this reader to grasp; I can't even begin to adequately describe what I mean here. And, oh...while I have no problem at all with a spaceship traveling at 4X the speed of light, my mind kind of boggles a little at the thought of Kim, in his space suit, zipping through the galaxy independently of his ship at that speed! What a way to travel! And to end this nitpicking, when Worsel is being attacked by those vegetable creatures, and Kim tries to reason with them by thinking through his Lens (since "any real animal, no matter how savage, can be controlled by any wearer of the Lens")...well, why hadn't he done so a bit earlier, when he and vanBuskirk were being assaulted by those lizard monsters? But perhaps I am overthinking this.

At bottom, "Galactic Patrol" is a superlative entry in the Lensman series. It is almost impossible to predict where the author will take us to in Book 4, now that Boskone has been defeated, so I suppose that I will just have to proceed on to "Gray Lensman" now to find out. One senses that the 2 billion-year conflict between Arisia and Eddore is only beginning to heat up....

(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most ideal destination for all fans of E. E. "Doc" Smith....)

[William P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know, I really was beginning to think that there must've been a wholly different standard of judgement back when this series came out. I mean, Triplanetary was a mess, a decent mess, but a mess nevertheless. I couldn't even get into The First Lensman because it read like a mix of responses to criticism and a first draft of notes being converted into a novel. It just didn't work for me, though I am going to get back to it at some point now that I know not to give up.

You see, supplicants, Galactic Patrol was everything I'd been led to believe this series was supposed to be. Actually it was a lot better than that. I think I was expecting John Carter of Mars, more or less, and, while there are similarities, this is a completely different kettle of fish. Space opera is a somewhat fuzzy concept, but I have no doubt in my mind that this book is not only a progenitor of the genre, but one of the best examples I've ever encountered. It has all kinds of spunk and verve. Not only does it have a paragon hero, a myth among men, but I liked him. I don't normally. His victory was nowhere near as easy as I'd expected and he kicked major ass to win. The plot was solid, the interweaving of events was, frankly, excellent, and the cool-factor was way up there.

It's little things that made it work. Things like the ray-gun pistols being called DeLameters, for instance, gave a kind of reality to the books. Simply calling them ray-guns of zap-pistols or whatever generic term you want makes them all kind of a gray mass in the mind. But saying DeLameter makes them, somehow, more real. You can infer that there was a man, named DeLameter, who invented the guns. That's kind of awesome. It's like saying 9mm or magnum, or any of a dozen other terms instead of simply "pistol". It's a little thing, but it draws you in. I can honestly say that, by studying this book, I think I can improve my own understanding of the craft of writing. That's not always possible, but the relative simplicity of the novel makes it easier to pull apart, technically, than more complex novels.

There's a lot of other things, too, which make the book "pop" for me, but I hope I've given you enough to want to go out and read the darn thing yourself. So go forth, supplicants, and read.

[Warren Fournier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though probably appreciated by kids better than adults, unless you are young at heart, this third entry in the Lensman series has so many alien races, allegiances, characters, and subplots that it may be a little overwhelming for readers of any age. This is where the series really starts to feel most like a space opera, as well as more epic in scale, and this is likely the kind of book the public thinks of when they hear about the Lensman chronicles. It is also where we are first introduced to Kim Kinnison as our main superhero, who is the main focus of later entries, as well as his love-interest, nurse Chris Macdougall, who becomes a Lensman herself. We are also introduced to Worsel, the intelligent dragon-like alien who becomes a Lensman and plays a major part in later entries and even has been given his own novel. Furthermore, the series has now given the conceptual name of Boskone to the intergalactic bad guys, though at this point we don't know if Boskone is a person, a planet, some highly organized gang, or a myth.

So many readers consider this the first proper Lensman story. I would agree, but for all the important characters, concepts, and action that is crammed into this short novel, it remains one of the more forgettable for me. I've had to reread it a few times during my exploration of the Lensman literary universe, and I still keep forgetting about most of it shortly after.

