Title: First Lensman
Series: Lensman, Book 2
Author: “Doc” E. E. Smith
Genre: Science Fiction
Smith continues his epic Lensman series in First Lensman. The Arisians are continuing to monitor and influence the development of four different races in the galaxy, specifically interested in the human race from Tellus (or Earth). Where Triplanetary, the first book in the series, literally took the reader back to the very beginning of the conflict between the Eddorians and the Arisians, describing the initial developments in the Arisian’s plans to ultimately destroy the Eddorians. That book was almost a collection of short stories, leaping through history and touching on various stories of two specific genealogical lines. In the latter part of that book Smith introduces the reader to Virgil Samms, who is the central character in this novel.
Samms, who becomes the First Lensman, is the driving force behind the development of first the Interstellar Police, which he eventually sees as inadequate for the job needing to be done. When the Arisians bestow the Lens upon him and pledge to provide more for all who are worthy, Samms finally has the incorruptible sign of authority needed and so moves on to establish the Galactic Patrol and the Galactic Council to oversee interstellar matters.
This book is quite a ride. Smith weaves quite a fantastic story, and he has a rather unrelenting pace. Though it was written in the ’50s most of his technology is vague enough to mature adequately with age. Every now and then the way he perceives future technology (specifically that of computers) is definitely rooted in his understanding of computers at that time, and that causes the reader to hesitate a little – but then the story distracts you again and you realize you could care less about the tech because the story is so engaging.
Though most fans of this series will say – correctly – that it really takes off with Galactic Patrol, the next book in the series, this is no second-rate book. In fact, I recommend reading through the entire series chronologically. The books get better and better, in my mind, at least, as you go through the books in their chronological order in the Lensman universe (not chronological order of publication).
Overall I greatly enjoyed this book and would easily recommend it to anyone. Since it was written so long ago it is actually very clean as far as language and sexual material is concerned. I would just very strongly encourage anyone reading this book to get their hands on the other books in the series as well – they are classics in every sense of the word.
Worldview: secular
Recommended age: It is a very “clean” book in regards to language and sexual situations. There is a little violence, but even that is described “modestly”, though the violence may not be so mild. Thusly, as soon as a child can understand the concepts within the book, they should be okay reading it.
Title: Triplanetary
Series: Lensman, Book 1
Author: “Doc” E. E. Smith
Genre: Science Fiction
Triplanetary is chronologically the first book in E. E. Smith’s classic Lensmen series. The first book published was Galactic Patrol. That book drops the reader into a conflict which is already older than the earth itself, though it seems concerned with one particular Lensman, Kim Kinnison. Triplanetary goes back to the beginning and lays out the meta-narrative that particular story takes place within.
That being understood, this book, in the Lensman series, works about the same as the Silmarillion did for Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings epic. In effect, it help you to understand why Kim Kinnison is so important, and why the particular battles that he fights in Galactic Patrol (and later books) is so important. Therefore at the least the first third of the book reads more like a historical (or almost fantastical) recounting than a science fiction novel. Then it highlights particlar stories about particular individuals that make up the geneological line which is so important to the Arisians in defeating the Eddorians.
The last portion of the book is more like the science fiction fare that E. E. Smith serves up in the later books of the series. All in all, it is quite an interesting book. I found it fascinating and engaging – though I must admit I was partially already under Smith’s spell from reading about John C. Wright’s love for this particular series in his blog.
The book reads almost as a collection of short stories which are woven together to form a background for the main stories to come later. And it was written in 1948, so the flavor is a little different from modern science fiction, but I found it fresh and clear – just fun! Since it was written in that era, there really is no objectionable content as far as language or sexual situations. 
There is violence, but it is so masked by inference as to not be really graphic. Due to that I wouldn’t hesitate to allow my son to read this as soon as he could understand the concepts within.
An excellent book, and I highly recommend it. But don’t read it alone – make sure you work your way through all the Lensman books so you can truly enjoy the classic that Smith has woven together here.
Worldview: Secular, slightly evolutionary
Recommended Age: As long as the child can understand the material within, it should be fine.
