• The Skylark of Space

  • Skylark Series #1
  • By: E. E. "Doc" Smith
  • Narrated by: Reed McColm
  • Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (202 ratings)

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The Skylark of Space  By  cover art

The Skylark of Space

By: E. E. "Doc" Smith
Narrated by: Reed McColm
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Publisher's summary

Brilliant government scientist Richard Seaton discovers a remarkable faster-than-light fuel that will power his interstellar spaceship, The Skylark. His ruthless rival, Marc DuQuesne, and the sinister World Steel Corporation will do anything to get their hands on the fuel. They kidnap Seaton's fiancée and friends, unleashing a furious pursuit and igniting a burning desire for revenge that will propel The Skylark across the galaxy and back.
Hi-fi sci-fi: don't miss the rest of the Skylark series.
©1946 E. E. "Doc" Smith (P)2007 Books in Motion

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What listeners say about The Skylark of Space

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    114
  • 4 Stars
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    7
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Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    98
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Space Operas - Good Story telling!

Yes, This whole series is classic space opera - Marvelous new invention, impetuous brilliant hero, lovely virginal artistic stalwart but in need of rescuing maiden, wise counterbalalncing friend/sidekick, strange worlds, enemy who matches the hero and a Save the Galaxy from the supervillain to pull them together in uneasy harness..
This is not sensitive fiction (and earthly racism is implied - no black characters and a Japanese servant) , our heroes kick butt instead of "reasoning together" (or at least threaten to and mean it), And feel it necessary to destroy the evil race root and branch.
I've known the series since teenage hood (Boy does that date me - and must admit that I learned a lot of vocabulary from his love of adjectives and synonyms), and whatever the faults of his ideology by modern day bleeding heartism, he can tell a story and keep you enthralled.
The reader works well (though like most readers, voices of the opposite sex can be unrealistic) - but he tends to make most of the villains sound like the nasally, sneering Snidely Whiplash, even the ones specifically described as "deep bass". On the other hand, what I found hard to read again (yes, I still have my childhood copies), he made fun to listen to.
The science of course is totally whacko - at least at our current level of knowledge - but I'll keep enjoying this series .


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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Good Pulp Science Fiction

Skylark of Space is not sophisticated or overly thoughtful, but it is enjoyable. The narrator does a good job with the different voices so that it is easy to tell who is talking, and his pacing fits the action very well. I was listening to this book towards the end of the presidential election, and it was a very good escape from all the political babble on the radio.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointed - It's actually an abrdiged version

What did you like best about The Skylark of Space? What did you like least?

I've always liked the story, it's fun. It helped define Space Opera.

What I didn't like was being told it was an Unabridged version, and then when I compare it to the Kindle version, find bug chunks of text missing.

What about Reed McColm’s performance did you like?

A good performance, captured the feel of the times quite well.

Was The Skylark of Space worth the listening time?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

It's Abriged, not unabridged as advertised.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    out of 5 stars

Great

Lots of Fun

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Chapter 5

Great Book But where are chapters 1 through 4? Story was intense. Doc Smith is in the league with Jules Verne.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good story

I’ve always liked the Skylark and Children of the lens series. Reed McColm does an excellent job of narration.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Most defiantly a period piece

What would have made The Skylark of Space better?

The characters's personalities where far too idealized. They are so much of a stereotype they seemed to lose their humanism. Also the relativistic effects where total ignored.

Would you ever listen to anything by E. E. "Doc" Smith again?

Doubtful

Which character – as performed by Reed McColm – was your favorite?

All the characters as performed where great.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

It started strong. It was deep into the science. The writer has a strong engineering background which I loved.

Any additional comments?

I maybe too hard on the writer. Einsteins space/time concepts where new at the time this book was written and maybe I should give the author a break, but combine this with overly stereotypical characters just left me with a negative feeling.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A dated classic Made better

If you could sum up The Skylark of Space in three words, what would they be?

Suspend your Disbelief and enjoy the ride

What other book might you compare The Skylark of Space to and why?

Triplanetary - both have the same themes - the striving of a select body of incoruptible men to overcome evil and establish a new world order.

Have you listened to any of Reed McColm???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes - have taken in Read's work on both the SKylark and Lensmen series. As the launch point of the classic Skylark series Read does a phenomenal job bringing depth to a story that is dated in its portrayal of women and humans relative to others...but I love the punch Read's presentation does to revitalize the story. Makes me want to update this series.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I particularly enjoyed the travails of DOrothy Vaneman after being abducted by Duquesne.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A classic

If you go here remember when it was written. Remember that it’s the story that matters

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Updated version .

Odd changes from 1928 version, but did have more depth than original, same result. Expanded passages are well written.

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