Also, as I mentioned, the book starts to get a bit ridiculous in the amount of races and characters introduced. Even my wife, who adores many a good scifi and fantasy series, like Dune and Discworld, couldn't wrap her head around everything in this series and pretty much gave up.

But I would argue that if you want to experience Lensman for yourself, this may be one of the better places to start. You may find yourself hooked by the superior fourth book, "Gray Lensman." Silly and juvenile, while at the same time very rich and exciting, "Galactic Patrol" is pretty much everything you would expect and want from classic pulp scifi and space opera.

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, can you say space opera? If you like action and really don't care about characterization or description, this is the series for you! Published in the 1930's, you can really tell that black was black and white was white in people's eyes back then. No antiheroes, no pondering whether it was right to blast away the enemy. The protagonist, Kimball Kinnison, is a square-jawed, handsome wunderkind, just graduated from Galactic Patrol school and yet somehow put in charge of all kinds of missions of great importance. He is a cross between an Old West sheriff and James Bond. The characters are symbols more than people, the action is non-stop, right to the last sentence of the book. I couldn't keep all the space ships and ships drives straight, but it made little difference as I hurtled through the story. My all-time favourite moment: when a harried engineer hauls out his slide-rule to make a quick calculation! (I used those contraptions in high school, younger readers probably don't even know what they are). A fun read and an interesting look back at the sensibilities of the 1930s.

[Norman Cook · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book because it was nominated for the Retro-Hugo Award. The last time I tried to read an E.E. Smith book I was so traumatized by the convoluted story and bad writing that I literally stopped reading fiction for several months. This time I managed to slog my way through to the end of the book. I know Smith is revered as a pioneer of science fiction, but his stuff just does not hold up to modern standards, if it ever did. The purple prose is so bad it leaks into the ultraviolet. Here’s the first paragraph:

“Dominating twice a hundred square miles of campus, parade-ground, airport, and spaceport, a ninety-story edifice of chromium and glass sparkled dazzlingly in the bright sunlight of a June morning. This monumental pile was Wentworth Hall, in which the Tellurian candidates for the Lens of the Galactic Patrol live and move and have their being. One wing of its topmost floor seethed with tense activity, for that wing was the habitat of the lordly Five-Year Men, this was Graduation Day, and in a few minutes Class Five was due to report in Room A.”

The whole book is written like this.

Smith’s space cadet Kim Kinneson is the model of squeaky-clean superpowered whiteness that undoubtedly helped lead to the ostracization of science fiction by critics and the general public as nothing more than kiddie literature. There is nothing Kinneson can’t do, and then he develops mental powers which allow him to do things like control others and to see through walls. Early in the story, soon after graduating at the top of his class in the fascist-run space academy, Kinneson is given command of a new, experimental, class of battle spaceship to test out. The reason given? High command doesn’t want to lose any of its experienced officers if something goes wrong! And they don’t think putting a green lieutenant in charge won’t lead to disaster? (Which, of course, is exactly what happens.) Then Kinneson hops around the galaxy searching for the dreaded Helmuth, a 2-dimensional villain who controls a vast army of space pirates. The book ends abruptly when Helmuth is dispatched, with no denouement whatsoever.

In addition to the poor writing, stereotypical characters, and implausible plot, Galactic Patrol is sexist, racist, and disturbingly homoerotic. I’ll give Smith his due in the history of science fiction as a major influencer, but there is really no reason to read his work in the 21st Century other than for its historical perspective.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic of the space opera genre, perhaps the defining type. Originally published as a serial, which shows in its rather episodic structure. Like overthrowing a tyrannical race when you're on run for your life with vital information. . . .

It opens with Kimball Kinnison graduating as a Lensman, and receiving, with the rest of his class, the powerful Lens, which is also an unforgeable ID and proof that its bearer is incorruptible. Shortly thereafter, for his first post, he is offered command of a new ship. His first guess was the ship was so experimental they didn't want to risk an experienced offer; the counter is that it's so experimental that experience would not be useful -- which I note is not incompatible with the first, especially since the officer then goes on to point out that for the serious risk of being blown to smithereens if its sole weapon backfires, he gets to keep command.