Title: Vision of the Future
Series: Star Wars; Hand of Thrawn, Book 2
Author: Timothy Zahn
Genre: Science Fiction
Vision of the Future is the sequel to Specter of the Past, both of which form a little mini-series in the Star Wars universe of books called “The Hand of Thrawn.” It picks up right where Specter of the Past left off, without much re-hashing at all – so definitely read Specter first. That said, if you enjoyed Zahn’s previous Thrawn Trilogy of the Star Wars universe, then you’ll probably love this little series. It is kind of a sequel to that trilogy, sort of…
Zahn does an incredible job weaving all the different people involved in a Star Wars story into a cohesive and coherent plot. There is just a lot of stuff going on! But he works it very well, most of the groundwork being laid in Specter of the Past so that he can just build and climax for most of this book. Zahn is an incredible writer, and here he does another excellent job of weaving an intriguing story with beloved characters, all the while making it believable and the characters seeming real.
As is usual in most Star Wars books, at least at this point in series, though there are some more mature social and political situations, the voilence and inferred sexuality would barely rate a PG-13 rating in a movie. So I would feel pretty comfortable allowing a middle-school aged child read this (though I would probably point him/her towards the Young Jedi series first…).
Good book, excellent pacing, and a page-turner to boot!
Worldview: Secular
Age Recommendation: a mature middle school aged child should be fine reading this, though high school age would be more appropriate.
Title: Specter of the Past
Series: Star Wars; Hand of Thrawn, Book 1
Author: Timothy Zahn
Genre: Science Fiction
I am a huge fan of Star Wars, and I also loved Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy. So when I found another Star Wars book by Zahn, and then found out it was one of two books in a duology which serve as a kind of sequel to the Thrawn Trilogy, I was kind of excited. So I got my hands on the second book of the series and (eventually) started through ‘em. Specter of the Past is the first book (followed by Vision of the Future), and, while it starts off a little slow, is another gem by Timothy Zahn.
Unfortunately, in the end, this book did nothing more than set up all the conflict that will have to be resolved in the sequel (Vision of the Future). That being said, it is most definitely a good read. I enjoyed it a good amount, and found myself really drawn into the story by the end. Zahn doesn’t necessarily take too long setting up his characters, but in Star Wars there are a plethora of characters to draw from and to do the conflict justice he has to take a decent amount of time introducing the characters and revealing the layers of conflict.
As should be noted, there are a ton of Star Wars books out there, and I have have barely scratched the surface of them in my reading. So what is needed to enjoy this book? I would suggest having seen Episodes IV, V and VI of the movie, as well as probably reading Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command) before picking up this one. I’m sure reading any of the other books in the Star Wars series which fall before this one chronologically would also contribute to your understanding of what is going on in the galaxy at the time this story takes place, but they are not essential.
I would suggest getting your hands on Vision of the Future before reading this one, primarily because there really is no conclusion at the end. It just kind of stops – almost like a dramatic pause before an intermission and things kick it into high gear. You’re gonna want to have the sequel right there to pick up and continue reading.
If you’re a fan of Star Wars I highly recommend this novel. If you enjoy good science fiction, this would probably be up your alley as well. Zahn is an excellent writer and he does an excellent job here as well. The story would probably be appropriate for middle schoolers (Stars Wars books are generally clean when it comes to language and sexual stuff). The violence is not overwhelming, and the subject matter is slightly mature, but not too much so for that age.
Worldview: Secular
Recommended Age: Middle school age children should be fine with this book.
Title: Beawulf’s Children
Series: Heorot, Book 2
Authors: Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Steven Barnes
Genre: Science Fiction
I grabbed this book because I remembered it being mentioned as a highlight of Larry Niven’s bibliography in another of his books. That, and the cover was kinda exciting with the gold print and all. That said, I wasn’t sure I would enjoy this book too much because one of the aspects of sci-fi that I enjoy so much is the gadgets, gizmos and high tech in general. This was a book about a group of colonists sent out to a planet from Earth who have lost contact with Earth and are struggling to make this new planet their own – in spite of some super-charged alien animals who have evolved there! I wasn’t sure if that was a recipe for the type of sci-fi I enjoyed.
Well, whether or not the general recipe was to my personal taste, the execution, for the most part, was. The authors kept me intrigued from the first page. The world and the science they created and set the story in was so well-thought out and, in effect, real that I was completely caught up in it. The characters were strong, intriguing and engaging. And the plot never felt forced, all the intrigue, chaos and action unfolded very naturally, though sometimes at breakneck speed.
