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nwhyte's review against another edition
http://nhw.livejournal.com/548685.html[return][return]Humanity is the battleground for the centuries-long struggle for galactic domination between the Arisian and Eddorian civilisations. We start with a snapshot of an ancient high-tech Atlantis, wiped out by atomic war, and then a rather puzzling vignette from Rome under Nero; then the first and second world wars. And then a third of the way through the book, we're in space opera territory; our heroes are kidnapped by space pirates, re-kidnapped by an amphibian race, themselves under attack by other forces:[return][return]"[The attackers were] fish some five feet in length. Fish with huge, goggling eyes; fish plentifully equipped with long, arm-like tentacles; fish poised before control panels or darting about intent upon their various duties. Fish with brains, waging war! "[return][return]The war between the alien amphibians and humanity is resolved, the Earth is saved (apart from Pittsburgh), and the pirate captain, in fact an incarnation of the evil Eddorians, escapes to the next novel.[return][return]I can see why this (and I suppose the rest of the series) is a taproot text for so much sf. But I can't really pretend that it was very good.
graff_fuller's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 Stars
#SpaceOperaSeptember
#SOS2021
@SFF180
If I was living when this book was published in 1948...I think I would've love it. I think this book is VERY dated...by the way people talked (bombastic), to the way people treated others (the way Cloé was treated, and also how she recieved it), the jargon they used (simply hilarious), to smoking...and on and on.
Now, reading this book...I see how far we've come.
Many times while I was reading this, I thought of Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS). There is a campyness...that was more acceptable in the production. In total seriousness, but it just doesn't come off sounding right. BTW, I love Star Trek: TOS...but we have come a long way from then to now...both in TV series and books.
There was an episode in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - S6:E13 Far Beyond the Stars...where it places the characters of this Science Fiction space station show, as people who work for/write Science Fiction stories in a small 1950s publisher. In this episode, Captain Sisko writes a story (serialized) about the people who work on DS9 (as a science fiction story, verses his real life on the show). This is the type of story Chief O'Brien's character would have written. If you know, you know. Well...it was nostalgic, that is for sure.
Before starting this book...I was wondering if I would continue with the series, but now that I have read the first entry...I doubt it. There is SO much great Science Fiction stories out there...to read ones...that don't touch me.
Please do not take offense. This is a Hugo Award written story (1948). BUT, I've read a lot of great Science Fiction novels in my life...that I would rather reread something else, than read more in this series. Sorry. BUT, I'm glad I read this story. It makes me appreciate how far the genre has really come...over the years.
#SpaceOperaSeptember
#SOS2021
@SFF180
If I was living when this book was published in 1948...I think I would've love it. I think this book is VERY dated...by the way people talked (bombastic), to the way people treated others (the way Cloé was treated, and also how she recieved it), the jargon they used (simply hilarious), to smoking...and on and on.
Now, reading this book...I see how far we've come.
Many times while I was reading this, I thought of Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS). There is a campyness...that was more acceptable in the production. In total seriousness, but it just doesn't come off sounding right. BTW, I love Star Trek: TOS...but we have come a long way from then to now...both in TV series and books.
There was an episode in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - S6:E13 Far Beyond the Stars...where it places the characters of this Science Fiction space station show, as people who work for/write Science Fiction stories in a small 1950s publisher. In this episode, Captain Sisko writes a story (serialized) about the people who work on DS9 (as a science fiction story, verses his real life on the show). This is the type of story Chief O'Brien's character would have written. If you know, you know. Well...it was nostalgic, that is for sure.
Before starting this book...I was wondering if I would continue with the series, but now that I have read the first entry...I doubt it. There is SO much great Science Fiction stories out there...to read ones...that don't touch me.