So they set out, with the vital task of discovering how pirates are managing to do such damage to the shipping. It winds on from there. A planet full of storms, above-mentioned tyrannical race, Kinnison's being a bad patient (after being recovered in a technical stunt), a return to learn more skills, and a lot more occur as a consequence.

[Paul Magnussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doc Smith’s Lensman series is one of those strange cases where almost everything the reviews say — both good and bad — is true. The key lies in the sentence found in so many of them: “I first read this when I was a kid”. I think we all retain an affection for things we loved when we were young. Nonetheless, it would be a big mistake to think these books hold nothing for adults — I’ve introduced them to an adult friend who enjoyed them immensely.

I, too, first met Kim Kinnison when I was a kid, in the original Astounding magazines that I inherited from my uncle.

Chronologically, the first Lensman story was Galactic Patrol, from 1937–38. This was followed by the next three stories: Gray Lensman, Second Stage Lensmen and Children of the Lens. When publication in book form was mooted, Smith revised his earlier Triplanetary to fit into the Lensman universe, and wrote First Lensman to form a bridge between that and Galactic Patrol. Masters of the Vortex, another unrelated story, was likewise modified.

I, and many others, feel that the four books representing Smith’s original conception are the essential ones, and the others are disposable* (Vortex, in particular, being a pot-boiler with virtually no relation to the others).

There’s another problem with the books, although fortunately not an insuperable one. Smith’s universe, although already huge at the outset of Galactic Patrol, expands as the series progresses. Originally, the reader didn’t discover the total significance of the struggles going on within it until the end of Children. But the books (except, for some inscrutable reason, Patrol) feature tacked-on and needless Forewords that give away the whole plot. I strongly recommend first-time readers to skip these. Also, if you’ve never read Smith before, I, too, recommend starting with Patrol — Triplanetary is not nearly as good, neither is it “really” the first.

In fact, if you’d rather read the stories in their original form (which I, and many others, find far, far superior to the retconned books), you can now find scans of the original magazines online (see Note below for directions).

Smith’s dated (and sometimes banal) style has been an easy target, but it has some lovely moments as well:

“Near them there crouched or huddled or lay at ease a many-tentacled creature indescribable to man. It was not like an octopus. Though spiny, it did not resemble at all closely a sea-cucumber. Nor, although it was scaly and toothy and wingy, was it, save in the vaguest possible way, similar to a lizard, a sea-serpent or a vulture. Such a description by negatives is, of course, pitifully inadequate; but, unfortunately, it is the best that can be done.”

If you want mind-boggling adventure, ever-expanding vistas, BEMs and battle laid on with a trowel, you need go no further. For my money, the depth and invention of Smith’s universe, and the sheer glee with which he unfolds his narrative, more than compensate for any deficiencies. These are stories I will always love.

*Although First Lensman certainly has entertaining moments (as when Virgil Samms is almost deafened at a Rigellian construction site, because the Rigellians have no sense of hearing and can’t understand what the problem is).

Note
Galactic Patrol appeared in Astounding from Sep 1937 to Feb 1938.
Gray Lensman ran from Oct 1939 to Jan 1940.
Second Stage Lensmen ran from Nov 1941 to Feb 1942.
Children of the Lens ran from Nov 1947 to Feb 1948.

Go to:

https://archive.org/search.php?

Type Astounding 1937 into the Search box and click Go.

To download an issue:

1) Click on the issue you want.
2) Scroll down until you see Download options, and click on the option you want. The scans are dreadful, so the safest format is PDF (which the following instructions assume).
3) Wait a few seconds for the whole magazine to download.
4) Chose Save Page As… (Firefox) [or Save As… (Safari) etc.] from the File menu.
5) Click the Back button twice to get back to step 1 and repeat, modifying the year as necessary.

