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Masters of Space
The Masters had ruled all space with an unconquerable iron fist. But the Masters were gone. And this new, young race who came now to take their place–could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
Approx. 6.75 hours
Approx. 6.75 hours
7 pages, Audiobook
First published January 1, 1961
49 people are currently reading
259 people want to read
About the author
E.E. "Doc" Smith
217 books325 followersEdward 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
December 26, 2011
Everyone has books that they imprinted on early in their reading life and this is one of mine. It isn't a great literary work, and it has all the flaws you can read about in other reviews here on Goodreads -- from sexism, to impossible technology, to purple prose, to unrealistic characters, and various other sins -- but it is at the same time full of the energy and sense of wonder of Science Fiction's "Golden Age", when heroes were heroes, men were men, good and evil were, well, good and evil, and everything was fresh and new and amazing.
Smith was, if not the inventor of space opera, without doubt it's most influential early practitioner, and, for better or worse, the author of the first science fiction book I ever read -- "Galactic Patrol" (Lensman series). It was given to me by my grandfather when I was nine or ten and I can still remember the fugue in which I read it. I proceeded to read every other work of Smith's I could lay my hands on... including the "Masters of Space"... and every few years I pick up this one and the Lensman series and reread them. And they work for me every time....
However, if you didn't read this book when you were young, your mileage will almost certainly vary... by a huge amount. So do us both a favour: don't read it and then complain about it here on Goodreads, but instead give it to a young (10-12 is about right) boy (probably not for most girls I'm afraid) to read on a vacation when he is bored enough to try something new because you have banned video games, TV, Facebook, and all those other forms of entertainment that distract but cannot inspire. It just might inspire him to become as big a fan of books and above all science fiction as I have become... and he will thank you, as I thank my grandfather, for as long as he lives.
Smith was, if not the inventor of space opera, without doubt it's most influential early practitioner, and, for better or worse, the author of the first science fiction book I ever read -- "Galactic Patrol" (Lensman series). It was given to me by my grandfather when I was nine or ten and I can still remember the fugue in which I read it. I proceeded to read every other work of Smith's I could lay my hands on... including the "Masters of Space"... and every few years I pick up this one and the Lensman series and reread them. And they work for me every time....
However, if you didn't read this book when you were young, your mileage will almost certainly vary... by a huge amount. So do us both a favour: don't read it and then complain about it here on Goodreads, but instead give it to a young (10-12 is about right) boy (probably not for most girls I'm afraid) to read on a vacation when he is bored enough to try something new because you have banned video games, TV, Facebook, and all those other forms of entertainment that distract but cannot inspire. It just might inspire him to become as big a fan of books and above all science fiction as I have become... and he will thank you, as I thank my grandfather, for as long as he lives.
December 30, 2025
An exploratory mission of lecherous eggheads and brainy bimbos from Earth come across a planet of android slaves created by human ancestors. Holding back their attempts to establish the first nudist colony in space are the humourless Stretts.
E. E. Doc Smith was the originator of the Space Opera sub-genre of science fiction, a big inspiration for both Asimov and Heinlein. I had never read anything of his before. Having done so I can readily account for his influence on those two; like Asimov he couldn't write worth a damn, and like Heinlein he wasn't aiming to attract a feminine readership.
Smith presented his space bunnies one by one with all the respectful esteem their vast intellects demanded. This is how he introduced the suggestively named Temple Bells: 'About five feet six. Lithe, hard, trained down fine—as a tennis champion, she would be. Stacked—how she was stacked!'
They spent so much time immaturely coquetting after the alpha male it was a wonder that they ever found the time to get down to any sciencey stuff. The androids came in handy as super-strong pets you can take to bed without getting fur all over the sheets.
This truly awful novel was co-written with somebody called Robert Lee Berry, so maybe I should blame him for the chauvinistic stuff? Even then I would still have to blame Smith for the rest, which was not just stupid but also virtually incoherent.
The Skylark of Space can't be as bad as this, surely?
E. E. Doc Smith was the originator of the Space Opera sub-genre of science fiction, a big inspiration for both Asimov and Heinlein. I had never read anything of his before. Having done so I can readily account for his influence on those two; like Asimov he couldn't write worth a damn, and like Heinlein he wasn't aiming to attract a feminine readership.
Smith presented his space bunnies one by one with all the respectful esteem their vast intellects demanded. This is how he introduced the suggestively named Temple Bells: 'About five feet six. Lithe, hard, trained down fine—as a tennis champion, she would be. Stacked—how she was stacked!'