After I finished reading it, I found out that this was actually a sequel to another book, Legacy of Heorot. That was irritating, I had to read the books out of chronological order. Oh well – they were both good, but, in my mind, this was definitely a step better. It was just a little more complex plot-wise as well as with the characters. But I definitely recommend reading Legacy of Heorot as well – first if you can manage it!
My only hesitation in recommending it is the extremely casual attitude and atmosphere regarding sex in the colonists. All the colonists having been thoroughly screened before being accepted into the colonization program ensured that there was virtually no chance of a sexually transmitted disease in their community. That element, combined with a lack of religious restraint on relationships, created an environment where sexual partnering was done at a whim, though most eventually settled down with more “permanent” partners. But among the youth there is an extremely casual attitude towards sex, and though most specific/explicit details are left out, many encounters are described in varying amounts of detail. But, interestingly enough, there is one conversation between a young lady and her ‘father figure’ near the end of the book where she expresses some regret that she, as well as all her peers, has been so prolific in her sexual partnering.
So do I recommend the book? For the most part, but be aware of a decently strong permeation of a casual (i.e. unbiblical) attitude towards sex. That reason alone makes me hesitant to suggest it to anyone not yet out of high school. But it is an incredibly well-written book, with very strong science behind everything. If you want to read an excellent, stand-alone novel of science fiction, this is one I might recommend, even if you’re not the biggest fan of sci-fi.
Worldview: secular, evolutionary
Recommended Age: College age, due to sexual themes and situations
Title: The Legacy of Heorot
Series: Heorot, Book 1
Author: Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Steven Barnes
Genre: Science Fiction
This is quite an amazing book. The science, sociology, psychology – all of it! – is extremely well-thought out. And the pacing is rather incredible. Niven has quite a knack for moving things along quick enough for most of the book, and then really stepping things up a couple of notches for the huge climax. Great fun!
Humanity has finally decided to reach out to the stars and attempt to colonize a new planet. But being so far away, they’ve gotta freeze the people so they’ll make it there at a decently young age. The first difficulty the colonists have to deal with is that some of them were affected by the freezing. But that is minor compared with what is awaiting them on Avalon, their new land. What seems a perfect place, at first, turns into a nightmare – complete with monsters!
There is almost a horror feel to the book, due to the violence and how incredibly horrific the “grendels” are. But it is definitely science fiction, through and through. Niven, Pournelle, and Barnes have done an excellent job crafting the science and technology of the people, as well as creating very intriguing and convincing characters.
This is the first of three books set in the Heorot universe. Beowulf’s Children is a sequel to this. It actually takes place when the children born in this book get old enough to begin claiming the planet for themselves. If you enjoy this book, definitely get your hands on Beowulf’s Children. There is also another book, Destiny’s Road, which also takes place in the same universe, mentioning events from the first two, but which is not really a sequel or continuation of their storyline (at least the way I understand it).
There is a lot of violence in the book, but really no sexual material at all. There is a little inuendo or inference to sexual situations, but nothing specific and definitely nothing explicit.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. It would probably not be appropriate for younger readers due to the violence as well as the much relaxed sexual mores of the settlement.
Worldview: Secular, slighly evolutionary
Age Recommendation: Definitely mid to late high school age, primarily due to the violence, but also because of some of the morality of the settlement
Title: Skin
Series: The Books of History Chronicles
Author: Ted Dekker
Genre: Horror, Suspense
Ted Dekker likes to have the reader asking, “What’s going on?!” after they have read the first page or two. Halfway through the book, he again wants the reader to exclaim, “Wait, what is going on here?!!!!” And then, at the end, he definitely desires them to cry out, “Wait! What?! No Way! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!” And he definitively does so in Skin.
Skin has the basics of the horror genre, as I see them, at least. A killer at large who seems unstoppable and who appears to be able to kill whenever he so desires, which just so happens to be right now, and just about everyone he comes across. The deaths are not necessarily pretty, but Dekker does not dwell on the grisly details very much at all.
The book itself reads at the high pace which Dekker has become known for, a page-turner to the very end. Though it appears to have them in places, it doesn’t have as many fantastical elements in it as some of his other books. In my mind, the characters were intriguing and interesting, though the way they developed, in some ways, was slightly predictable. But that would have been the only predictable element of the book. I kept expecting him to take it on direction and he would twist it a different one. The climactic end was reminiscent of an M. Night Shamalayan movie – quite a twist!