You can also, of course, having got past step 3, just read the magazines online.

P.S. I have just (2023) noticed that, unfortunately, the online version of the December 1937 issue is missing page 73. I’ve notified the Internet Archive, but they say:

“Unfortunately we have no way to check the physical copy or make changes or corrections.”

So I’ve made a PDF of that page from my uncle’s copy and uploaded it to my website: it’s not as neat as the online stuff, but it’s perfectly legible. You can find it here:

http://www.paulmagnussen.com/sf/astou...

Happy reading!

[The Fizza · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS - Imagine you are Humphrey Bogart in the 1948 film, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre... But instead of prospecting for gold, you are prospecting for books.

You just looked up and down the Library stacks for some great Science Fiction books and can't find a thing. Then you happen to look straight down to see you're standing on stacks for "S" (as in Smith)...

There it is, right under your feet: Galactic Patrol: The Lensman Book 3.

Just like Bogart did, you pick it up and realize what you were standing on the whole time. You have found GOLD!

That's what this books is.

Galactic Patrol, originally Book One the in Lensman series (way before Smith, wrongly thinking his books didn't have the scope he needed, added two prequels), starts with a major leap, like most SF stories. You will have to suspend your disbelief and jump headlong into a real Golden Age Classic.

The story of the Lensmen and the Galactic Patrol started long before humans walked on Earth. It involves a struggle between two almost magical alien races. The Arisians, a peaceful race native to this galaxy, and the Eddorians, a dictatorial, power-hungry people from the another galaxy.

Each has tried to influence the words of our galaxy, one trying to keep us as a fractured and lose farm for war games. The other helping to build an interplanetary council to keep peace and promote prosperity among all the beings we meet as we dive further and further into the void.

Despite the rich tapestry of the future E. E. "Doc" Smith paints around the Lensman there can be no argument that this book is an action/adventure epic. The Lensmen, graduates of the Galactic Patrol's Academy, are hand picked to receive the symbol of the Patrol's authority: The Lens.

The Lens, a gift from the Arisians, gives its wearer a variety of mind-reading and telepathic capabilities, including those needed to enforce Galactic Patrol law on alien worlds as well as bridge the communication gap between all life-forms. The Lensman's lens cannot be worn by anyone other than its owner, killing any other wearer, and sublimates shortly after its owner's death.

The action in Galactic Patrol starts slowly. We start with Smith's introduction of the man who will be featured in most if the series, one Kimball Kinnison. Kim has just graduated as a Lensman from the academy and, as he was rated number one, he gets a very special assignment.

The space pirates seem to be organized, collectively known as Boskonians, and have gained the advantage with a new kind of space drive. Kim is given a crew and a mission. They are to capture and take apart the ship. Then get the specs back to HQ.

Of course this does not go off without a hitch and Kim, along with Clarissa MacDougall (nurse), Van Buskirk (Patrolman), and Worsel (alien) get caught up in this war with Boskone.

Boskone's criminal empire connects to numerous business, both legitimate and illegitimate, and Kim sets out to erratic it and it's leader Helmuth. Through war, guile and intellect.

And Kim will use every option at his disposal as well as do every job; from undercover agent, inspector, pirate hunter, and scout to a member of a vast space fleet sent to demolish Boskone's bases.

As all of this goes on Kim begins to explore the power of the Lens and he, like all Arisian and Eddorian chess pieces, set the stage for the next four books.

I recommend this series for any Space Opera, Classic SF or Adventure fan.

[Mark Kinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a way, I see in the predecessors to Galactic Patrol a "prequel problem" that exists in a lot of properties. I noticed, especially in First Lensman, a definite invincibility to the main characters which added to my somewhat muted outlook on those books, almost a determinism pointing toward the third book of the series.

