Galactic Patrol

Lensman Series

By: E. E. Doc Smith

Narrated by: Reed McColm

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)

Classic space opera

A classic of space opera, but it also really shows its age. This feels like the reader's first performance, but he shows improvement reading in other Lensman installments.

Great book

Wonderful story, well worth the purchase. Read It when I was a boy, and it still is the best.

Space opera, and nothing but...

Kimball Kinnision is a Lensman---one of the elite who bears the Lens which grants great mental powers to the Jedi Knight who carries it...

Um...

OK, yes, there are huge parallels between the Lensmen and Star Wars' Jedi Knights. Keep in mind, however, that Galactic Patrol predated Star Wars by a good 4 decades. These ideas were really original when E.E. "Doc" Smith wrote them, even if they have been imitated many times since then.

This is classic Space Opera. The Galactic Patrol is up against the pirates of Boskone, and Kinnision---a freshly graduated Lensman---is given a tricky assignment to obtain the pirates' technology and, eventually, break the hold of Boskone. Along the way, he meets aliens (both hostile and friendly), strange planets, attractive females and Helmuth...Helmuth speaks for Boskone.

If you are looking for pure adventure-oriented escapism in a sci-fi setting, you've found it. The writing is a bit stiff and pretentious, but it's a fun story. If you are looking for depth to the characters or subtle narrative, look elsewhere.

Reed McColm's reading is OK; he doesn't add much but doesn't hurt the story, either.

Decent, mainly for lensmen fans

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, as an introduction to the lensmen series. The language is dated and the prose is florid, but the series remains as one of if not the definitive golden age space operas. While the writing is getting more and more difficult for youngsters to understand, it's a good series for pre-teens. The characters are not exactly nuanced, and I find it hard to think of other stories with a more stark division between protagonists and antagonists as good versus evil. In comparison, the Harry Potter series is replete with moral ambiguity. Still, it's pulp and morality is as clear as the irresistable force of a duodec bomb. It's a rollicking story of the good guys versus the bad guys with the entire universe at stake.

What did you like best about this story?

I am not fit to answer this. Not because I can't, but I've read these stories since I was 9 or 10, and I am not even close to being able to be objective. I re-read all the books once every year or two, and it's like wearing a snuggie on a cold day while sipping tea. It's the scope, the lantern-jawed heroes, the eeeeevil bad guys that get theirs in the end.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Mr. McColm stumbled over a number of words. The prose isn't the easiest to read with all the run-ons, excessive adjectives, and general literary scene-chewing. However, some of the stumbles were on easy words.

The worst, as others have noted, is the voice he uses for VanBuskirk and all the valerians, apparently. Guys who are 6'8" and over 300 pounds should not be speaking in a weird falsetto. There are a lot of characters and a lot of aliens to give different voices, and Mr. McColm does a decent job most of the time. The Valerians, though, are a bad choice, and it does take fans of the series out of the story when they're around.

For the most part, the narration is servicable to good, and doesn't detract enough from the story to chase me away from the audiobook. There are times when I do shake my head, though.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but I am a huge fan of the series, so my opinion may be skewed. The action does flow pretty well, so there aren't huge sections of slow spots.

This book is QX at that!

E.E. "Doc" Smith was the father of space opera, and the Lensman series was by far his finest work. Each book is 10 hours of breathless, over-the-top purple prose - titanic space battles, lantern-jawed hero, fiery-tempered nurse girlfriend, vile but stupid drug peddlers, and brilliant scientists inventing godlike new technologies with dazzling rapidity. Nearly every modern space opera trope, from Death Stars to deflector shields, got its start with the Lensman series. Everything that is now cliche was fresh when Doc Smith invented it.

In other words, if you like space opera, listen to the Lensman books.

Reed McColm, the narrator, does a very good "1950s American radio guy voice", but makes quite a few pronunciation errors.