E.E. “Doc” Smith is noted for his creation of the Lensman series. Some credit these books as the wellspring from which flow such science-fictional organizations as The Green Lantern Corps or even the Jedi: super-powered, galaxy-spanning enforcers of justice. I don’t know. I’ve only read the first book, Triplanetary. Triplanetary apparently sets the table for… Continue reading Triplanetary: Cosmic Space Opera
Month: April 2025
“The Eagle of the Ninth” Still Flies.
Rosemary Sutcliff had vision. Not only did she have vision, but she could share it with her readers. She could immerse us in detail, not only of the natural world, with the facility of Tolkien, but in period detail such clothing or architecture. And she did so with a seamless facility; nothing feels forced or… Continue reading “The Eagle of the Ninth” Still Flies.
Harold Lamb’s “Alexander of Macedon.”
Without really meaning to I’ve become relatively familiar with the life and doings of Alexander the Great. He — whether as a main character or an essential secondary character — featured in any number of historical novels I picked up as a kid (e.g. Mary Renault’s books) and over the following decades. Most recently I… Continue reading Harold Lamb’s “Alexander of Macedon.”
Two-Fer Sci-Fi Retro-Reviews
It can be hard to sense the zeitgeist of an era while you are experiencing it, the spirit of decade you are living through, for example. But from a distance, looking back, you can notice trends, assumptions, modes of expression. I just finished a couple of paperbacks, one from the 1950s (though published in 1964)… Continue reading Two-Fer Sci-Fi Retro-Reviews