They spent so much time immaturely coquetting after the alpha male it was a wonder that they ever found the time to get down to any sciencey stuff. The androids came in handy as super-strong pets you can take to bed without getting fur all over the sheets.
This truly awful novel was co-written with somebody called Robert Lee Berry, so maybe I should blame him for the chauvinistic stuff? Even then I would still have to blame Smith for the rest, which was not just stupid but also virtually incoherent.
The Skylark of Space can't be as bad as this, surely?
December 26, 2022
A proto enterprise arrives on a new planet and finds a race of superpowerful humanoid robots who mistake the crew for their former creators, 'the masters'.
This premise is great, but the story doesn't really develop in a satisfying way. It is very much in the vein of Fantastic Planet, golden age scifi. It hasn't aged well.
The treatment of gender is very male dominated (not surprising for when this was written), but what is surprising is that the super intelligent women amongst the crew are presented as brainless eye candy, and nothing more. If you can't put that aside then this book will likely annoy you no end.
The influence is clear and a natural fit for Star Trek, and influenced the ST:Voyager episode Prototype, which does take some of the elements and, in my view builds it into a better story.
Three stars for the opening premise. There is a second Librivox version read by Mark Nelson from 2019 which is a huge improvement in sound and narration quality on the older version.
This premise is great, but the story doesn't really develop in a satisfying way. It is very much in the vein of Fantastic Planet, golden age scifi. It hasn't aged well.
The treatment of gender is very male dominated (not surprising for when this was written), but what is surprising is that the super intelligent women amongst the crew are presented as brainless eye candy, and nothing more. If you can't put that aside then this book will likely annoy you no end.
The influence is clear and a natural fit for Star Trek, and influenced the ST:Voyager episode Prototype, which does take some of the elements and, in my view builds it into a better story.
Three stars for the opening premise. There is a second Librivox version read by Mark Nelson from 2019 which is a huge improvement in sound and narration quality on the older version.
July 11, 2013
Sometime in the future Jarvis Hilton is placed in charge of a team of scientists on a space mission called Project Theta Orionis in order to obtain uranexium ore for Earth. Little does he know that they're gonna have to encounter strange telepathic like robots, weird planets, a war, and to top it all off, become super humans...
Note: this book reminded me of Wonder Woman & Six Million Dollar Man tv shows in the early 80s and I'm sure that anyone who enjoys classic sci-fi will really like it...
Note: this book reminded me of Wonder Woman & Six Million Dollar Man tv shows in the early 80s and I'm sure that anyone who enjoys classic sci-fi will really like it...
December 10, 2012
Good times!
December 20, 2024
It's got E.E. Smith and E.E. Evans. Of course it's worth it! This is a good old fashioned space opera with more suspense and adventure than full on action. E.E. Evans is the science fiction fan dude who wants to do one last great journey into space until he suddenly died, then E.E. Smith is the new science fiction runner-up who thinks he's the best, especially when considering he's the father of the space opera. It's all been done by them both before, but when science fiction like this is packed with writing of great and talented writers you just know it's bound to be worth reading. Sure this is very predictable, but it still manages to keep you on the edge of your seat thinking "Wow maybe this isn't as predictable as I thought" and then just when you think you're not sure what's bound to happen, exactly what you expected happens. Hardly matters though, as it's great fun to read. Now go read it! (Oh and the weird ass robot invasion halfway thru wasn't half bad either!) It makes me think of space opera and science fiction adventures from the golden era. Kind of.
July 8, 2019
Masters of Space is one the novels that does not involve any kind of telepathy (a common theme in Doc Smith's works), though it does have some unspecified mantel powers. And like most Smith novels, it moves along with a lot of action. A team of scientists an military go on an exploratory expedition, and find something puzzling: robots who think they are the "Masters" finally returned. They find that the"Masters" were in a conflict with an evil alien race, and that these aliens also think they are the Masters returned. Are they? Maybe they are. Overall, this is a pleasant diversion, but not something that will go on anyone's "must read" list. I happen to be a huge fan of Doc Smith and have read just about everything he wrote. This is a work that exemplifies "pulp fiction".
