First Lensman (The Lensman Series, Book 2) (Paperback)

by Edward E. Smith (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
In First Lensman, the second book in the Lensman series, we find the benevolent super beings of Arisia ready to bestow the first "lens" on a human being (which, among other things, will give humans telepathic powers). The honor goes to Virgil Samms, who will ever after be known as the "First Lensman." But it's a title that he'll have to earn by establishing the Galactic Patrol, a group that is at once powerful and incorruptible, and will protect the universe from the evil and almost-unstoppable Eddorians. If that weren't tough enough, Samms must also dodge assassination attempts at home and help his second in command Rod "The Rock" Kinnison win the presidency of North America. And that's just the beginning of his troubles.

Review
HUGO Finalist for all-time Best Science Fiction Series. -- Science Fiction Digest --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Old Earth Books (December 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1882968107
• ISBN-13: 978-1882968107
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #657,661 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The beginning of an empire..., October 15, 1999

By	Michael Salsbury (Columbus, Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews

This book chronicles the founding of the Galactic Patrol, and sets the stage for the Lensman books to follow. I read it because of Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski's strong recommendation, and have not been disappointed. In fact, Babylon 5 fans will see a lot of parallels between B5 and the Lensman series. About the only criticism I can think of for Smith's work is that his books move along at a comfortable pace until the last couple of chapters, when the action starts happening at "light-speed". It always leaves me feeling like I've been waiting a long time for the ending and it's over almost before I can enjoy it. But that's a minor criticism, and it hasn't stopped me from reading the rest of this fascinating series of books!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If only I were reading it for the first time.., July 30, 2002

By A Customer

I was a little kid when I read this book, but seeing it again reminded me of what a great series it is part of. It was all created by Edward E. "Doc" Smith, Ph.D. Sure the book is dated but it was written in the 1940s and that was almost a different world than the one that came to be. Example: amid all the super-advanced technology, computers don't play a role. The illustrations (great ones by A.J. Donnell, by the way) show hats and haircuts and aerodynamic spaceships you won't see outside of a classic film festival. Sure you can kick some holes in the plot and none of the book is politically correct, but wow it is fun!

Your first time with the Lensman books is something you won't forget. Go get them and enjoy! And how I wish I could read them all again for the first time, learning about Arisia, evil Eddore and the Lens of Civilization. It was just plain fun.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A series all true SF fans MUST read, December 6, 2001

By	Richard C. Drew "That which does not kill us ... (Oak Lawn, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Space opera as an art form from the golden age of SF. E.E.Doc Smith (a Dr. of nutrition of all things!) wrote one of the best (if somewhat dated) SF series. The Lensman spawned cartoons, comics, and a second, much lamer, series (not by Smith.) This is the ultimate battle between good and evil, dark and light, spanning time and space. Corny - you bet. Unforgetable? Yep. If you like SF (and you must, otherwise you would not be here, right?) then read this series. It was out of print for many years - now it's back. Grab it while you can!