As in all his books, there is no real profanity and neither are there really any sexual situations or explicit sexual encounters. There is relational tension, but that’s about it.
This book, while definitely written from a Christian perspective, carries virtually no overt Christian messages. The primary theme of the book, that everyone is “ugly” down into their hearts, is a Biblical theme, but never referenced so in the book. In this sense Skin is a more ’secular’ book than any other of Dekker’s I have read.
The book does take place in the world of the Circle Trilogy, falling under the more general category of The Books of History Chronicles, which is the overarching literary world where The Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, and White) takes place. While not belonging to that trilogy or The Paradise Novels (Showdown, Saint, and Sinner) or The Lost Books (Chosen, Infidel, Renegade, Chaos, Lunatic, and Elyon), it does belong to the same ‘world’ and timeline as those books as well as House (written with Frank Peretti). A little confusing, but you really don’t need to have read any them to appreciate it. Dekker apparently intended it to help bridge the gap between some of those different series in the world of The Books of History Chronicles, but I haven’t read all of them so I’m not quite sure which ones. But you could buy, read, and enjoy this book without having read any of the others – I think some characters bleed over, but nothing too significant.
In the end, Skin is another excellently executed book by Ted Dekker. It’s not a necessarily ‘deep’ read, but it is very intriguing and is quite a page-turner. I highly recommend it!
Worldview: Christian
Recommended Age: High School age, primarily due to the violence/killing and some of the subject matter in the book.
Title: Saint
Series: The Books of the History Chronicles; Paradise Novels, Book 2
Author: Ted Dekker
Genre: Action, Fantasy
This is a shining example of why Dekker is one of the premier Christian authors in Christian publishing. It is nice that he has begun to cross over more and more, striving to keep his novels less “Christianized” while still retaining a more Christian perspective and interpretation of the world. Dekker writes with almost a frantic pace – I write “almost” because though the pace of the book is rather intense, it never feels hurried or rushed. Some writers can tend to get lost in the details of their story, but not Dekker, he keeps his stories moving, moving, moving, and I like that!
Colt is an assassin of unusual skill, almost superhuman in his capacity to kill. But he has no memory of who he was. The story starts with him having to kill to save his wife and son who have been kidnapped. Afterwards he awakes to find that he has no family, that the kills were only a test of his ability to perform under extreme circumstances. And the story gets a little more convoluted from there – but not overwhelmingly so, but just enough to keep you guessing.
As most of his books, this one entails a confrontation, at some level, between good and evil. Some people are more than they seem, and the reality of what is at stake goes deeper than saving the President’s life. My only irritation in the book was how Dekker was a bit vague on exactly how good triumphed over evil in the final showdown – he seemed to hint at it, but a little more specificity would have been nice.
For how degenerate the villian is, he used no profanity, which is slightly odd, in retrospect. On the other hand, Dekker does do a pretty good job of making his personifications of evil rather psychotic. The Englishman (as he was called) enjoyed finalizing conversations with himself with this interesting phrase: “Hallelujah, amen, you are dismissed.”
Though violent, the book is clear of any sexual situations or scenarios, so the violence is the primary hesitation for recommending it for readers in or below Middle School.
The book is related to Dekker’s Circle Trilogy, and falls into what is called the Paradise series, which starts with Showdown (which is referenced in this book, and several characters from it are featured herein) and ends with Sinner. All of these, along with about eight or nine other books fall under a broader ‘univerese’ of literary reality which Dekker has categorized as ‘The Books of History Chronicles.’ All that to say the book stands pretty well on its own, though having read Showdown definitely contributed to my understanding of the background and setting of the book. You don’t necessarily have to read the Circle Trilogy (though I highly, highly recommend it), but it forms a foundation for the Chronicles.
In the end I do highly recommend this book. It’s definitely worth the time to read it – and it’s not a hard read. You pick up and then realize two hours later that you should turn out the light and go to sleep. So you read ‘just a few more paragraphs’ for about a half an hour until you finally force yourself to turn out the lights…and I digress. It’s a great, fun book. I would primarily categorize it in the Action genre, but it has fantastical elements as well, so it kind of meanders it’s way into that genre near the end.
Worldview: Christian
Recommended Age: A mature middle school aged child could probably handle the subject matter, but due to the violence I would recommend high school age as the minimum.