Then came Galactic Patrol, which was, if I recall correctly, the first of the Lensman series proper, and about halfway through the book, that invincibility gets dashed. That made this book a lot more interesting, and as I read ahead into Gray Lensman, I see that the same characters continue forth from here, as opposed to the "foundational books" Triplanetary and First Lensman. The series is hitting its stride here, and I look forward to the rest of it more than ever.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, I admit I read this when I was an adolescent many years ago and picked up quite a few Doc E E Smith books second hand - leading me to re-read this series (and check it out for possible reading for my children)

The fact is that while some of the science in this series (some over 50 years old now) is dubious or incorrect - and some of the attitudes reflect gender roles and thinking of the period - the stories and thinking behind this work is ground breaking and still reads well. The reality is that much of our current science fiction or fantasy work owes a debt of thanks to authors like E E Smith and these stories still have something to offer - which is more than you can say about many books after some decades that were best sellers in their time. A classic series.

[John Yelverton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is extremely obvious that this book/series was the inspiration for both "Green Lantern" and "Star Trek", and that alone makes the book worth reading. The negative side is that the book is extremely dated, the characters use a highly contrived and corny jargon/slang, and this book has, hands down, the most abrupt ending that I've ever read.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 3 and the first book of the original Lensman series. From here on out they will only get better.

I have to confess I have read this series 5 times over the last 20 years. Its a classic I keep on my shelf.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love space opera but wow this writing was really tough for me to get through. It is cringe worthy bad writing and I find it hard to believe the book has such a relatively high rating, never mind that it was shortlisted for the Hugo back in the day.

[Jddgames · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first stories published so the first one to read. From 1937. Neatly predicts Star Wars & Star Trek but is better than both.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The entire Lensman series is a complete masterpiece of the space opera genre. Highly recommended.

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lensman saga has always been the "Lord Of The Rings" of space to me. Grand sweeping space opera story. Excellent plot and characters. Very good read. My highest recommendation

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just pure and simple pulpy fun.

[blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic sci-fi and probable inspiration for the Green Lantern Corps, I enjoyed this (the first written book in the series) while not exactly being bowled over by it. It lost out to Foundation in 1966 for "best sci-fi series ever", and it's definitely solid (and I'd probably not care for Foundation).

Basically, our hero is a man of impeccable moral character who has endured the most rigorous training (and moral tests) to be gifted with a unique device—a "lens"—which is attuned to his life force and is controlled by his will. The device, gifted by a mysterious ancient race, is not well understood by its wearers, who are of all different planets and races, and who appear to use the device in different ways.

In this book, our hero Kimball Kinnison, uses the lens for psychic communication and ultimately some high-powered mind control. His antagonist is an intergalactic pirate ring—or is it?—which is in a technological race with the Galactic Corps. When the book starts, the pirates have the upper hand with some clever technology that the Corps is powerless to protect against.

The story involves this war flipping back and forth between the two forces as Kinnison comes up with ideas and adventures around the universe solving local issues that end up helping The Cause. It's fun, it's fast, it's 237 jam-packed pages, and when the story's over the book ends. The last sentence, bam, no denouement.

I enjoyed it as good "golden age" space opera, but having read some flabby modern books, I was impressed at how much went on in a scant 200+ pages. It is very dated, for better or worse, with a WWII sensibility, sassy space nurses and space pirates with spiffy English accents.

[Joshua Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lensmen series is arguably the first real space opera series. If you are a science fiction fan you owe it to yourself to read it, for historical reasons if nothing else. Not that you should only read it for that, the series is a classic for a reason. While I could not fully describe it here I will list out what is more unique about it, and what sticks in my mind.

One thing that was a driving force of the series was the development of technology, specifically weapons and other systems on ships. One thing Smith understood very well is that the biggest secret of any new technology is that it is possible. Once your enemy knows that something is possible, they WILL find out how to duplicate it, it's just a matter of time and effort.
The technology and tactics also evolved, new weapons forced new tactics, and new tactics forced new weapons. Very few books show this, even though it would be pivotal in any large scale conflict.