Please do not take offense. This is a Hugo Award written story (1948). BUT, I've read a lot of great Science Fiction novels in my life...that I would rather reread something else, than read more in this series. Sorry. BUT, I'm glad I read this story. It makes me appreciate how far the genre has really come...over the years.
rush_dar's review against another edition
4.0
Great science fiction if you read it with the extent of the science of the 1930s. Much of the "science" used in the book, would be well in the realm of fantasy for today.
danlemke's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the beginning much more than the rest of the story. As it turns out, Smith reworked much of the novel upon republication to fit it within his Lensman series, so the part I enjoyed the most was the reworked bit while the rest of the story just seemed fair.
Smith displays his obvious influence on the sci-fi genre in fine form here. Some of the early vignettes read an awful lot like Heinlein, and elements of "grand science fiction" (rather than hard science fiction) are in full display. As a fan of the show Babylon 5 I appreciate the recognizable influence this novel (and its series) had on that show.
Smith displays his obvious influence on the sci-fi genre in fine form here. Some of the early vignettes read an awful lot like Heinlein, and elements of "grand science fiction" (rather than hard science fiction) are in full display. As a fan of the show Babylon 5 I appreciate the recognizable influence this novel (and its series) had on that show.
zillions's review against another edition
4.0
This story was originally serialized in 1934, and is great for having both original (now classic) "space opera" elements and some of the most hilarious (from the modern perspective) descriptions of chaste Gone-with-the-wind love.
It appears to have been slightly ripped off by George Lucas in Star Wars; there is the evil super-genius warlord figure whose gigantic battle ship shaped like a planetoid (*cough* death-star *cough*) is destroyed and has to start building another one (*cough* strikes back *cough*).
There is also this most hilarious of lines: "Clio's lithely rounded form nestled against Costigan's powerful body as his mighty arms tightened around her; his neck and shoulder were no less enthusiastically clasped, and less strongly only because of her woman's slighter musculature."
It appears to have been slightly ripped off by George Lucas in Star Wars; there is the evil super-genius warlord figure whose gigantic battle ship shaped like a planetoid (*cough* death-star *cough*) is destroyed and has to start building another one (*cough* strikes back *cough*).
There is also this most hilarious of lines: "Clio's lithely rounded form nestled against Costigan's powerful body as his mighty arms tightened around her; his neck and shoulder were no less enthusiastically clasped, and less strongly only because of her woman's slighter musculature."
shanhaddock's review against another edition
5.0
This review is of the shorter, original version, because I somehow grabbed that one instead of the other one from Project Gutenberg.
Whether or not Triplanetary is a good book depends on one’s expectations, I guess. I was expecting, due to it’s age, a pulpy adventure. That’s exactly what I got. If you are wanting something more cerebral or otherwise more suited to modern tastes, I suggest reading something else.
The characters are pretty much archetypes, but such wonderful examples of them that I found it hard to be annoyed. And Clio . . . I’ve read lots of much later sf where the female characters were more purely ornamental than her. She wasn’t quite an action hero on her own yet, but in her you see the elements that began the path to females who didn’t need a man to rescue them.
And I think I’ve got a crush on Costigan. He was so utterly heroic and devoted to Clio. I miss heroes who were just heroes. Why must they all be so tormented these days?
The plot was a little too coincidence driven, but, as I said, I was expecting pulp and that’s what I got. That said, it did stress my suspension of disbelief that everything was so quickly reverse engineered all the time. And a lot of violence could’ve been avoided had the Nevians or humans gone “Hey, can we talk?” much, much earlier, but that is acknowledged, at least.
Now, for my favorite thing about this book: The descriptions! Why, oh why, did descriptions like this go out of style?! “Above her, ruddy Mars and silvery Jupiter blazed in splendor ineffable against a background of utterly indescribable blackness--a background thickly besprinkled with dimensionless points of dazzling brilliance which were the stars.” The descriptions alone have sold me on Doc Smith’s writing style, and I’ll certainly be reading more by him just to get to experience more of it.
Personally, since I like my fiction on the pulpy side, I think this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. If you like your fiction a bit more serious, more carefully constructed and all that . . . you probably won’t like it, I’m sorry to say.
