37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A gen-X perspective, June 21, 2002
This review is from: The Skylark of Space (Bison Frontiers of Imagination) (Paperback)
I'm guessing a lot of folks who've reviewed these books experienced them in the original printings, prior to Star Wars and the mass-popularization of space opera. I didn't- I "discovered" Doc in the late-80's as a teenager, and have become a huge fan. But heed the warnings of "camp" and "cheese": if there were an MST3K of books, his would be regular fodder. The gender stereotypes and roles as well as the frequent commission (and implicit condonement) of genocide by the heroes in particular are very hard to get past for a modern reader. Character development is non-existant (all protagonists are basically Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts), dialogue is awkward and unbelievably cheesy, genocide is repeatedly condoned, and the fact that the books were originally written as serials is painfully evident (almost every chapter ends with a CLIFFHANGER!). If you are a conesseur of camp, these books are a *rich* source of material.
But what I love about Doc's books is not rooted in irony: the incredible creativity in visualizing advanced technology, fast-forward and entertaining action plots, and the sheer scale of the "build up" within each book and from one book to another.
Technology: Although very quaint by modern standards (especially in "Skylark of Space"), put in context the creativity Doc displays in envisioning future technology is second to none. Not in terms of "accuracy", but in terms of their self-consistency and imaginativeness. Skylark was written pre-television, pre-laser, pre-NASA, and pre-nuke. What Doc built from that base is incredible, entertaining, and fun, viewed from the perspective that even relativity was a comparatively new theory when it was written (Doc obviously knew about it, and chose to ignore it). In "Skylark of Space", the result is spacesuits made out of leather, descriptions of how the spaceship's hull is fashioned from heavy steel, faster-than-light travel by simple accelertaion, and "energy beams" of different frequencies with different effects. I think Skylark of Space actually remains too tied to the technology of the day, but those shackles are unleashed in Skylark Three (the sequel) and Doc's vision really shines.
"Action": I understand that this book is the origin of spaceships shooting at each other. Doc's battle and action sequences need make no apologies for their age or context. This is why you put up with all the sexist attitudes, the bad speeches and the cheesy exclamation. Unless they are encountering the brief setbacks necessary to create some semblance of dramatic tension, Doc's heros kick so much alien bad guy butt it's amazing.
"Scale": Doc obviously is a big believer in the "orders of magnitude" theory of plot development. The formula is this: at the beginning of the book, the main characters are on top of the world, and their power seems nearly limitless. Then they nearly get their butts kicked by bad-guy aliens who are so much more powerful that the good guys look like gnats. Then the good guys bulk up (in technology, knowledge, etc...) to the point that the bad guys are completely and easily decimated. Repeat as often as necessary. What is amazing and enjoyable is how long Doc can keep this up: by the end of the series, literally whole galaxies are being destroyed. Yes, it's completely implausible, but dammit! It's fun!
Anyway, if you only are going to read one "Skylark" book, I'd actually recommend the sequel: Skylark Three. It's not very hard to get into the plot, and enough trappings of 30's earth technology have fallen away at that point to let Doc's real creativity shine.
In summary: Smith is a must-read for sci-fi buffs. Stick with it, and you will be rewarded. But don't expect any of your friends or family to enjoy it.
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
In The Beginning..., June 20, 2001
This review is from: The Skylark of Space (Bison Frontiers of Imagination) (Paperback)
... There Was Doc Smith. "The Skylark of Space" was first written somewhere around the turn of the century. Some modifications were done to it before its publication in 1928, and in the 1950s Doc did some updating, but the vast majority of the story remains unchanged. "Skylark" was a revolutionary story of its time, featuring super-science, far-ranging adventure (it may be the very first story to take place beyond the bounds of the Solar System), and (for its genre) well-developed characters. Dated in many ways by today's standards, "The Skylark of Space" is still a hell of a yarn, and the spiritual ancestor of every great space adventure written since. Buy it and read it. It's a piece of SF history.
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24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Old-fashioned Space Opera Ever Written, July 17, 1999
This is the original, classic space opera. I read it 30 odd years ago and it was already 30 odd years old! It predates E.E. Smith's better known Lensmen series and in many ways is better. (I don't remember the Lensmen stories but I do remember the Skylark series.) It begins with the classic brilliant, slightly mad scientist, Dick Seaton, except he's young and hunkish with a gorgeous and high-class girlfriend, Dorothy. (Her parents oppose the romance but she's loyal to her Dick.) Enter the brilliant, mad-scientist villain named Blackie. He kidnaps Dorothy. I'm happy to say she tries to kick butt, kicks the instrument panel of the space ship instead and they're off on a grand tour of outer space with our hero in hot pursuit. There's another girl and another guy and the book is climaxed by a double-wedding on an alien planet with an alien race in attendance. Of course Blackie is defeated (but only temporarily so he can show up again in the next book), and they all go home to live happily ever after until the next adventure (which will occur in about 5 minutes,) Yes, it's dated and corny and, if you think about it, extremely silly. My advice is, don't think about it. Just read it and enjoy. This is an excellent book to introduce early teenagers to a sense of wonder and adventure and awe at the vastness and mystery of the universe.
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