Second the scale of the series was very well done. By scale I mean that civilization (good guys) covered most of the galaxy, but it was not as simple as us having 2/3 of the galaxy settled and that part being safe and known. It was more like we have small number of stars settled and most of the rest mapped. But this is spread through the whole galaxy, so there are planets in the middle of civilization that are unknown, maybe even whole empires that have yet to run into us.

www.JoshuaLawrencePike.com

[O'Neal Sadler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was so much fun. It was a fun and breezy read over summer vacation. It was bananas to read such a nutty and funny science fiction read. It’s pulp. It doesn’t take itself seriously and claims no great philosophical depth like Dune or Childhood’s End. No this is the story of a good guy Kimball Kinnison and his arch foe Helmuth the Boskonian. I said before it calls to mind Starship Troopers but without the hints of fascism. No this is more like a comic book without the panels.

There are some amazing descriptions of battles and the powers of the Lens. I will say again this should be a film or television series. The story is just so ripe for a franchise it’s shocking the last time anything was done with this was in the 1980’s as a Japanese anime adaptation.

Anyway I enjoyed this and highly recommend. You should be able to find a copy at your local used bookstore. If not there is some audio versions on LibriVox. I like reading along while listening to it on my app. It’s great fun.

[James Hogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was originally written & serialized in 1937...but not published in book form until 1950. I state that upfront, just because it's important to know how old this book actually is - and so if you're not in the mood for extremely old-fashioned and (to some) dated sci-fi, turn back now! But as I continue reading through Doc Smith's Lensman series, I continue to be thrilled and satisfied. Not going to write an overlong review, but this book provided me with exactly what I'm in the mood for lately, pulpy sci-fi filled with the heroics of men of integrity, honor and strength. Also written by an author with an engineering background...so lots of fun details that make me smile. This book mostly followed one character and his struggles against the dastardly space pirates of Boskone. Fun stuff, great book!

[Jim Mcclanahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the earliest days of real "space opera" Doc Smith (degree in chemical engineering) tells a tale of breakneck space flight, villainous villains, heroic heroes and spunky heroines. Set amid a conflict between the forces of good embodied in the patrol and the forces of evil, characterized by the Boskone pirates, this fairly one dimensional tale presages many later stories, right up to the current day. With the exception of the ubiquitous elements of mind reading and mind control, the novel unfolds amid the milieu of technical wizardry and futuristic weapons. I found the highly armored and power assisted space armor to be quite predictive of many later innovations including, but not limited to Iron Man and The Expanse series. Predictable, but entertaining in a 1930s sense.

[Julie Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I simply couldn't resist this book, solely based on John C. Wright's nonreview of it. Classic space opera with purple prose is a particular weakness of mine. I was returning a book to Audible and so chose this to use up my refund credit.

FINISHED
Ho hum. I found this captured my interest only here and there, most notably when the hero was up against the head pirate. Otherwise, everything came much too easily to the hero ... which was probably fine in serial form, which was how the book was originally published, but was rather boring as a listening experience.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

First read this and the whole Lensman series in the Seventies, and every so often have re-read them. Don’t bother with so called book 7 - Masters of The Vortex - as it’s not part of the main narrative and only very vaguely related.
Books 1 to 6 though are cheesy, space opera through and through, sheer popcorn entertainment with sweeping galaxy wide plots and the clunkiest dialogue and prose this side of Alpha Centauri.
Don’t read if you’re after hard-boiled sci-fi but if you just want some diversion into deep space, epic space battles and derring-do then this series will see you right.

[Alexander Draganov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Groundbreaking and extremely important for scifi as it inspires a huge percent of the genre works today. It also has an interesting story and likable characters. For me, however, the writing is quite outdated as well and some of the ideas about people are way too old-fashioned for me. Still, the book is fun.

[Darci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of death and destruction but with a simple innocence that somehow makes it a relaxing read. The storyline continues to flow very well and I enjoy the hints of romance. I still laugh at a slide rule coming out now and then, but his imagination of the future through eyes of the 1930's is quite amazing!