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Skylark #1
The Skylark of Space: Skylark Book 1
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. When they kidnap Seaton's fiancee and friends, they unleash a furious pursuit and ignite a burning desire for revenge that will propel The Skylark across the galaxy and back.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1928
About the author
E.E. "Doc" Smith
148 books313 followersEdward Elmer Smith (also E.E. Smith, E.E. Smith, Ph.D., E.E. “Doc” Smith, Doc Smith, “Skylark” Smith, or—to his family—Ted), was an American food engineer (specializing in doughnut and pastry mixes) and an early science fiction author, best known for the Lensman and Skylark series. He is sometimes called the father of space opera.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
December 18, 2023
Space Opera Group Monthly Read Oct/Nov 2023
As ever a really enjoyable read, and one that I am sure I will revisit once more.
I started reading the lensman series a few months ago by accident and then when one of the groups decided to read this, and given I was on a "Doc" Smith kick, I thought why not. The unfortunate thing is, that I have left the lensman still battling the Eddorians and Dick Seaton still battling duQuesne, so who do I continue with given all the calls on my limited time ??
2019 Solo Series Read
Now I never realised that The Skylark series was written before the Lensman series. I have read both before many moons ago but have most recently read the Lensman books ( a couple of years ago).
Anyway, if you have heard of EE "Doc" Smith then you will know he was the father of SciFi Space Opera and was in some ways way before his time. Was this book a Jane Austen ? Well no, but it was a really enjoyable read, simple but delivers what it promises; a solid easy read of SF Space Opera, with page after page of adventure..
So the story is in some ways a standard one of fortuitous invention by good guy, surreptitiously witnessed by bad good who wants to benefit himself, not humanity. Add in a good rich guy and an evil entrepreneur plus a couple of intelligent women; and you have the makings of an enjoyable story. Naked humanoid aliens and monstrous flying creatures complete the picture as well as being lost in the wilds of the Universe.
This book has it all and it is only a small book and also, only the first in the series. Now I really enjoyed The Lensman series, and I think I am really going to enjoy this series as well. But then I'm weird, I like early Space Opera !!
As ever a really enjoyable read, and one that I am sure I will revisit once more.
I started reading the lensman series a few months ago by accident and then when one of the groups decided to read this, and given I was on a "Doc" Smith kick, I thought why not. The unfortunate thing is, that I have left the lensman still battling the Eddorians and Dick Seaton still battling duQuesne, so who do I continue with given all the calls on my limited time ??
2019 Solo Series Read
Now I never realised that The Skylark series was written before the Lensman series. I have read both before many moons ago but have most recently read the Lensman books ( a couple of years ago).
Anyway, if you have heard of EE "Doc" Smith then you will know he was the father of SciFi Space Opera and was in some ways way before his time. Was this book a Jane Austen ? Well no, but it was a really enjoyable read, simple but delivers what it promises; a solid easy read of SF Space Opera, with page after page of adventure..
So the story is in some ways a standard one of fortuitous invention by good guy, surreptitiously witnessed by bad good who wants to benefit himself, not humanity. Add in a good rich guy and an evil entrepreneur plus a couple of intelligent women; and you have the makings of an enjoyable story. Naked humanoid aliens and monstrous flying creatures complete the picture as well as being lost in the wilds of the Universe.
This book has it all and it is only a small book and also, only the first in the series. Now I really enjoyed The Lensman series, and I think I am really going to enjoy this series as well. But then I'm weird, I like early Space Opera !!
May 7, 2017
Not recommended for: people without a sense of humour.
The Skylark of Space is undoubtedly one of the most important novels in the history of SF - as 'the first space opera', it and and the author's later novels (Skylark was his debut work) held, alongside predecesors like Verne, Wells and Burroughs, an immense influence over at least one generation of writers. This is what inspired the authors of the Golden Age to write; and this is also what the authors of the Golden Age tried to do better than.
[it's not just SF, either. Any fans of superhero stories should be interested in this, as the tone so clearly previews the Golden Age comic books that were to follow.]
It is, however, a tricky book to review today, because much depends on your sense of humour, and your charity. Personally, I found it a hilarious book - but I readily acknowledge that that hilarity is only partly the result of Smith's deadpan wit, partly the result of Smith's doughnut-engineer-writing-his-first-book-and-not-really-knowing-what-he's-doing ineptitude, and partly the flippant stiff upper lip and zany slang of the novel's original birth-era in the America of circa 1920. [Anyone who remembers the fun I had with Babbitt will know how enjoyable I find that.]
If you're a hardhearted critic, you'll be nonplussed by the period idiosyncracies, miss the intentional humour entirely, and see the fact that the author's enthusiasm far outstrips his prose style, his plotting, or indeed his characterisation, as a terrible flaw. Add in the patent ludicracy of the science and the fluffy lightness of it all and you'll come away thinking that it is all a load of tosh.
If, on the other hand, you're willing to give the Doc the benefit of the doubt as to how much of the humour is actually intentional, and just go along for the ride, Skylark is actually a pretty enjoyable book. Without lying, this was one of the most unabashedly fun reading experiences I've had in many years. The humour and the silliness (part intentional, part not) go hand in hand with a belting enthusiasm, a real sense of possibility and adventure and novelty, and a surprisingly geeky pervading spirit of curiosity and reason (Smith is always happy to pause events for a moment to explain tangential scientific questions). This is a novel in which touching Metal X to some copper lets your spaceship blast out of the atmosphere in moments without destroying where you were standing (reactionless drives!), but where characters will pause for a moment to discuss the problem of what "keeping the same orientation" means in a space ship once you lose the frame of orientation provided by the earth's gravity well, and where interstellar travellers take care to begin flying backwards halfway through their journey.
The whole thing is a frothy pink mousse of a novel, and it's likely to be loved and loathed in equal measure. [and there are Issues, of course. Smith is clearly progressive in spirit, but can't escape the insensitivities of the era's cheap pulp fiction when it comes to sex and race; given that this is actually rather laughable, and that it's clearly driven by misplaced progressivism rather than by malice or idiocy, I think you'd have to work hard to be offended, but of course your mileage may vary]
What this is not is anything like a lot of modern SF. This is not The Expanse or Westworld. It's the superhero tradition that seems to have remained closer to the spirit of the novel: this is what people read in the 1920s instead of watching The Flash or Agent Carter. Watching Agent Carter and complaining that the character of Howard Stark, brilliant millionaire mad scientist, is shallow wish-fulfillment [a character in Skylark is actually introduced as "the multi-millionaire explorer-archaeologist-sportsman who was then District singles champion"], or watching The Flash and complaining that having a sentient gorilla conquering a city on a parallel earth is just not realistic, is kind of missing the point about these shows. And quibbling over all of the many, many things that are wrong with The Skylark of Space is missing the point in almost exactly the same way.
So I suggest that you read it. It's not very long. Just... don't expect literature, OK?
[but you can expect one of my favourite Dastardly Villains ever...]
So yeah. Reading this, being open to its excitement and its curiosity and it devilmaycare attitude, you can see why it inspired a generation of imitators. But at the same time... you can also see why it inspired a generation of authors who thought they could do the same thing but better.
You can read a fuller review over here!. There are pretty pictures!
The Skylark of Space is undoubtedly one of the most important novels in the history of SF - as 'the first space opera', it and and the author's later novels (Skylark was his debut work) held, alongside predecesors like Verne, Wells and Burroughs, an immense influence over at least one generation of writers. This is what inspired the authors of the Golden Age to write; and this is also what the authors of the Golden Age tried to do better than.
[it's not just SF, either. Any fans of superhero stories should be interested in this, as the tone so clearly previews the Golden Age comic books that were to follow.]
It is, however, a tricky book to review today, because much depends on your sense of humour, and your charity. Personally, I found it a hilarious book - but I readily acknowledge that that hilarity is only partly the result of Smith's deadpan wit, partly the result of Smith's doughnut-engineer-writing-his-first-book-and-not-really-knowing-what-he's-doing ineptitude, and partly the flippant stiff upper lip and zany slang of the novel's original birth-era in the America of circa 1920. [Anyone who remembers the fun I had with Babbitt will know how enjoyable I find that.]
If you're a hardhearted critic, you'll be nonplussed by the period idiosyncracies, miss the intentional humour entirely, and see the fact that the author's enthusiasm far outstrips his prose style, his plotting, or indeed his characterisation, as a terrible flaw. Add in the patent ludicracy of the science and the fluffy lightness of it all and you'll come away thinking that it is all a load of tosh.
If, on the other hand, you're willing to give the Doc the benefit of the doubt as to how much of the humour is actually intentional, and just go along for the ride, Skylark is actually a pretty enjoyable book. Without lying, this was one of the most unabashedly fun reading experiences I've had in many years. The humour and the silliness (part intentional, part not) go hand in hand with a belting enthusiasm, a real sense of possibility and adventure and novelty, and a surprisingly geeky pervading spirit of curiosity and reason (Smith is always happy to pause events for a moment to explain tangential scientific questions). This is a novel in which touching Metal X to some copper lets your spaceship blast out of the atmosphere in moments without destroying where you were standing (reactionless drives!), but where characters will pause for a moment to discuss the problem of what "keeping the same orientation" means in a space ship once you lose the frame of orientation provided by the earth's gravity well, and where interstellar travellers take care to begin flying backwards halfway through their journey.