Whether or not Triplanetary is a good book depends on one’s expectations, I guess. I was expecting, due to it’s age, a pulpy adventure. That’s exactly what I got. If you are wanting something more cerebral or otherwise more suited to modern tastes, I suggest reading something else.
The characters are pretty much archetypes, but such wonderful examples of them that I found it hard to be annoyed. And Clio . . . I’ve read lots of much later sf where the female characters were more purely ornamental than her. She wasn’t quite an action hero on her own yet, but in her you see the elements that began the path to females who didn’t need a man to rescue them.
And I think I’ve got a crush on Costigan. He was so utterly heroic and devoted to Clio. I miss heroes who were just heroes. Why must they all be so tormented these days?
The plot was a little too coincidence driven, but, as I said, I was expecting pulp and that’s what I got. That said, it did stress my suspension of disbelief that everything was so quickly reverse engineered all the time. And a lot of violence could’ve been avoided had the Nevians or humans gone “Hey, can we talk?” much, much earlier, but that is acknowledged, at least.
Now, for my favorite thing about this book: The descriptions! Why, oh why, did descriptions like this go out of style?! “Above her, ruddy Mars and silvery Jupiter blazed in splendor ineffable against a background of utterly indescribable blackness--a background thickly besprinkled with dimensionless points of dazzling brilliance which were the stars.” The descriptions alone have sold me on Doc Smith’s writing style, and I’ll certainly be reading more by him just to get to experience more of it.
Personally, since I like my fiction on the pulpy side, I think this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. If you like your fiction a bit more serious, more carefully constructed and all that . . . you probably won’t like it, I’m sorry to say.
brockletsread's review against another edition
1.0
Probably one of the worst books I've ever read. The first half was stapled on in 1948 as a sort of prequel to the Lensman novels. The back half was the original story from 1934. Most fascinating is the anti-fascism fears mixed with cold war era fears as a result of being written at different times.
All that said...ugh.
All that said...ugh.
aturtlesnestbookreviews's review against another edition
2.0
I don't think I have ever given literature a score as low as this, but this is my honest opinion. Many others may like it but to me it made no sense have the time and the explanation of certain things is way too confusing. The excerpt on the back makes it sound like something it is far from.
bookwomble's review against another edition
5.0
Don't trust my rating of this book; it's part of my childhood, when I read it over and over again, and I have no way of objectively rating it.
For reasons I no longer recall, I got rid of these books at some point, probably during a house move when I was trying to de-clutter. I found all seven in the series in a second hand book shop a few years ago and, struck by nostalgia, I bought them all. Reading them again, I found that the clunky writing, the cardboard characters, the outdated social mores, the bad science - everything that should make me drop this book like a venomous snake - was just charming. I was a kid again, thrilling to the adventures of Kim Kinninson and his spaceship crew.
The golden glow of summer afternoons in the garden and dimly-lit late nights in bed (I had a thing then for dozing off while reading by candlelight - luckily no fires!) so I could get to the end of a chapter (and just one more... maybe another one), illuminates this book with fond memories. It's just not possible for me, the adult, to betray me, the child, by giving this (and the rest of the Lensman series) anything less than 5 stars. Forgive me, you more discerning readers.
For reasons I no longer recall, I got rid of these books at some point, probably during a house move when I was trying to de-clutter. I found all seven in the series in a second hand book shop a few years ago and, struck by nostalgia, I bought them all. Reading them again, I found that the clunky writing, the cardboard characters, the outdated social mores, the bad science - everything that should make me drop this book like a venomous snake - was just charming. I was a kid again, thrilling to the adventures of Kim Kinninson and his spaceship crew.
The golden glow of summer afternoons in the garden and dimly-lit late nights in bed (I had a thing then for dozing off while reading by candlelight - luckily no fires!) so I could get to the end of a chapter (and just one more... maybe another one), illuminates this book with fond memories. It's just not possible for me, the adult, to betray me, the child, by giving this (and the rest of the Lensman series) anything less than 5 stars. Forgive me, you more discerning readers.
jon63f07's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0