Author: C.J. Cherryh
Title: Rimrunners
Series: The Company Wars, Book 5
Genre: Science Fiction
I didn’t quite know what to expect when I picked this up. I have a friend who loves Cherryh’s fantasy books, so I assumed her sci fi would be roughly as good. Unfortunately, I wasn’t that impressed. Apparently this book takes place in the same universe as Downbelow Station and Merchanter’s Luck, so maybe if I had read those I might have been more interested in what was going on in this book.
Sadly, though, at the end, I found I didn’t quite care. That may sound callous, but it was true. I never quite really reached the point where I saw the point. Yeager, the main character, is an “outcast” of sorts from the very beginning, and though you could say she has found a place of sorts by the end, there really wasn’t enough resolution to that to satisfy me.
Another strong turnoff for me throughout the book was the pervasive, casual sexual encounters, some described in more details than the others. I would never recommend the book for that reason alone.
Cherryh’s did do an excellent job of moving the story along and pacing all the action and narrative. I found myself curious as to what was going to happen next – but more curious as to when I would find out why Yeager’s story was so important to tell (that latter part I never figured out). While the characters she presented and developed throughout the story were decently unique and intriguing, I could never figure out why I should care what happened to anyone in the story. I really wasn’t sure which side was good or bad, though by the end neither sounded very desireable.
In the end, I can’t recommend this book. If you have read the others (Downbelow Station and Merchanter’s Luck among others), then you might be interested, but even in that case I doubt it. The sexual attitude and pervasive sexuality as well as the continual sexual encounters, when combined with very rough language throughout, make it one book I would advise people as not missing much when they skip it.
Worldview: Secular
Recommended Age: College age and up
Title: Wasteland of Flint
Series: In the Time of the Sixth Sun, Book 1
Author: Thomas Harlan
Genre: Science Fiction
This would be what is called hard SF. It is based on an alternate history and future. But that setting is based on quite an amazing ‘what if’ – What if the Aztecs had never fallen, and had, instead, conquered the earth and then set out to conquer the universe? Now, that’s not what this book is about, but if you don’t understand the setting, then many things seem largely out of place. There are references to historical events and individuals which don’t exist in our world. Don’t let this dismay or dissuade you from reading this excellent novel – just be forewarned!
The novel itself is centered around two main characters, Gretchen Anderssen (an xeno-archeologist) and Mitsuharu Hadeishi (commanding officer of an light cruiser). There is also Green Humminbird who is a “wiry, bald old man” of great prestige and importance in the Aztec Empire – and the most important supporting character in the novel.
The novel itself moves along decently, though it has a few slower moments, and then others where things move along at a nice pace. Harlan has woven quite an intriguing plot throughout the book and it was that which kept me intrigued from the first few pages. Every time I thought I had figured out what was going to happen – it didn’t quite pan out like I expected.
His strongest element is his characters, and they are truly engaging an interesting. In fact, by the end of the story you really want to spend more time with them. The good news is, this is the first of a trilogy of books, so if you get the other books you can!
In the end I do give this book a solid recommendation. Being the first in a series it stands very solidly on its own, and there is enough resolution at the end to satisfy most readers. There is no sexual content and there really wasn’t any bad language that stuck out to me, so in that aspect it would be appropriate for younger readers if they can grasp enough of the scientific and social concepts which set a background for the book.
Worldview: secular, evolutionary
Recommended Age: It would be appropriate for middle school age children if they can understand some of the concepts, though a few parts may be a little scary/frightening for children that young.
Title: First Lensman
Samms, who becomes the First Lensman, is the driving force behind the development of first the Interstellar Police, which he eventually sees as inadequate for the job needing to be done. When the Arisians bestow the Lens upon him and pledge to provide more for all who are worthy, Samms finally has the incorruptible sign of authority needed and so moves on to establish the Galactic Patrol and the Galactic Council to oversee interstellar matters.
Though most fans of this series will say – correctly – that it really takes off with Galactic Patrol, the next book in the series, this is no second-rate book. In fact, I recommend reading through the entire series chronologically. The books get better and better, in my mind, at least, as you go through the books in their chronological order in the Lensman universe (not chronological order of publication).
Recommended age: It is a very “clean” book in regards to language and sexual situations. There is a little violence, but even that is described “modestly”, though the violence may not be so mild. Thusly, as soon as a child can understand the concepts within the book, they should be okay reading it.