The whole thing is a frothy pink mousse of a novel, and it's likely to be loved and loathed in equal measure. [and there are Issues, of course. Smith is clearly progressive in spirit, but can't escape the insensitivities of the era's cheap pulp fiction when it comes to sex and race; given that this is actually rather laughable, and that it's clearly driven by misplaced progressivism rather than by malice or idiocy, I think you'd have to work hard to be offended, but of course your mileage may vary]
What this is not is anything like a lot of modern SF. This is not The Expanse or Westworld. It's the superhero tradition that seems to have remained closer to the spirit of the novel: this is what people read in the 1920s instead of watching The Flash or Agent Carter. Watching Agent Carter and complaining that the character of Howard Stark, brilliant millionaire mad scientist, is shallow wish-fulfillment [a character in Skylark is actually introduced as "the multi-millionaire explorer-archaeologist-sportsman who was then District singles champion"], or watching The Flash and complaining that having a sentient gorilla conquering a city on a parallel earth is just not realistic, is kind of missing the point about these shows. And quibbling over all of the many, many things that are wrong with The Skylark of Space is missing the point in almost exactly the same way.
So I suggest that you read it. It's not very long. Just... don't expect literature, OK?
[but you can expect one of my favourite Dastardly Villains ever...]
So yeah. Reading this, being open to its excitement and its curiosity and it devilmaycare attitude, you can see why it inspired a generation of imitators. But at the same time... you can also see why it inspired a generation of authors who thought they could do the same thing but better.
You can read a fuller review over here!. There are pretty pictures!
May 14, 2020
This is an early example of space opera, which attempted to add scientific elements. The father of the term ‘science fiction’ Hugo Greensback was dissatisfied with Edgar Rice Burroughs style space opera, where other planets were just a setting for adventures. He wanted the story to educate readers and so this book was born. I read is as a part of monthly reading for May 2020 at The Evolution of Science Fiction group.
The story starts with an engineer genius Richard ‘Dick’ Seaton found out a solution of copper that allows for nuclear fission. The great energy source will definitely change the world. He gets backing of a multi-millionaire M. Reynolds Crane and build a space car (it is a hollow sphere, so the name is chiefly just before there has been no convention to call it a ship) Skylark. The evil opponents’ plot to steal the discovery and kill the duo and romance is added to spice the story.
The story is quite simple, characters are two-dimensional and they are so above the opponents in all respects that there is no thrill in their confrontation. At the same time, it is definitely a genre defining work that influenced the future SF authors of the 40s and 50s. Some ‘scientific’ ideas are ridiculous, like using spring floor to compensate high g acceleration (like thousands of g!) or unique colors created by light of other stars.
The story starts with an engineer genius Richard ‘Dick’ Seaton found out a solution of copper that allows for nuclear fission. The great energy source will definitely change the world. He gets backing of a multi-millionaire M. Reynolds Crane and build a space car (it is a hollow sphere, so the name is chiefly just before there has been no convention to call it a ship) Skylark. The evil opponents’ plot to steal the discovery and kill the duo and romance is added to spice the story.
The story is quite simple, characters are two-dimensional and they are so above the opponents in all respects that there is no thrill in their confrontation. At the same time, it is definitely a genre defining work that influenced the future SF authors of the 40s and 50s. Some ‘scientific’ ideas are ridiculous, like using spring floor to compensate high g acceleration (like thousands of g!) or unique colors created by light of other stars.
July 13, 2012
I'd always wanted to read this series (actually, I want to also read the Lensman series) and finally got around to the first book in it.
People say E.E. Smith "invented" what we now call space opera, and boy, I'm here to tell you those people are right. The Skylark of Space reads like a comic strip or an old Flash Gordon serial. It is rollicking fun and action, but there is a caveat:
You have to disengage virtually all of your upper-division college memories. You know the ones--the ones that tell you how to spot implicit racism, sexism, and other kinds of -isms in writing. Doc Smith makes no bones at all about white men being inherently better than any other kind of men or of women, for that matter.
The best way I can describe it is that this book is like a fatty steak swimming in bleu cheese sauce to a man with a cholesterol count of 375. It not only tastes great, but a small part of the diner's brain (the id part) wonders petulantly why every meal can't be like this. It is an irresponsible book, yes--but damn if it isn't fun.
I read this book in a weekend, but not just because I was interested. It almost reads itself. The characters are either lily-white and superhuman specimens of honor, integrity, and American can-do spirit or they are Snidely Whiplash clones.
Thoughtful? Nope.
Deep? Don't make me laugh.
But fun?
Absolutely!
People say E.E. Smith "invented" what we now call space opera, and boy, I'm here to tell you those people are right. The Skylark of Space reads like a comic strip or an old Flash Gordon serial. It is rollicking fun and action, but there is a caveat:
You have to disengage virtually all of your upper-division college memories. You know the ones--the ones that tell you how to spot implicit racism, sexism, and other kinds of -isms in writing. Doc Smith makes no bones at all about white men being inherently better than any other kind of men or of women, for that matter.
The best way I can describe it is that this book is like a fatty steak swimming in bleu cheese sauce to a man with a cholesterol count of 375. It not only tastes great, but a small part of the diner's brain (the id part) wonders petulantly why every meal can't be like this. It is an irresponsible book, yes--but damn if it isn't fun.
I read this book in a weekend, but not just because I was interested. It almost reads itself. The characters are either lily-white and superhuman specimens of honor, integrity, and American can-do spirit or they are Snidely Whiplash clones.
Thoughtful? Nope.
Deep? Don't make me laugh.
But fun?
Absolutely!
May 4, 2020
This is a quick moving story, an icon of the Pulp Age of SF. It was interesting to read this again after so many decades, but one such is enough. I can see how much this influenced The Black Star Trilogy by John W. Campbell Jr. who is often seen as the most influential editor of the Pulp & Golden Ages of SF. At best, it is a 3 star read, but it gets an extra star for its influence.
As a GR friend of mine noted in his review, this was originally published as a serial in a pulp magazine in 1928 & I don't think this edition was entirely original. Some updates had to be made after WWII when it was finally published in book form since TV & atomics were mentioned along with fusion & fission. I'm pretty sure fusion wasn't discovered until the 1930s.
The story had a lot of similarities to earlier pulp adventures, but centered more around cutting edge science & a space ship. The big similarities were toward the end of the book & the alien civilization which reminded me a lot of ERB's stuff. The dress code was very similar to that on Barsoom. Although the science was fairly magical & convenient, some effort was made to show the process & work it took, as well as the luck that occasionally happens.
There was a fair amount of convenience throughout the story, another mark of the times. The evil corporation was a huge steel company. The evil genius was honorable & even admirable, in his own way. He'll make a good bad guy in the sequels, I suppose. I've never read them & don't intend to.
This is not the correct edition. Mine is published by Books in Motion & narrated by Reed McColm. Good narration. Read this time with the Evolution of SF group here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
As a GR friend of mine noted in his review, this was originally published as a serial in a pulp magazine in 1928 & I don't think this edition was entirely original. Some updates had to be made after WWII when it was finally published in book form since TV & atomics were mentioned along with fusion & fission. I'm pretty sure fusion wasn't discovered until the 1930s.
The story had a lot of similarities to earlier pulp adventures, but centered more around cutting edge science & a space ship. The big similarities were toward the end of the book & the alien civilization which reminded me a lot of ERB's stuff. The dress code was very similar to that on Barsoom. Although the science was fairly magical & convenient, some effort was made to show the process & work it took, as well as the luck that occasionally happens.
There was a fair amount of convenience throughout the story, another mark of the times. The evil corporation was a huge steel company. The evil genius was honorable & even admirable, in his own way. He'll make a good bad guy in the sequels, I suppose. I've never read them & don't intend to.
This is not the correct edition. Mine is published by Books in Motion & narrated by Reed McColm. Good narration. Read this time with the Evolution of SF group here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
August 12, 2010
After going through the Lensman series, I figured I should read one of the earliest things E.E. "Doc" "Fella" "Bachelor's" "Master's" "Community College Degree" Smith wrote in his career. It was a little rough.
The overall plot's some enjoyable silliness about a chemist stumbling into how to unlock the atomic energy of copper and convert it into drive energy, so of course he works with an industrialist buddy to build a spaceship (the Skylark, natch). However, evil rival chemist and cohorts build their own lesser spaceship, kidnap his fiancee, and adventures occur.
