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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 Reading them again, I found that the clunky writing, the cardboard characters, the outdated social mores, the bad science - everything that should make me drop this book like a venomous snake - was just charming.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 Reading them again, I found that the clunky writing, the cardboard characters, the outdated social mores, the bad science - everything that should make me drop this book like a venomous snake - was just charming.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
mousegoddess's review against another edition
2.0
who's a good girl? ? Clio's a good girl! *facepalm*
i can't remember who told me I needed to read this author, which is probably good. I've enjoyed other pulp reads in the past, it was not unreasonable recommendation, but. ... no. I didn't hate it enough for one star.
The death toll.
The constant surprise that Clio isn't completely useless.
diplomacy? what's that? oh yeah!
random Roger. why even?
honestly, I probably will try more SmIth. Because I'm a glutton for punishment.
i can't remember who told me I needed to read this author, which is probably good. I've enjoyed other pulp reads in the past, it was not unreasonable recommendation, but. ... no. I didn't hate it enough for one star.
The death toll.
The constant surprise that Clio isn't completely useless.
diplomacy? what's that? oh yeah!
random Roger. why even?
honestly, I probably will try more SmIth. Because I'm a glutton for punishment.
smcleish's review against another edition
4.0
Originally published on my blog here in July 1998.
This, the first of the Lensmen series, is a real classic of science fiction. In common with Smith's Sklyark series, it set far wider horizons for SF than readers were used to; not just interplanetary, but interstellar and intergalactic in scope.
In many ways, the series defines science fiction as the genre it is considered to be by outsiders: it is not great literature, but it is exciting; it uses space travel and the idea of war in space; it is more interested in technology than people.
Triplanetary itself is really a prologue to the main part of the series, and consists of two major parts. The first explains the background to the whole series, a huge war of mental power between the evil Eddorians and the benevolent Arisians, carried out through the history of an oblivious humankind on Earth. Smith takes five defining events: the fall of Atlantis (through a nuclear war), an attempted coup in Rome against the Eddorian-controlled Nero, the First and Second World Wars, and, finally, a nuclear Third World War. In each of these periods he tells part of the story of the two families who will be of immense importance later on, and who will produce the two people who are the culmination of the human genetic pool, Kimball Kinnison and Clarissa MacDougal.
The second part, which was originally published as a magazine story, takes up the tale after civilisation has been rebuilt with the covert help of the Arisians. Mankind is beginning to reach out into the solar system, setting up colonies and fighting a war with the Adepts of North Polar Jupiter, only to face a new menace. The Nevians are the ampibious dominant race of their planet, many lightyears distant from the sun. The planet is desperately short of metals, and a spaceship sets out to try to obtain more - say from an asteroid. Instead, they find the ships of the Triplanetary Service (Earth, Mars and Venus in alliance) at war with the fleet of a surviving Adept; from ships and men every atom of free or combined iron is taken.
This means the death of every person in the fleet, and is followed by the same action taken against the Earth city of Pittsburgh. It is up to one man to save the human race, one of the three captives taken alive by the Nevians as zoological specimens.
I've always enjoyed the Lensmen series; they're something to read on an evening when half asleep.
This, the first of the Lensmen series, is a real classic of science fiction. In common with Smith's Sklyark series, it set far wider horizons for SF than readers were used to; not just interplanetary, but interstellar and intergalactic in scope.
In many ways, the series defines science fiction as the genre it is considered to be by outsiders: it is not great literature, but it is exciting; it uses space travel and the idea of war in space; it is more interested in technology than people.
Triplanetary itself is really a prologue to the main part of the series, and consists of two major parts. The first explains the background to the whole series, a huge war of mental power between the evil Eddorians and the benevolent Arisians, carried out through the history of an oblivious humankind on Earth. Smith takes five defining events: the fall of Atlantis (through a nuclear war), an attempted coup in Rome against the Eddorian-controlled Nero, the First and Second World Wars, and, finally, a nuclear Third World War. In each of these periods he tells part of the story of the two families who will be of immense importance later on, and who will produce the two people who are the culmination of the human genetic pool, Kimball Kinnison and Clarissa MacDougal.
The second part, which was originally published as a magazine story, takes up the tale after civilisation has been rebuilt with the covert help of the Arisians. Mankind is beginning to reach out into the solar system, setting up colonies and fighting a war with the Adepts of North Polar Jupiter, only to face a new menace. The Nevians are the ampibious dominant race of their planet, many lightyears distant from the sun. The planet is desperately short of metals, and a spaceship sets out to try to obtain more - say from an asteroid. Instead, they find the ships of the Triplanetary Service (Earth, Mars and Venus in alliance) at war with the fleet of a surviving Adept; from ships and men every atom of free or combined iron is taken.
This means the death of every person in the fleet, and is followed by the same action taken against the Earth city of Pittsburgh. It is up to one man to save the human race, one of the three captives taken alive by the Nevians as zoological specimens.
I've always enjoyed the Lensmen series; they're something to read on an evening when half asleep.
johnd17efd's review against another edition
4.0
Its a great, classic piece of Space Opera - but if you have trouble reading old science-fiction (writing styles have changed) you might not enjoy it as much as I did.
manuel_d78's review against another edition
5.0
First in EES's wayleading tale that single-handedly defines what a space opera is.
In comparision to the rest of the saga you can feel that the first three books do not go seamlessly together as the first was a solo story first
In comparision to the rest of the saga you can feel that the first three books do not go seamlessly together as the first was a solo story first
nomad_scry's review against another edition
3.0
As I understand it, early science fiction tended to be heavily plot driven and very light on the characterizations. Triplanetary seems to take that a bit further and is heavy on action scenes, technophilia, and ultimate descriptors. The characters are overblown to the point of being amusing but the ideas in here... very very nifty.
I primarily chose to read this because I think that "Doc" Smith is one of the classic early sf writers, and I'll continue to read the series for that reason alone. If I were to find out that Triplanetary was written yesterday, I wouldn't bother reading further.
I primarily chose to read this because I think that "Doc" Smith is one of the classic early sf writers, and I'll continue to read the series for that reason alone. If I were to find out that Triplanetary was written yesterday, I wouldn't bother reading further.
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