I read this as part of a collection "The Works of E.E. "Doc" Smith"
I read this as part of a collection "The Works of E.E. "Doc" Smith"
May 7, 2024
A fun classic space opera with some interesting speculations (how would society work when servant robots are totally delighted to give you anything you want? would you choose to swap your human body for an extremely long-lived and durable one if it meant leaving your human life behind?) and some annoying stuff that hasn't aged well (in a group of twenty-eight of the finest minds Earth can produce, divided into fourteen departments with one man and one woman each, every single department head is the man and every single assistant is the woman?) Worth reading if you are already interested in this kind of stuff, otherwise not.
May 22, 2018
I experienced this book as a LibriVox title, but you can download it as an ebook from Project Gutenberg and I recommend doing that instead.
If you've read other "Doc" Smith books you'll know what to expect. Super Science, competent men and the women who love them (the women in the story are highly educated and intelligent but don't act that way), and massive space battles. Enjoyable if you can overlook its shortcomings.
If you've read other "Doc" Smith books you'll know what to expect. Super Science, competent men and the women who love them (the women in the story are highly educated and intelligent but don't act that way), and massive space battles. Enjoyable if you can overlook its shortcomings.
February 19, 2020
Mildly entertaining
The plot was quaint and mildly entertaining. Two authors in their mid to late sixties writing what they think is hip/cool slang was a bit tiresome (and neither hip or cool). Their ideas on men’s and women’s roles in society is both simultaneously progressive and antiquated. The book may offend the easily offend-able.
The plot was quaint and mildly entertaining. Two authors in their mid to late sixties writing what they think is hip/cool slang was a bit tiresome (and neither hip or cool). Their ideas on men’s and women’s roles in society is both simultaneously progressive and antiquated. The book may offend the easily offend-able.
February 5, 2021
Wonderful reading 📚
A classic Sci-Fi thriller novella with interesting will developed characters. The story line is classic 1950s pulp fiction with a fast moving adventure and action leading to the conclusion. I would recommend this novella to anyone who enjoys classic reading. Enjoy reading 🔰2021👑
A classic Sci-Fi thriller novella with interesting will developed characters. The story line is classic 1950s pulp fiction with a fast moving adventure and action leading to the conclusion. I would recommend this novella to anyone who enjoys classic reading. Enjoy reading 🔰2021👑
October 26, 2023
While definitely not the best Doc Smith, it is still readable. That said, the dialogue between the characters is very old-fashioned, and the romance side of the plot dominates the space adventure/sci-fi side. Doc Smith is good at creative sci-fi action and adventure; when romance dominates the final score won't be as high. 3/5
October 21, 2017
Meh!
*Spoilers*
*Spoilers*
*Spoilers*
*Spoilers*
No-consequence wish fulfillment by superhuman humans who become truly superhuman.
I HATED that the new, 5000 pound perfect human androids could swim! Dear lord in heaven they would sink like a 5000 pound android!
*Spoilers*
*Spoilers*
*Spoilers*
*Spoilers*
No-consequence wish fulfillment by superhuman humans who become truly superhuman.
I HATED that the new, 5000 pound perfect human androids could swim! Dear lord in heaven they would sink like a 5000 pound android!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2024
Reread after about 20 years and an acute stroke
Still enjoyable despite the outdated gender roles and ideologies typical of the 1930's/40's I will have to try some more modern authors now for comparison
Still enjoyable despite the outdated gender roles and ideologies typical of the 1930's/40's I will have to try some more modern authors now for comparison
May 22, 2018
A good story, but the reading leaves something to be desired.
September 11, 2020
I could not find this as a book in the lists so am using this audiobook. Instead of a narrator it should have a second author E. E. Evans or it should have both as an audiobook.
February 6, 2021
Little too NWO optimistic in the ultimate race evolution etc, but that was the flavor of the era.
October 17, 2021
Not as good as his other books
June 7, 2024
Very dated story that reads like a fever dream from the 1950s or early 60s and gives a perspective best left in the past. I didn't enjoy the story and found it to have little to commend it. Avoid.
April 8, 2025
great fun and Great Narrator.
August 28, 2015
Terrible. Sexist, super dated, incredibly fake-sounding dialogue, flat characters, no real conflict, and just enough "Humans are Special" to be grating.
The whole thing feels very much like an exercise in wish-fulfillment. The main character, Jarvis Hilton, leads a crew of what is described in the text as some of the smartest and most attractive people on Earth. He is, of course, great at everything -- this is pointed out every few pages to make sure you remember -- and half of the women (super-models and geniuses all) are stated to be interested in him romantically. It just gets pathetic when they come across a planet with fantastic new technologies and a servant race of also beautiful androids eager to cater to their every need. Oh, and they're all magic, and Hilton is the most magic of them all.