Two of my favorite moments in the book:
1: the marriage chapter. Our heroes all get married on a friendly civilization's planet. The ceremony is ever so much more beautiful and majestic than mere Earthly ceremonies. Also, a large part of the officiant's speech involves going into how our heroes are a sign from the First Cause that their civilization is truly fated to righteously utterly genocide the planet's enemy civilization. The reader must assume that the genocide bit was some of what made Space Marriage much more beautiful than the terrestrial variety. (It almost goes without saying that, later, they righteously utterly genocide the enemy civilization.)
2: our chemist hero goes into a sudden paragraphs-long rant about how the goddamn jewelers' cabal have artificially inflated the price of platinum, manipulating a stupid fad of using platinum in jewelry when it should be going to honest scientific laboratory work and any scientist even half worth his salt wouldn't allow anyone he even passingly knows to buy platinum jewelry on pains of slugging them right in the face goddammit see if he doesn't, so fucking A right he's going to load the entire cargo hold up with tons of platinum in order to flood the terrestrial market with it at fifty cents a pound while making sure the goddamn jewelers can't get their grubby claws on any of it, it's all going to be scientific lab platinum dammit. (His fiancee simpers agreeably.) I was imagining Smith typing away at a steady workaday clip until that section, whereupon he started ramming his fingers angrily down into each key so hard it repeatedly got bits of the typewriter stuck.
The whole thing kind of trails off at the end, because it's setting up more episodic sequels that I probably won't seek out.
The overall plot's some enjoyable silliness about a chemist stumbling into how to unlock the atomic energy of copper and convert it into drive energy, so of course he works with an industrialist buddy to build a spaceship (the Skylark, natch). However, evil rival chemist and cohorts build their own lesser spaceship, kidnap his fiancee, and adventures occur.
Two of my favorite moments in the book:
1: the marriage chapter. Our heroes all get married on a friendly civilization's planet. The ceremony is ever so much more beautiful and majestic than mere Earthly ceremonies. Also, a large part of the officiant's speech involves going into how our heroes are a sign from the First Cause that their civilization is truly fated to righteously utterly genocide the planet's enemy civilization. The reader must assume that the genocide bit was some of what made Space Marriage much more beautiful than the terrestrial variety. (It almost goes without saying that, later, they righteously utterly genocide the enemy civilization.)
2: our chemist hero goes into a sudden paragraphs-long rant about how the goddamn jewelers' cabal have artificially inflated the price of platinum, manipulating a stupid fad of using platinum in jewelry when it should be going to honest scientific laboratory work and any scientist even half worth his salt wouldn't allow anyone he even passingly knows to buy platinum jewelry on pains of slugging them right in the face goddammit see if he doesn't, so fucking A right he's going to load the entire cargo hold up with tons of platinum in order to flood the terrestrial market with it at fifty cents a pound while making sure the goddamn jewelers can't get their grubby claws on any of it, it's all going to be scientific lab platinum dammit. (His fiancee simpers agreeably.) I was imagining Smith typing away at a steady workaday clip until that section, whereupon he started ramming his fingers angrily down into each key so hard it repeatedly got bits of the typewriter stuck.
The whole thing kind of trails off at the end, because it's setting up more episodic sequels that I probably won't seek out.
April 27, 2018
I read this one, the first of the author's "Skylark" novels, in one of the summers between college semesters, if I remember correctly. Smith is given credit by many as the inventor of the space opera subgenre of science fiction, and this is his first instance. He began writing it, I have read, around 100 years ago. The copy I read was a 1958 Pyramid, revised edition - exactly how it was revised, I don't know. Regardless, it was a good romp of a read with the heroes, Richard Seaton & Martin Crane making the discoveries which allow them to build a space ship. And there is a villain, "Blackie" DuQuesne, who they have to contend with. The book is a product of its era and should be read and enjoyed as such.
April 17, 2020
Now see here, Pally, this here's a 1920's humdinger of a read with all sorts of wiz-bang gadgets, gee-wiz characters, highfalutin plot points and more action than a speakeasy's got hooch. As a new SF book, "Skylark" has every possible shortcoming of a first draft by a new author in an infant genre of fiction. It begins on the first page with the accidental discover of a new element, "X" (I kid you, not) by a young, rakishly handsome, adventurous scientist with a hunch for exploring space. Armed with only his accidental theory, a millionaire friend and a generous supply of Gumption, he procedes over a week or so to build the first spacecraft that can travel beyond the outer limits of the solar system into infinity - over 30 years before Yuri Gagarin would orbit the Earth for the first time.
My review is unfavorable because it's poorly written and a weak construction as a story. It's not because the book hasn't aged well (although it hasn't) or because it fails in the suspension of disbelief (it does), but because it's pulp fiction at it's lowest quality even at the time that it was written and hasn't improved at all with the benefit of time.
There are maybe between 5-7 important characters, every one of which is as flat as a cardboard cut-out. The enemies are perfect in their wickedness, cunning and amorality, but are also defeated by their own plans gone awry. The protaganists are sensible and unerringly chivalrous and the 1920's women are pliant maguffin's, very important to the plot only by their presence and not through their actions.
And the science...God, the science is absolutely selective in it's introduction or application. The author flaunts openly the gems of invention such as the spring-mounted floors to absorb acceleration, the Infini-Compass that can point to Earth from a billion light years away (yes, they broke Einstein's Law) and the fully-stocked Bar-In-Space. Now the reader might ask 'How do they have enough oxygen' or 'Why is the craft is powered by burning pocketwatches and copper pennies' (yes, it happens.) The answer to that is...we don't know and that's part of the ADVENTURE. The author, E.E. Smith, doesn't stop and explain little points any more than necessary and, by that standard, there's a whole lot that apparently wasn't necessary. There's a line from the video game "Portal 2" about 'Throwing Science at the Wall and Seeing what Sticks' and there's a lot of that here, but it gives the feeling that the author is bored of the tedium of explanation and just wants to fight some space mutants.
Which takes us to the pacing, which is at Light-Flipping-Speed. If you skipped a page in the book, you could go straight from a kitchen table conversation to a space battle without knowing how it got there. A paragraph might start with "After discussing the matter at home, Crane and Seaton took off and were on Mars." There were so many places where I had to take a moment and internalize how the characters got there. A human mind that is looking for consistency will flatly reject some events in the book as impossible to read in proper order. The best comparison would be any episode of Star Trek:TOS where (1) Kirk is beaming down, (2) Kirk is in prison, (3) Kirk is kissing a green alien (4) Kirk is firing phasers, (5) Kirk is fighting with fists and kicks - all in a 40 minute TV show. The plot doesn't matter at all, the constant Action is what matters.
"Skylark" is given credit for being the first work of a new genre and opening up possibilities for other (better?) authors, and maybe that's why I'm giving the book 2-stars instead of 1. But it's like a book that can't decide if it wants to be humor or adventure, and it doesn't succeed at being either.
My review is unfavorable because it's poorly written and a weak construction as a story. It's not because the book hasn't aged well (although it hasn't) or because it fails in the suspension of disbelief (it does), but because it's pulp fiction at it's lowest quality even at the time that it was written and hasn't improved at all with the benefit of time.
There are maybe between 5-7 important characters, every one of which is as flat as a cardboard cut-out. The enemies are perfect in their wickedness, cunning and amorality, but are also defeated by their own plans gone awry. The protaganists are sensible and unerringly chivalrous and the 1920's women are pliant maguffin's, very important to the plot only by their presence and not through their actions.
And the science...God, the science is absolutely selective in it's introduction or application. The author flaunts openly the gems of invention such as the spring-mounted floors to absorb acceleration, the Infini-Compass that can point to Earth from a billion light years away (yes, they broke Einstein's Law) and the fully-stocked Bar-In-Space. Now the reader might ask 'How do they have enough oxygen' or 'Why is the craft is powered by burning pocketwatches and copper pennies' (yes, it happens.) The answer to that is...we don't know and that's part of the ADVENTURE. The author, E.E. Smith, doesn't stop and explain little points any more than necessary and, by that standard, there's a whole lot that apparently wasn't necessary. There's a line from the video game "Portal 2" about 'Throwing Science at the Wall and Seeing what Sticks' and there's a lot of that here, but it gives the feeling that the author is bored of the tedium of explanation and just wants to fight some space mutants.
Which takes us to the pacing, which is at Light-Flipping-Speed. If you skipped a page in the book, you could go straight from a kitchen table conversation to a space battle without knowing how it got there. A paragraph might start with "After discussing the matter at home, Crane and Seaton took off and were on Mars." There were so many places where I had to take a moment and internalize how the characters got there. A human mind that is looking for consistency will flatly reject some events in the book as impossible to read in proper order. The best comparison would be any episode of Star Trek:TOS where (1) Kirk is beaming down, (2) Kirk is in prison, (3) Kirk is kissing a green alien (4) Kirk is firing phasers, (5) Kirk is fighting with fists and kicks - all in a 40 minute TV show. The plot doesn't matter at all, the constant Action is what matters.
"Skylark" is given credit for being the first work of a new genre and opening up possibilities for other (better?) authors, and maybe that's why I'm giving the book 2-stars instead of 1. But it's like a book that can't decide if it wants to be humor or adventure, and it doesn't succeed at being either.
