Galactic Patrol

Lensman Series

By: E. E. Doc Smith

Narrated by: Reed McColm

Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

The Galactic Patrol's Lensmen are the most feared peacekeepers in the galaxy. The "Lens", a telepathic jewel matched to the ego of its wearer, is the ultimate weapon in the war against the merciless pirate Boskone and his forces of lawlessness. The only problem is the Galactic Patrol isn't sure how to capitalize on the Lens' incredible powers. But new graduate Kimball Kinnison is determined to learn. Taking command of the experimental fighting ship the Brittania, Kinnison and his crew set off on a journey of harrowing adventures, coming face to face with deadly space creatures and the evil pirate Helmuth...who may be the dreaded Boskone himself.

Hi-fi sci-fi: listen to more in the Lensman series.

©2006 Books in Motion. This recording is produced by arrangement with The Estate of E. E. "Doc" Smith and Virginia Kidd, Inc. (P)2006 Books in Motion. This recording is produced by arrangement with The Estate of E. E. "Doc" Smith and Virginia Kidd, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The most towering figure in science fiction, thanks to the enormous scope of his novels." (Isaac Asimov)
"If you wish to understand the roots of modern science fiction, you have to read the Lensman saga." (Allen Steele)
"A finalist for a special Hugo Award for All-Time Best Series, 'Lensman' is considered by many sf heads to be the greatest of the space operas and clearly a source for such successors as Star Trek and Star Wars." ( Library Journal)

Lensmen Series Is Still Fun

Okay. The narrator of this series is not the best. Nevertheless, this story still works if you can get past some of writing (the "look of eagles" in the eyes of Lensmen for instance). If you've never dipped into these before, get Galactic patrol, Gray Lensman, Second Stage Lensmen and Children of the Lens in that order. If you are still hooked, go back and pick up First lensman. You have to be a real diehard lensmen fan to slug through Triplanetary.

This is classic space opera, good versus evil, with the guys in the white hats destined to win. Smith wasn't very good at envisioning future technology, but he comes up with some fun ideas. The inertialess drive is an interesting solution to FSL travel and the negasphere is one of the best Sci_Fi weapons ever imagined. His aliens are fun too, especially the frigid planet dwellers. Considering that the series was started in the late 30s, it holds up amazingly well.

A great read

I do enjoy E E Doc Smith he is far ahead of his time. Seeing as how Star Trek is based on the ideas in all his books. It also gives you a insight into the times in witch he lived.

A must for any Sci-fi Fan

As much as Verne or Asimov, EE Doc Smith is one of the early masters of Sci-fi. Precomputer and set in almost Victorian sensibility, the lensmen series is still an epoch story worthy of its nomination next to the Fondation series as one of the all time greats. Both Heinlein and Asimov considered Smith to be one of the greats. I listen or re-read these stories about once a year. And don't think I have gone two years without since I recived the book FIRST LENSMAN at age 14 from one of my sisters. This is true space opera decades before Star Trek or Wars were ever dreamed of. Doc Smith set it out in serial form. then went back to put in two books for lead up history. wow this sounds so fimilar, maybe he should have done 3 books?😄 You can even start with this book, go forward to Grey Lensman, Second Stage Kinsman then Children of the Lens before going back to Triplanitary and First Kinsman. But listen to these, the stories are great. In a way I wish I was you and could stumble on to this for the 1st time! It would be like finding Tolkien among you parents old paperbacks one summer, as I did. Then sitting down transported for days with a Hobbit to Middle Earth. Enjoy space!

Hm…

Soo… on the downside, we have two things which I can’t decide on which is worse:
One, the whole cycle is built on a strangely good vs evil, deeply intolerant religious philosophy. The good guys do good, and only good things because good, higher-level beings nudge them in that direction - the bad guys do the (only bad) things they’re doing because bad, higher-level beings manipulate them to do them. That is just garbage, sorry. Not only were there already much more open-minded and facetted (science fiction or not) stories around then - but this really disgusting slave perspective also limits any character decelopment or any real depth to the characters to near-zero. Somewhat hard to separate from that issue is the fact that 99% of the population are really just background fodder for the heroic superbeings - and no consideration that maybe every person, even a Lensman, is just one.