The characters start out empty and stay that way. We never learn anything about them that isn't immediately necessary to the plot, and they don't much give the impression that there would be anything for us to learn. The challenges they face are similarly boring. Each scene of the characters congratulating each other on being brilliant feels unearned as we never see them really struggle. The outcome of the main conflict is so heavily telegraphed (though there /was/ one page of almost suspense) that its inclusion is almost a formality.
But it isn't just bad in what it's missing; it also has some really questionable ethics (the pervasive sexism excusable maybe by context, but still worth noting). Smith somehow seems sincere as his heroes agree on genocide after literally 1.1 seconds of psychic recon, which choice can only be defended by the fact that the villains are so inexplicably and plainly evil. Again when they decide on keeping the secrets of longevity for themselves and those they like, seemingly just so they can be part of an exclusive club. It's said that careful selection is necessary, but they have no problem taking on wives and parents of the inducted without reserve. Within the story, there may or may not be some good reason for keeping their paradise private, but if Smith was capable of coming up with one, he didn't think it necessary to share. All of this done without self-reflection, by characters meant to be physically and mentally super-human. In the Epilogue, a character curses Earth and everyone on it, and wonders for how long they'll keep asking for help. Casually Hilton replies, "Two or three more sessions ought to do it."
The whole thing feels very much like an exercise in wish-fulfillment. The main character, Jarvis Hilton, leads a crew of what is described in the text as some of the smartest and most attractive people on Earth. He is, of course, great at everything -- this is pointed out every few pages to make sure you remember -- and half of the women (super-models and geniuses all) are stated to be interested in him romantically. It just gets pathetic when they come across a planet with fantastic new technologies and a servant race of also beautiful androids eager to cater to their every need. Oh, and they're all magic, and Hilton is the most magic of them all.
The characters start out empty and stay that way. We never learn anything about them that isn't immediately necessary to the plot, and they don't much give the impression that there would be anything for us to learn. The challenges they face are similarly boring. Each scene of the characters congratulating each other on being brilliant feels unearned as we never see them really struggle. The outcome of the main conflict is so heavily telegraphed (though there /was/ one page of almost suspense) that its inclusion is almost a formality.
But it isn't just bad in what it's missing; it also has some really questionable ethics (the pervasive sexism excusable maybe by context, but still worth noting). Smith somehow seems sincere as his heroes agree on genocide after literally 1.1 seconds of psychic recon, which choice can only be defended by the fact that the villains are so inexplicably and plainly evil. Again when they decide on keeping the secrets of longevity for themselves and those they like, seemingly just so they can be part of an exclusive club. It's said that careful selection is necessary, but they have no problem taking on wives and parents of the inducted without reserve. Within the story, there may or may not be some good reason for keeping their paradise private, but if Smith was capable of coming up with one, he didn't think it necessary to share. All of this done without self-reflection, by characters meant to be physically and mentally super-human. In the Epilogue, a character curses Earth and everyone on it, and wonders for how long they'll keep asking for help. Casually Hilton replies, "Two or three more sessions ought to do it."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 13, 2016Hot women and men, emotionless naked servants that want to please you, omnipotence, space. If these appeal to you, then so will this book. Or not. They sound like the makings of something good, but I didn't find them to be. My husband and I read aloud from this during the evenings spent on the Appalachian Trail. We joked about it a lot. In fact, we still do. We did finish the book and though it had many plot holes and wishful thinking .... well, we finished it.
January 6, 2026
1960 space opera an old comfortable read when I don't feel like reading.
June 15, 2011
A light and quick read. The male characters tend to be strong, brave and intelligent; the females, while they try hard, are never quite as brave.
October 16, 2011
The plot twists took me by surprise - a good quick , old-fashioned, sci-fi read
February 21, 2012
I like "Doc" Smith even though his material is pretty dated. The story moves along fairly well and has a good vs. evil struggle. Character development doesn't happen. I enjoyed it.
May 9, 2012
Old school Space Opera series written by the doyen of space opera writes - style and content a bit dated now but still an ok read
September 28, 2013
A really good story and I recommend you read it. R.J. Davis is not one of the great narrators. The recording is poor.
May 28, 2014
Not a bad story, I just didn't care for the way it was told really.
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July 14, 2014vintage Doc Smith
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