January 9, 2015
I appreciate what E.E. "Doc" Smith's novel The Skylark of Space did for the science fiction genre. It's widely considered the first space opera novel and the influence it had on future works is quite apparent. This book mentions or hints at jet packs, light speed, and tractor beams, all of which play a prominent role in the extremely successful Star Wars franchise. There's even a case involved that I would consider Stockholm Syndrome which is a concept that wouldn't emerge until decades later. However, the story definitely reads as a product of its time. While presenting a fairly interesting plot, it's marred by the laughable, outdated lingo. The dialogue is disgustingly terrible throughout The Skylark and too much of the novel is devoted to developing technologies. It certainly sounds more outdated than the tales of other early 20th century science fiction/pulp authors such as Edgar Rice Burroughs and H.G. Wells, whose writings translate fairly well to modern times. While The Skylark of Space showcased revolutionary ideas when it was written, it's not a very good novel to be read in today's world, especially with more impressive literary work coming from the same time period.
September 26, 2022
This was Dr. Smith's first book and is still a good read even after eighty-seven years. It starts off with a bang (literally) and proceeds from there. Our hero makes a discovery that allows for space travel and proceeds to go out into the great beyond with his best friend (who is rich and also a great inventor). They are in pursuit of Dr. Seaton's (our scientist) fiancee who has been kidnapped by the ostensible villain of the piece. Dr. DuQuesne (the villain) is in his own right an interesting character, one who does have a code of honour of sorts, though it differs from society's norm. There is a lot of action but also moments when Seaton is trying to explain what is happening and why. Some may find these moments boring but they are part of the charm of the book. Dr. Smith (he was a Ph.D.) is generally considered to be the father of 'space opera'. To those who don't like to be preached at by their choice of fiction reading, and who have an imaginative bent then give this one a try. You just might like it.
May 25, 2020
For a long time, I avoided "classic" SF, thinking it would all be outdated and of no interest except historical curiosity. It turns out, though, that some old SF still holds up well. H.G. Wells, for example. This, though, is about as bad as I expected. It isn't completely useless. The final 1/3 has some interesting action scenes. But don't look for anything here other than an example of what pulp SF was like in the late 1920s.
November 23, 2020
The Skylark series, and the Lensmen series by the same author, are the classic Space Opera extravaganzas. The modern reader will wonder why they seem to be so full of cliches. Check the dates! These books were started in the 1920s. E.E. "Doc" Smith invented the tropes which are now cliches! I still reread these books with great pleasure!
November 22, 2012
Written almost one hundred years ago, and first published in 1928, the Skylark of Space is one of the great pioneering works of science fiction. Although it is clearly a book "of its time" -- the writing is very stilted by today's standards, and the racial stereotypes and attitudes expressed simply wouldn't be tolerated now -- it boasts a number of clear and significant firsts:
* It was the first book to deal with the exploration of the stars rather than just the local solar system * It was the first book to propose the use of atomic energy (bear in mind it was written in 1915, long before the Manhattan project). It's also widely recognised that with this book, Doc Smith "invented" the genre of space opera.
This book and its sequels, was a major influence on the science fiction writers of the 40s and 50s, and it's easy to see how. Yes it's cliched, yes some things are silly (leather spacesuits? diatribes on the use of platinum in jewellery?), yes the language and attitudes need "looking past", but given this was written long before the invention or understanding of many things we take for granted - television, computers etc.
While not great storytelling by todays standards, this is a book that every science fiction fan should read at least once. It's the daddy. No, it's the grandaddy.
* It was the first book to deal with the exploration of the stars rather than just the local solar system * It was the first book to propose the use of atomic energy (bear in mind it was written in 1915, long before the Manhattan project). It's also widely recognised that with this book, Doc Smith "invented" the genre of space opera.
This book and its sequels, was a major influence on the science fiction writers of the 40s and 50s, and it's easy to see how. Yes it's cliched, yes some things are silly (leather spacesuits? diatribes on the use of platinum in jewellery?), yes the language and attitudes need "looking past", but given this was written long before the invention or understanding of many things we take for granted - television, computers etc.
While not great storytelling by todays standards, this is a book that every science fiction fan should read at least once. It's the daddy. No, it's the grandaddy.
May 3, 2017
Storyline: 1/5
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 2/5
World: 2/5
This pulp science fiction novel begins with our Ph.D. wielding protagonist applying mysterious metallic solutions haphazardly to objects to see what happens. Really... I'm serious... It is in the first sentence, and the mystery metal is called - I kid you not - "X". Still, I was prepared for some old school science and outlandish technological discoveries (and it was 1928, so allowances must be made). I was ready and even looking forward to seeing the societal and technological implications of "X". Metal X, however, was only the beginning. This was a novel of spectacular escalation. Discoveries and repercussions increase at an exponential rate after the introduction of the mystery metal. Smith must have been aiming to compress all science fiction ideas, past and future, into a single 176-page volume. He got pretty close.
I liked the more constrained Lensman books better.
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 2/5
World: 2/5
This pulp science fiction novel begins with our Ph.D. wielding protagonist applying mysterious metallic solutions haphazardly to objects to see what happens. Really... I'm serious... It is in the first sentence, and the mystery metal is called - I kid you not - "X". Still, I was prepared for some old school science and outlandish technological discoveries (and it was 1928, so allowances must be made). I was ready and even looking forward to seeing the societal and technological implications of "X". Metal X, however, was only the beginning. This was a novel of spectacular escalation. Discoveries and repercussions increase at an exponential rate after the introduction of the mystery metal. Smith must have been aiming to compress all science fiction ideas, past and future, into a single 176-page volume. He got pretty close.
I liked the more constrained Lensman books better.
October 22, 2019
While the Skylark books are not as awesome as Smith's Lensman series it is still a very good classic Space opera style classic SiFi series by one of the masters. Very recommended
January 25, 2021
I gave it an extra star because it inspired tons of science fiction and space opera that followed, but ...
The prose is dull. Edgar Rice Burroughs told similar stories in much more vivid fashion.
The characters are dull. The only character in the book with more than one dimension is the villain.
I really doubt I will give more Skylark tales a chance. Just too dull.
The prose is dull. Edgar Rice Burroughs told similar stories in much more vivid fashion.
The characters are dull. The only character in the book with more than one dimension is the villain.
I really doubt I will give more Skylark tales a chance. Just too dull.
January 29, 2020
You do have to give credit where it is due. As a fan and student of the "Radium-Age" of science fiction (to borrow a term coined by the HiLo Brow blog), which is the era of genre work from the 1900s to the early 1930s, it has become clear to me that there were a few writers of that time that were responsible for the content, style, and popularity of the Golden-Age. Doc Smith was one of the big ones, and "Skylark of Space," being his first published work, was what started it all. Scifi from that era does not largely consist of escapist pulp, though there are some notable exceptions like the writing of Edmond Hamilton and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Instead, it tends to involve quite a degree of intellectual exercise, with heavy philosophical, political, economic, and sociocultural themes cloaked in allegory, metaphor, and fantasy. Books like "We," "Voyage to Arcturus," "Black No More," "The World Below," "Last and First Men," "The Napoleon of Notting Hill," "The Iron Heel," "The World Set Free," and Belloc's Parliament trilogy are hardly light entertainment. But then along comes some jock trying to get a PhD so he can make tastier doughnuts who gets the idea to write a crazy adventure story with another man's wife. And the first space opera was born.
Having read a lot of pre-Golden-Age scifi, I can honestly say that Doc Smith had a truly original vision when he was writing this story, because there really was very little out there in the literary world like "Skylark" in which to emulate. Sure, there were some stories and novels involving space travel, but these tended to be as speculative as possible on what real technology could achieve, and so were grounded in as much reality as they could be for the time. But nothing took on the sense of wonder and endless adventurous possibilities of space exploration like "Skylark." This nicely took on a less weighty, less philosophical, and less prophetic tone than its contemporaries and gave readers a sense of optimism, humor, and excitement, setting the tone for early superhero comic writing. To give you an idea of how groundbreaking it was, "Skylark" was released in the same magazine in which the first Buck Rogers story appeared, but Buck (then called Anthony) was not flying around space at that time, being solely in a story grounded on Earth and fighting Mongolians. "Skylark," on the other hand, was taking the reader to distant planets and meeting alien civilizations.
This being said, "Skylark" will likely unpleasantly surprise and disappoint many readers. The many negative to mediocre reviews about this book out there on the Internet is a testament to the fact that the writing found here is quite juvenile and clunky. I do take issue with some criticism of the book having too many dated idioms and much early 20th century slang. So what? Is Shakespeare irrelevant because of the archaic language? Not that Doc Smith is Shakespeare by any stretch. The Doc's prose is purely pedestrian and functional, as well as amateurish. But the "old-fashioned" language certainly helps immerse me in a different world and a different time as would any good historical novel set during this American era.
