Triplanetary (Lensman, Book 1) – “Doc” E. E. Smith

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.