The Legion of Space is classic sci-fi from the 30's and 40's: the enemies are alien and implacable, the companions steadfast and brave, the heroine be..Show More »autiful and imperiled, and the young hero fearless and daring. It's continuous, driving style of suspense has been successfully copied from the movie serials of the era. Listening to it takes you back to the days of Astounding, Galaxy, and Boys Life.

What makes the book perhaps the best of its kind, however, is the slow emergence of the Falstaffian character Giles Habibula. He's a bit overdone in this first book of the series, but still the endearing anti-hero we've loved for so long.

The prologue is a throw-away: the finger-cracking exercise of a writer getting up to speed. Plow through it and the story will grab you in chapter one, rush you along through alien worlds, and deposit you gasping but satisfied at the end.

Sam Mowry's narration is smooth and unobtrusive, except for his pronunciation of Giles as "guiles" in the beginning. He corrects this after the first coffee break, and thereafter the characters are distinct and accurate - even the heroine's fragile but courageous timbre is totally believable.

There are three more novels in the series. I look forward to hearing them all.

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