The dated bits of the book that actually were more cringy for me were things like the portrayal of the faithful Japanese servant who speaks in broken English and of course knows martial arts. And the kidnapped women who kind of think their kidnapper is hot for being such a manly brute. But such were the times, and we can't and shouldn't erase it or even judge by our modern sensibilities, only appreciate where we come from and how far we've gone.
But nonetheless, the writing does bring the rating down significantly from an otherwise fun and imaginative adventure that is an important slice of literary history. It did not put me off wanting to check out the other entries in the series to see where else the Skylark brings us.
Having read a lot of pre-Golden-Age scifi, I can honestly say that Doc Smith had a truly original vision when he was writing this story, because there really was very little out there in the literary world like "Skylark" in which to emulate. Sure, there were some stories and novels involving space travel, but these tended to be as speculative as possible on what real technology could achieve, and so were grounded in as much reality as they could be for the time. But nothing took on the sense of wonder and endless adventurous possibilities of space exploration like "Skylark." This nicely took on a less weighty, less philosophical, and less prophetic tone than its contemporaries and gave readers a sense of optimism, humor, and excitement, setting the tone for early superhero comic writing. To give you an idea of how groundbreaking it was, "Skylark" was released in the same magazine in which the first Buck Rogers story appeared, but Buck (then called Anthony) was not flying around space at that time, being solely in a story grounded on Earth and fighting Mongolians. "Skylark," on the other hand, was taking the reader to distant planets and meeting alien civilizations.
This being said, "Skylark" will likely unpleasantly surprise and disappoint many readers. The many negative to mediocre reviews about this book out there on the Internet is a testament to the fact that the writing found here is quite juvenile and clunky. I do take issue with some criticism of the book having too many dated idioms and much early 20th century slang. So what? Is Shakespeare irrelevant because of the archaic language? Not that Doc Smith is Shakespeare by any stretch. The Doc's prose is purely pedestrian and functional, as well as amateurish. But the "old-fashioned" language certainly helps immerse me in a different world and a different time as would any good historical novel set during this American era.
The dated bits of the book that actually were more cringy for me were things like the portrayal of the faithful Japanese servant who speaks in broken English and of course knows martial arts. And the kidnapped women who kind of think their kidnapper is hot for being such a manly brute. But such were the times, and we can't and shouldn't erase it or even judge by our modern sensibilities, only appreciate where we come from and how far we've gone.
But nonetheless, the writing does bring the rating down significantly from an otherwise fun and imaginative adventure that is an important slice of literary history. It did not put me off wanting to check out the other entries in the series to see where else the Skylark brings us.
August 14, 2011
Curiously, my 1946 edition contains a foreword, an explanation that the author is aware that his extrapolations to physics may be unsound. And later is a conversion table from Osnomian time units to Earthly units.
The Skylark series is pure escalation. Each book is a neat obsolesence of the previous, where a new threat appears that is an entire order of magnitude greater, that requires the development of an entirely new field of science building upon the last, that results in a technological and engineering achievement entirely beyond what previously existed, and which wipes out that threat. It's the pure daydreams of a frustrated engineer: problems will be solved by the straightforward application of brain energy and inspiration, and the muddle that is the business world and government will be cut through by hard-talking men who Can Get Things Done. And here, the smart guys are the ones who discover the alien culture of sexy nudists who want their 'genetic samples'. Character development and post-1960s gender politics need not apply.
The Skylark series is pure escalation. Each book is a neat obsolesence of the previous, where a new threat appears that is an entire order of magnitude greater, that requires the development of an entirely new field of science building upon the last, that results in a technological and engineering achievement entirely beyond what previously existed, and which wipes out that threat. It's the pure daydreams of a frustrated engineer: problems will be solved by the straightforward application of brain energy and inspiration, and the muddle that is the business world and government will be cut through by hard-talking men who Can Get Things Done. And here, the smart guys are the ones who discover the alien culture of sexy nudists who want their 'genetic samples'. Character development and post-1960s gender politics need not apply.
September 24, 2015
The Skylark of Space was first publish as a serial in Amazing Stories in 1928. It was published in book form in 1946. I heard an audiobook version that I'm sure must have been based on the 1946 edition. And I think it must have been edited to update it because I found a number of references that seemed unlikely in a 1928 science fiction story that wasn't set in the future. There were mentions of: atomic bombs, fusion, fission, radiation; a TV station; helicopters; supersonic planes; night glasses; guided missiles.
Frederick Pohl compared its influence to that of the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. I would compare it in style more to Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars. It's been called the seminal space opera. Isaac Asimov wrote that "It had adventure of an unprecedented kind ... the first great 'classic' of American science fiction", but "As literature, it was a total flop." This story is definitely pulp – its a little silly, a little outlandish – but it's fun.
Frederick Pohl compared its influence to that of the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. I would compare it in style more to Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars. It's been called the seminal space opera. Isaac Asimov wrote that "It had adventure of an unprecedented kind ... the first great 'classic' of American science fiction", but "As literature, it was a total flop." This story is definitely pulp – its a little silly, a little outlandish – but it's fun.
April 5, 2013
The grandest space opera in the entire genre of one man against the universe: in which the hero Dick Seaton and his side-kick Martin Crane employ a newly discovered inertialess drive and set out in pursuit of the series' villain (and its ultimate savior) 'Blackie' DuQuesne who has stolen the secret and kidnapped Seaton's girlfriend.
Over the course of four novels, Seaton and Crane use their inspired intellects and numerous alien artifices to overcome the various opponents and complications they encounter, always in pursuit of their nemesis, 'Blackie' DuQuesne, equally determined and intelligent and almost a force of nature in his own right.
Over the course of four novels, Seaton and Crane use their inspired intellects and numerous alien artifices to overcome the various opponents and complications they encounter, always in pursuit of their nemesis, 'Blackie' DuQuesne, equally determined and intelligent and almost a force of nature in his own right.
July 4, 2015
I'm listening to Uvula Audio's fine reading as this comes out in weekly installments.
Still not a fan of E.E. Doc Smith. However, I AM a fan of Uvula Audio so I'm not sorry for taking the time to listen to the book.
Still not a fan of E.E. Doc Smith. However, I AM a fan of Uvula Audio so I'm not sorry for taking the time to listen to the book.
April 7, 2021
I read the eBook of this one, and it was from the original publication version, but the paper edition from the library was a later revision published in 1958. I discovered this when my daughter had tried the Audible version and found it was different than the eBook she had downloaded, so I went looking around. The general story was the same, as far as I can tell, but some of the details were changed - on the very first page, where the 1928 had a "colored laboratory helper" who says "Doctah" the revision changes it to just a "laboratory helper" using the proper "Doctor." In the original he only uses only the power of his mind to figure out what happened with the tray, but the revision has him testing things out.
Anyway, back to the book. I rather enjoyed it. Was it dated? Sure. Was much of the science laughable? Again, sure. Was the treatment of women problematic? Absolutely. But like so much fiction, if one makes allowances for the time in which it was written, and not judge by current standards and knowledge, a story like this you can just take as it comes, and it provides a pretty good ride.
Anyway, back to the book. I rather enjoyed it. Was it dated? Sure. Was much of the science laughable? Again, sure. Was the treatment of women problematic? Absolutely. But like so much fiction, if one makes allowances for the time in which it was written, and not judge by current standards and knowledge, a story like this you can just take as it comes, and it provides a pretty good ride.
July 26, 2021
Just terrible. Abysmal writing on almost all levels (style, plot, action, romance), possibly enjoyed by 9 year old boys in the 1930's but not recommended for anyone else. 1.5 stars, but adding half a star for the sci-fi ideas ("intra-atomic" unlimited power, space flight, "object compasses" and the "attractor") and half a star for unintentional comedy value (i.e. so-bad-it's-good effect), so 2.5 stars overall but rounding back down.
Read
February 18, 2024What the heck?
June 7, 2023
Was a but slow paced especially getting to space but pretty cool for its time!
January 31, 2022
I didn't expect much, but these old stories sometimes provide interesting insight into the background culture; my lack of expectations were amply fulfilled!
I know this is going to generate a lot of controversy and a lot of hate, but honestly, the whole thing felt to me very like Ayn Rand. What I mean by that, specifically, is
- the prose style. There's a place for just telling a story with no flourishes in the language, but it's a style that can definitely be taken too far. Why is it even more grating here (or in Rand) than in, say, Asimov or Heinlein or Clark, all three of them not especially acclaimed stylists? I wish I could say but I can't quite put my finger on it.
- the characters in both cases are melodramatic prototypes, perfectly evil or perfectly good, perfectly competent or perfectly incompetent.
- both seem stuck with this late 20's through late 40's view of women, very much "His Girl Friday" in style, language, and behavior.
- (most importantly) both seem to have this cartoon view of business, government, and society; a noir world in which business people routinely kill off competitors with zero government interference; in which there is zero pushback by society against monopolies; in which businesses exist not as mechanisms by which thousands to millions of people can co-ordinate their ideas but as mechanisms by which a few supermen can carry out their visions with minimal help by the rest of society.