The other galling issue is the treatment of women. It’s almost comical how even when those elite superhumans evolve oh-so-far beyond their measly earthly roots… across space and time… still everyone wants to get married. Even at the time that must have been a peculiarly quaint perspective - even given the fact that society made life impossibly hard for women, especially if not being married, wanting to live their lifes, maybe even with a kid. I read somewhere that the author had pulled in his wife for advice on female characters… but the result then is an artwork completed under the mental duress of the societal Stockholm syndrome. And not to speak of the limitations this all puts on the potential of an interesting story.

Add to this the whole Lensmen thing. Yeah, I know, wouldn’t it be great to have the lens, an indestructible super-device ensuring complete fidelity of any wearer to a common greater goal, weeding out all spies and not-quite-good enough folks? Uh… maybe… but maybe the SS (from the time of the author) would have loved to have that type of device, too… for technological reasons, they just had to do with brainwashing and tattoos. And this isn’t a minor quibble - the whole story would completely fall apart without that. You’d immediately have all kinds of complications - like, you know, in real life!?! And this, too, limits the books. Yes, there’s a lot going on… but ultimately, nothing is really happening.

Compare to Star Trek. They also had/have heroes and villains in a fantastic future, sure… but there are moments where life intervenes, and weak humans have to come up with answers to moral questions and stand up for those answers, or not. THAT makes a hero - not some gadget. And THAT is life. And THAT is interesting.

Soo… why is this still somewhat readable (listenable) at all? I’m thinking it’s primarily because of the steady high-speed clip of the ever-expanding action - it’s just flying by, the universe. Which in turn is in the writing perfectly adapted to the original serialized publication of the stories as pulp fiction.

For some reason, I actually feel like the pure science fiction of it all is less interesting here than in the Skylark cycle. It’s just overshadowed here by the genetically engineered, merciless, neverending cult-like postulated goodness of the Lensmen.

Great book, narration is god-awful

Any additional comments?

Galactic Patrol (and the rest of the Lensman series) is one of the classics of pulp Science-fi, which I have read many times and love. However, Reed McColm's narration is truly awful. I couldn't even make it past the third chapter, due to his absolutely dreadful Van Buskirk voice - how can a 400 lb Dutch Valerian warrior have a high, fluting voice? Skip the audio book and read the series instead.

I agree about the poor narration.

Just started listening and already the authors style grates. Mostly that many times he has thrown out one of the jargon phrases, and when he does, many times he acts like he is checking a sheet somewhere on the table, the phrase comes out with a slight hesitation as if he has no idea what he is about to say. Kind of jarring.

There is also a general lack of affect, he seems perfectly willing to just chill out and let the words fall out without the right kind of emphasis or inflection. Like listening to a long book report in class.

Good story, bad narration

I was intrigued about the Lensman series of novels ever since I saw some of the books in a bookstore, but they are now out of print. When Audible had their half-price sale, I jumped at the chance and bought Galactic Patrol, which according to Wikipedia is the first of the published novels (Triplanetary and First Lensman being backstory volumes published after Children of the Lens). The story seems a little anachronistic since it was written even before the first computer was invented, but it still holds its own in a retro sort of way. The narrator, Reed McColm, however, does not do the story justice with his performance. His dry delivery and characterizations of some characters like Van Buskirk and Worzel become more and more annoying as you hear them, and by the time the first part of the story is over, you will feel like you want to stop listening and pick up the books instead. Given the fact that he reads the other Lensman novels, and assuming his performance is the same throughout, I cannot recommend the series in Audiobook format. You are better served finding the books and reading them yourself.