One of the more interesting consequences of WW2 was the development of nuclear weapons as a government monopoly (followed by the development of rocketry, at least till very recently, in the same way). It's only when you read these pre-WW2 stories that you see what a change that was, how the expectation within the US framework was that everything from nuclear power to first flight to Mars would be done privately (and, of course, by a team of three leaders with fifteen junior helpers!)
Do we still have this level of delusion about how society works? I think absolutely yes. Sure the Ayn Rand/EE Smith level of delusion about companies as routinely solving their problems via burglary, kidnapping and murder is equivalent to about Pizzagate and QAnon (so that fraction of society). But beyond that I think a more widespread delusion about how society/government/industry works is what I call the "Mad Max delusion".
Suppose society collapses. How many days of gasoline are stored in the US? The EIA actually tracks this, and at any given time the answer is about 30 days (sometimes as low as 20, sometimes as high as 40). Apart from that, gasoline has a limited shelf life of less than a year. Yet in Mad Max civilization has been dead for years, yet there is apparently an endless supply of new gasoline stores (not to mention cars and car parts) to find. Mad Max only makes sense in a world where you *do not understand what the collapse of civilization means*, you just assume that gasoline is produced naturally the same way cows produce milk and trees produce leaves.
I think a good comparison novel to Skylark (and for that matter Ayn Rand) is Neal Stephenson's _Terminal Shock_. There is as a starting point the basic trope of "crazy billionaire singlehandedly decides to do something that will change the world" but it's done in a context that at least pays lip service to actual reality, from the number and variety of people required for the project, to the variety of obstacles along the way (different governments with different agendas, not to mention different factions of society), to appreciating that billionaires and their corporations may play fast and loose with regulation, but they don't deliberately break laws (even just things like pollution controls and FAA regulations) let alone solve their problems with hit squads!
I know this is going to generate a lot of controversy and a lot of hate, but honestly, the whole thing felt to me very like Ayn Rand. What I mean by that, specifically, is
- the prose style. There's a place for just telling a story with no flourishes in the language, but it's a style that can definitely be taken too far. Why is it even more grating here (or in Rand) than in, say, Asimov or Heinlein or Clark, all three of them not especially acclaimed stylists? I wish I could say but I can't quite put my finger on it.
- the characters in both cases are melodramatic prototypes, perfectly evil or perfectly good, perfectly competent or perfectly incompetent.
- both seem stuck with this late 20's through late 40's view of women, very much "His Girl Friday" in style, language, and behavior.
- (most importantly) both seem to have this cartoon view of business, government, and society; a noir world in which business people routinely kill off competitors with zero government interference; in which there is zero pushback by society against monopolies; in which businesses exist not as mechanisms by which thousands to millions of people can co-ordinate their ideas but as mechanisms by which a few supermen can carry out their visions with minimal help by the rest of society.
One of the more interesting consequences of WW2 was the development of nuclear weapons as a government monopoly (followed by the development of rocketry, at least till very recently, in the same way). It's only when you read these pre-WW2 stories that you see what a change that was, how the expectation within the US framework was that everything from nuclear power to first flight to Mars would be done privately (and, of course, by a team of three leaders with fifteen junior helpers!)
Do we still have this level of delusion about how society works? I think absolutely yes. Sure the Ayn Rand/EE Smith level of delusion about companies as routinely solving their problems via burglary, kidnapping and murder is equivalent to about Pizzagate and QAnon (so that fraction of society). But beyond that I think a more widespread delusion about how society/government/industry works is what I call the "Mad Max delusion".
Suppose society collapses. How many days of gasoline are stored in the US? The EIA actually tracks this, and at any given time the answer is about 30 days (sometimes as low as 20, sometimes as high as 40). Apart from that, gasoline has a limited shelf life of less than a year. Yet in Mad Max civilization has been dead for years, yet there is apparently an endless supply of new gasoline stores (not to mention cars and car parts) to find. Mad Max only makes sense in a world where you *do not understand what the collapse of civilization means*, you just assume that gasoline is produced naturally the same way cows produce milk and trees produce leaves.
I think a good comparison novel to Skylark (and for that matter Ayn Rand) is Neal Stephenson's _Terminal Shock_. There is as a starting point the basic trope of "crazy billionaire singlehandedly decides to do something that will change the world" but it's done in a context that at least pays lip service to actual reality, from the number and variety of people required for the project, to the variety of obstacles along the way (different governments with different agendas, not to mention different factions of society), to appreciating that billionaires and their corporations may play fast and loose with regulation, but they don't deliberately break laws (even just things like pollution controls and FAA regulations) let alone solve their problems with hit squads!
September 30, 2023
review of
E. E. “Doc” Smith’s The Skylark of Space
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - September 29, 2023
For no particularly good reason that I can remember I never had much interest in E. E. “Doc” Smith. Maybe it seemed to me that he was one of those hack SF writers who wrote cheesy stuff that I wdn’t find any important ideas or visions in. THEN, I read Lee Server’s entry about him in Encyclopedia of Pulp Fiction Writers & I got more interested in him b/c he’s credited as the 1st space opera writer. Now, I don’t even have any enthusiasm for space opera either given that it really isn’t removed enuf from soap opera. In other words, once again, cheesy - but Server’s enthusiasm prompted me to get this, the 1st bk of the 1st of the space opera serials. I pretty much liked the 1st half of this. Early on, the protagonist is one I’m sympathetic to:
“Each taste of knowledge whetted his appretite for more. Books! Books! More and more he devoured them; finding in them meat for the hunger that filled him, answers to the questions that haunted him.” - p 10
Later on, there’s a rich guy w/ an Asian manservant, something that strikes me as a staple of early 20th century American literature. To quote from my recent review of
Achmed Abdullah's The Bungalow on the Roof:
“What is it about early 20th century white mystery writers that compelled them so to have the protagonist employ a fiercely loyal Chinese manservant willing to kill for him?
“”Mongol, too, in his virtues; chiefly in his steely loyalty.
“””Ain't no damn thing I wouldn't do for ye!" he would often tell Elliot in his Bowery English, curiously flavored with Chinese sing-song. "Betcha life!"
“”He would add, rather ceremoniously, in stilted Cantonese:
““”I lou fou sing—may the star of good fortune protect you!"" - p 79”
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit...
Back to The Skylark of Space:
“The door was opened hastily by Crane��s Japanese servant, whose face lit up on seeing the visitor.
“”Hello, Shiro. Is the honorable son of Heaven up yet?”
“”Yes, sir, but he is at present in his bath.”
“”Tell him to snap it up, please. Tell him I’ve got a thing on the fire that’ll break him right off at the ankles.”
“Bowing the guest to a chair in the library, Shiro hurried away. Returning shortly, he placed before Seaton the Post, the Herald, and a jar of Seaton’s favorite brand of tobacco, and said, with his unfailing bow, “Mr. Crane will appear in less than one moment, sir.”” - p 15
At 1st, I was relieved that the Japanese manservant wasn’t presented as speaking in stereotypical fractured English. Alas, it’s not much later when Shiro no longer evidences standard English grammar.
“Shiro broke the tension by bowing until his head almost touched the floor. “Sirs and lady, I impel myself to state this to be wonder extreme. If permitting I shall delightful luxuriate in preparation suitable refreshment.”” - p 49
Otherwise, one of the things in favor of this bk from my POV is Smith’s use of vernacular:
“Dorothy said, “I skipped practice today, Dick, on account of traipsing out there after you two geniuses. Could you stand it to have me play at you for a half an hour?”
“”Don’t fish, Dottie Dimple. You know there’s nothing I’d like better. But if you want me to beg you I’ll be glad to. Please—PUH-LEEZE—oh, fair and musicianly damsel, fill ye circumambient atmosphere with thy tuneful notes.”” - p 28
Well, ok, “vernacular” isn’t completely accurate - perhaps “playful vernacular” wd be better.
Earlier 20th century SF has details that wdn’t fly once the SF writers started taking themselves more seriously.
“He lit a cigarette and sat at ease at the computer. He sat there, smoking and computing, for over an hour. He then changed, very slightly, the angle of the engine.” - p 68
The thing is, he’s in a spacecraft where the air is recycled. Um, won’t that pollute it? & what about the word “computer”? I was under the impression that didn’t exist yet.
Still in the spacecraft,
“Dorothy, Peggy and Crane were at breakfast; Seaton joined them. They ate the gayest, most carefree meal they had had since leaving earth. Some of the worst bruises still showed a little, but under the influence of the potent if painful amylophene, all soreness, stiffness, and pain had disappeared.” - p 82
Amylophene is mentioned more than once. Was it a new ‘wonder drug’ in 1928 when the bk was written? As far as I can tell, it’s a fictional invention of Smith’s.
Our astronauts reach another planet in their quest to get the copper they need to return to earth.
“They descended rapidly, over a large city set in the middle of a vast, level, beautifully planted plain. As they watched, the city vanished and became a mountain summit, with valleys falling away on all sides as far as the eye could reach.
“”Huh! I never saw a mirage like that before!” Seaton exclaimed. “But we’ll land if we have to swim!”
“The ship landed gently upon the summitt, its occupants more than half expecting the mountain to disappear beneath them. Nothing happened, however, and the five clustered in the lock, wondering whether or not to disembark. They could see no sign of life; but each felt the presence of a vast, invisible something.
“Suddenly a man materialized in the air before them; a man identical with Seaton in every detail, down to the smudge of grease under one eye and the exact design of his Hawaiian sport shirt.” - p 89
Of course, this being from the era it’s from, I didn’t expect realism - but cigarettes & Hawaiian shirts? So, you see, the bk starts deteriorating after the space opera starts kicking in w/ the romance & the monsters & the speaking in English & all the rest.
“The monster started darting away from something, which the observers in the Skylark saw for the fist time—a fleet of small airships in full flight away from the scene of battle. Fast as they were, the animal was covering three miles to their one.
“”We can’t stand for anything like that!” Seaton cried, as he threw on power and the Skylark leaped ahead. “When I yank him away, Mart, sock him with a Mark Ten!”” - p 96
Having just landed on a planet new to them, they see what appears to be a conflict between powerful non-humanoids & apparent humanoid ships. ‘Naturally’, they immediately take the side of the apparent humanoids, despite not really having any idea of what’s going on, & slaughter the non-humanoids. I don’t think many SF writers these days wd go for something so simple-minded. As they spend more time on the planet, they learn about religion there.
“”As well as I can explain it, it’s a very peculiar mixture, partly theology, partly Darwinian evolution or its Osnomian equivalent, and partly pure pragmatism or economic determinism. They believe in a supreme being, the First Cause being its nearest English equivalent. They recognize the existence of an immortal and unknowable life-principle, or soul. They believe that the First Cause has laid down the survival of the fittest as the fundamental law, which belief accounts for their perfect physiques. . . .”
“”Perfect physiques! Why, they’re as weak as children!” Dorothy exclaimed.
“”That’s because of the low gravity,” Seaton explained.” - p 126
The 2 couples get married w/ alotof hoopla on one the planets where they’re being hosted. This was where the novel deteriorated into romance a bit too much for my liking.
“The men heard, or rather felt, a low intense vibration, like a silent wave of sound, a vibration which smote upon the eardrums as no possible sound could smite, a vibration that racked the joints and turtured the nerves as though the whole body were being disintegrated. So sudden and terrible was the effect that Seaton uttered an involuntary yelp of surprise and pain as he once more fled to the safety of space.
“”What the devil was that?” DuQuesne demanded. “Can they generate and project infra-sound?”” - p 149
NOW, that’s one of the more precocious parts of the novel from my POV. I didn’t learn about infrasound until I read something by William S. Burroughs about it. That wd’ve been in the ’70s. Then, in the early ‘80s, I met the wife of a British infrasound researcher. He’d locked in her in a small room & subjected her to infrasound before he let her out again. They got divorced. SO, mention of infrasound in 1928 makes it seem that Smith must’ve been on top of the technology of the time.
All, in all, this bk was ok. I’m not in any hurry to read anything else by him again but I’m not totally against it.
E. E. “Doc” Smith’s The Skylark of Space
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - September 29, 2023
For no particularly good reason that I can remember I never had much interest in E. E. “Doc” Smith. Maybe it seemed to me that he was one of those hack SF writers who wrote cheesy stuff that I wdn’t find any important ideas or visions in. THEN, I read Lee Server’s entry about him in Encyclopedia of Pulp Fiction Writers & I got more interested in him b/c he’s credited as the 1st space opera writer. Now, I don’t even have any enthusiasm for space opera either given that it really isn’t removed enuf from soap opera. In other words, once again, cheesy - but Server’s enthusiasm prompted me to get this, the 1st bk of the 1st of the space opera serials. I pretty much liked the 1st half of this. Early on, the protagonist is one I’m sympathetic to:
“Each taste of knowledge whetted his appretite for more. Books! Books! More and more he devoured them; finding in them meat for the hunger that filled him, answers to the questions that haunted him.” - p 10
Later on, there’s a rich guy w/ an Asian manservant, something that strikes me as a staple of early 20th century American literature. To quote from my recent review of
Achmed Abdullah's The Bungalow on the Roof:
“What is it about early 20th century white mystery writers that compelled them so to have the protagonist employ a fiercely loyal Chinese manservant willing to kill for him?
“”Mongol, too, in his virtues; chiefly in his steely loyalty.
“””Ain't no damn thing I wouldn't do for ye!" he would often tell Elliot in his Bowery English, curiously flavored with Chinese sing-song. "Betcha life!"
“”He would add, rather ceremoniously, in stilted Cantonese:
““”I lou fou sing—may the star of good fortune protect you!"" - p 79”
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit...
Back to The Skylark of Space:
“The door was opened hastily by Crane��s Japanese servant, whose face lit up on seeing the visitor.
“”Hello, Shiro. Is the honorable son of Heaven up yet?”
“”Yes, sir, but he is at present in his bath.”
“”Tell him to snap it up, please. Tell him I’ve got a thing on the fire that’ll break him right off at the ankles.”
“Bowing the guest to a chair in the library, Shiro hurried away. Returning shortly, he placed before Seaton the Post, the Herald, and a jar of Seaton’s favorite brand of tobacco, and said, with his unfailing bow, “Mr. Crane will appear in less than one moment, sir.”” - p 15
At 1st, I was relieved that the Japanese manservant wasn’t presented as speaking in stereotypical fractured English. Alas, it’s not much later when Shiro no longer evidences standard English grammar.
“Shiro broke the tension by bowing until his head almost touched the floor. “Sirs and lady, I impel myself to state this to be wonder extreme. If permitting I shall delightful luxuriate in preparation suitable refreshment.”” - p 49
Otherwise, one of the things in favor of this bk from my POV is Smith’s use of vernacular:
“Dorothy said, “I skipped practice today, Dick, on account of traipsing out there after you two geniuses. Could you stand it to have me play at you for a half an hour?”
“”Don’t fish, Dottie Dimple. You know there’s nothing I’d like better. But if you want me to beg you I’ll be glad to. Please—PUH-LEEZE—oh, fair and musicianly damsel, fill ye circumambient atmosphere with thy tuneful notes.”” - p 28
Well, ok, “vernacular” isn’t completely accurate - perhaps “playful vernacular” wd be better.
Earlier 20th century SF has details that wdn’t fly once the SF writers started taking themselves more seriously.
“He lit a cigarette and sat at ease at the computer. He sat there, smoking and computing, for over an hour. He then changed, very slightly, the angle of the engine.” - p 68
The thing is, he’s in a spacecraft where the air is recycled. Um, won’t that pollute it? & what about the word “computer”? I was under the impression that didn’t exist yet.
Still in the spacecraft,
“Dorothy, Peggy and Crane were at breakfast; Seaton joined them. They ate the gayest, most carefree meal they had had since leaving earth. Some of the worst bruises still showed a little, but under the influence of the potent if painful amylophene, all soreness, stiffness, and pain had disappeared.” - p 82
Amylophene is mentioned more than once. Was it a new ‘wonder drug’ in 1928 when the bk was written? As far as I can tell, it’s a fictional invention of Smith’s.
Our astronauts reach another planet in their quest to get the copper they need to return to earth.
“They descended rapidly, over a large city set in the middle of a vast, level, beautifully planted plain. As they watched, the city vanished and became a mountain summit, with valleys falling away on all sides as far as the eye could reach.
“”Huh! I never saw a mirage like that before!” Seaton exclaimed. “But we’ll land if we have to swim!”
“The ship landed gently upon the summitt, its occupants more than half expecting the mountain to disappear beneath them. Nothing happened, however, and the five clustered in the lock, wondering whether or not to disembark. They could see no sign of life; but each felt the presence of a vast, invisible something.
“Suddenly a man materialized in the air before them; a man identical with Seaton in every detail, down to the smudge of grease under one eye and the exact design of his Hawaiian sport shirt.” - p 89
Of course, this being from the era it’s from, I didn’t expect realism - but cigarettes & Hawaiian shirts? So, you see, the bk starts deteriorating after the space opera starts kicking in w/ the romance & the monsters & the speaking in English & all the rest.
“The monster started darting away from something, which the observers in the Skylark saw for the fist time—a fleet of small airships in full flight away from the scene of battle. Fast as they were, the animal was covering three miles to their one.
“”We can’t stand for anything like that!” Seaton cried, as he threw on power and the Skylark leaped ahead. “When I yank him away, Mart, sock him with a Mark Ten!”” - p 96
Having just landed on a planet new to them, they see what appears to be a conflict between powerful non-humanoids & apparent humanoid ships. ‘Naturally’, they immediately take the side of the apparent humanoids, despite not really having any idea of what’s going on, & slaughter the non-humanoids. I don’t think many SF writers these days wd go for something so simple-minded. As they spend more time on the planet, they learn about religion there.
“”As well as I can explain it, it’s a very peculiar mixture, partly theology, partly Darwinian evolution or its Osnomian equivalent, and partly pure pragmatism or economic determinism. They believe in a supreme being, the First Cause being its nearest English equivalent. They recognize the existence of an immortal and unknowable life-principle, or soul. They believe that the First Cause has laid down the survival of the fittest as the fundamental law, which belief accounts for their perfect physiques. . . .”
“”Perfect physiques! Why, they’re as weak as children!” Dorothy exclaimed.
“”That’s because of the low gravity,” Seaton explained.” - p 126
The 2 couples get married w/ alotof hoopla on one the planets where they’re being hosted. This was where the novel deteriorated into romance a bit too much for my liking.
“The men heard, or rather felt, a low intense vibration, like a silent wave of sound, a vibration which smote upon the eardrums as no possible sound could smite, a vibration that racked the joints and turtured the nerves as though the whole body were being disintegrated. So sudden and terrible was the effect that Seaton uttered an involuntary yelp of surprise and pain as he once more fled to the safety of space.
“”What the devil was that?” DuQuesne demanded. “Can they generate and project infra-sound?”” - p 149
NOW, that’s one of the more precocious parts of the novel from my POV. I didn’t learn about infrasound until I read something by William S. Burroughs about it. That wd’ve been in the ’70s. Then, in the early ‘80s, I met the wife of a British infrasound researcher. He’d locked in her in a small room & subjected her to infrasound before he let her out again. They got divorced. SO, mention of infrasound in 1928 makes it seem that Smith must’ve been on top of the technology of the time.
All, in all, this bk was ok. I’m not in any hurry to read anything else by him again but I’m not totally against it.
December 22, 2011
After reading 'Skylark' there is little doubt in my mind that this is one of the two most influential science fiction books of the 20th century (the other being Olaf Stapledon's 'Last and First Men' (1930)).
To enjoy this book, first conceived by the author in 1915, you need to set aside modern social sensibilities, and be forgiving with regard to the science. It must also be said that the writing lacks sophistication. It's raw pulp adventure with impossibly perfect heroes, beautiful but gutsy heroines, and despicably evil villains and very little in the way of moral ambiguity; and plenty of ill-disguised sermonising by the author.
At the same time there are some tremendous leaps of imagination going on here, and it is well to keep reminding yourself as you read that the author dreamt all this up before the close of WWI, let alone the invention of atomic power and weaponry. For this reason, I give the book its five stars, despite the pulpy nature of the writing - for being ahead of its time, and for its influential nature. As I turned the pages I frequently encountered ideas and scenes that would be re-presented decades later in the golden age of science fiction.
Just as Stapledon was clearly a profound influence on the writings of the more cerebral strand of science fiction authors like Arthur C Clarke and Doris Lessing, so 'Doc' Smith's influence on more gutsy writers like Heinlein can be recognised as soon as you read 'Skylark'. (Not that Heinlein was a dummy, mind you - he just looks like one when you stand him next to Stapledon....I digress.).
In short - read it, it's a fun, ripping rompy yarn, but with some breathtaking leaps of scientific imagination (for its time) thrown in.
(Might want to keep a bucket handy for the sickly love scenes though!)
To enjoy this book, first conceived by the author in 1915, you need to set aside modern social sensibilities, and be forgiving with regard to the science. It must also be said that the writing lacks sophistication. It's raw pulp adventure with impossibly perfect heroes, beautiful but gutsy heroines, and despicably evil villains and very little in the way of moral ambiguity; and plenty of ill-disguised sermonising by the author.
At the same time there are some tremendous leaps of imagination going on here, and it is well to keep reminding yourself as you read that the author dreamt all this up before the close of WWI, let alone the invention of atomic power and weaponry. For this reason, I give the book its five stars, despite the pulpy nature of the writing - for being ahead of its time, and for its influential nature. As I turned the pages I frequently encountered ideas and scenes that would be re-presented decades later in the golden age of science fiction.
Just as Stapledon was clearly a profound influence on the writings of the more cerebral strand of science fiction authors like Arthur C Clarke and Doris Lessing, so 'Doc' Smith's influence on more gutsy writers like Heinlein can be recognised as soon as you read 'Skylark'. (Not that Heinlein was a dummy, mind you - he just looks like one when you stand him next to Stapledon....I digress.).
In short - read it, it's a fun, ripping rompy yarn, but with some breathtaking leaps of scientific imagination (for its time) thrown in.
(Might want to keep a bucket handy for the sickly love scenes though!)
October 2, 2023
I listened to this from Librivox while commuting back and forth from work. The narrator was not great. His reading was stiff and I didn't care for how he pronounced some words. That said, it wasn't hard to get used to and he conveyed the story well enough.
First off, this is apparently the very first "space opera" and written while Elmer Smith was working on his doctorate between 1915 and 1922. That's a book that was started over 100 years before I listened to it. The portrayals of women and minorities is cringeworthy now, but I can acknowledge the wrongs as I see them and move on.
Dr. Richard Seaton discovers X, an unknown element that when combined with copper produces staggering amounts of energy. With this friend, Martin Crane (a millionaire and engineer), they build a spaceship. Against them is an evil corporation that partners with a scientist named Marc, "Blackie" Duquesne. DuQuesne is a match for Seaton. Brilliant, athletic and capable, but DuQuesne is out for himself and is willing to be totally ruthless, while also being a gentleman. He's basically Flash Gordon with Dr. Zharkov's intelligence. (FYI: Flash Gordon came out in 1934)
DuQuesne builds his own ship and kidnaps Dorothy, Seaton's fiancee. During a struggle on his ship, a lever is thrown hurling them to floor with the heavy G's. Seaton and Crane set out after them and all manner of adventures take place on strange new worlds.
I found the story a lot of fun and truly appreciated how ground-breaking it was. DuQuesne might be the best villain I've read in a long while. I'm listening to the second book now and also enjoying it.
First off, this is apparently the very first "space opera" and written while Elmer Smith was working on his doctorate between 1915 and 1922. That's a book that was started over 100 years before I listened to it. The portrayals of women and minorities is cringeworthy now, but I can acknowledge the wrongs as I see them and move on.
Dr. Richard Seaton discovers X, an unknown element that when combined with copper produces staggering amounts of energy. With this friend, Martin Crane (a millionaire and engineer), they build a spaceship. Against them is an evil corporation that partners with a scientist named Marc, "Blackie" Duquesne. DuQuesne is a match for Seaton. Brilliant, athletic and capable, but DuQuesne is out for himself and is willing to be totally ruthless, while also being a gentleman. He's basically Flash Gordon with Dr. Zharkov's intelligence. (FYI: Flash Gordon came out in 1934)
DuQuesne builds his own ship and kidnaps Dorothy, Seaton's fiancee. During a struggle on his ship, a lever is thrown hurling them to floor with the heavy G's. Seaton and Crane set out after them and all manner of adventures take place on strange new worlds.
I found the story a lot of fun and truly appreciated how ground-breaking it was. DuQuesne might be the best villain I've read in a long while. I'm listening to the second book now and also enjoying it.
November 28, 2017
La prima parte (primo romanzo del ciclo) è molto interessante: anche se è una fantascienza degli anni '30 piuttosto ingenua (basta vedere come ogni problema si risolve subito con una nuova e veloce invenzione dello scienziato Seaton, dalla costruzione di una nave spaziale capace di arrivare in un altro sistema solare in brevissimo tempo ad altri ritrovati quasi magici) è però godibile come avventura spaziale, per i contatti con le altre razze aliene, le guerre e i patti di amicizia, non per niente Smith è considerato il creatore della space opera; importanti anche le figure femminili che giocano la loro parte e l'amore che sboccia fra le due coppie di protagonisti (forse grazie al fatto che le parti romantiche sono state scritte da una donna, Lee Hawkins Garby moglie di Carl D. Garby amico di E.E.Smith) dà un tono più umano ad una vicenda intrisa di discorsi scientifici; interessante è ben descritta anche la figura del cattivo DuQuesne e l'intrigo da giallo che lo vede protagonista.
Nella seconda parte (secondo romanzo del ciclo) il racconto diventa più ingegneristico, con la diffusa spiegazione di strumenti e aspetti scientifici che appesantiscono il discorso, per altro incentrato soltanto sulla guerra contro alieni più cattivi, mentre il tema romantico e quello giallo vengono completamente abbandonati, e con loro anche le protagoniste femminili e lo scienziato cattivo, che appaiono solo sullo sfondo.
Nella seconda parte (secondo romanzo del ciclo) il racconto diventa più ingegneristico, con la diffusa spiegazione di strumenti e aspetti scientifici che appesantiscono il discorso, per altro incentrato soltanto sulla guerra contro alieni più cattivi, mentre il tema romantico e quello giallo vengono completamente abbandonati, e con loro anche le protagoniste femminili e lo scienziato cattivo, che appaiono solo sullo sfondo.
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