***Group Read: The Lensman Series (Spoiler-free)

Some of us would like to read E. E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman series - space opera at it's Golden Age best! Here's the spoiler-free thread.

And for further discussion including spoilers, see http://www.librarything.com/topic/79055. Note: we'll try to keep the spoilers consistent with the reading schedule so future books aren't affected.

I am in - I think I have all the books.

I recently read them so I won't be reading along, but I will be following the thread with interest.

How can I not re-read them for the 7,325th time?

I might it I can find them all. I know I have them but who knows where.

Mine are on the shelf under the S's, and ready to go.

I have long since overrun my shelves (no more wall space) and have heaps, piles, in bureaus, boxes, milk crates, under bed, under tables .......

Well I found 6 of the 7. I haven't found Gray Lensman. But I will keep looking.

When does the reading start ? Are we reading the books in chronological order ?

We start with Triplanetary, on January 2nd (to give the revelers a chance to regroup). Yes, chronological order.

Now, if I only had a Bergenholm, Christmas shopping would go much more quickly............

I am going to see if I can find these books. :)
--BJ

My husband is a great fan of the Lensmen books, so we have the set Chronicles of the Lensmen, but I haven't read them. So... What a great opportunity! I'll read 'em. :)

i should be sticking some of them up on bookmooch later in the year.

do have some of the skylark books there atm

Are people going to be ready to start discussing Triplanetary on Jan. 2, or do you want to start reading then? We could start discussion on the spoiler thread on January 8, in that case. Please weigh in here on your preference--get started on Saturday, or the following Thursday with the discussion.

I am not starting to re-read until tomorrow. So, I would vote for Jan. 8th.

I agree with the January 8th date.

The 8th it is, so I'll see everyone here on Friday to start the discussion.

I know I have a bunch of these, but I'm not sure if Triplanetary is one of them. Hopefully I can track down a copy by the 8th.

Well, make that 7,326 readings. ;-)

Finished Triplanetary and put the review (without spoilers, as always) on my thread and am looking forward to the discussions on Friday.

I'm about halfway through - was planning to finish it today at lunch, but left it at home...8^{

Fortunately I keep a backup book in my truck for just such an emergency!

I finished last night, and am waiting to post my review until after the discussion date, since I do want to incorporate some spoilers.

In preparation for starting discussion on the Lensman series tomorrow, here's a link to the SPOILER thread:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/79055

Wow. I wish I had copies of the Lensmen series. I've not read them in some twenty years. Somehow, I picked up Second Stage Lensman somewhere, but that's the only one I have. I'll have to check the libraries and see if they have 'em. :)

Checked Triplanetary out of the library (the only one they had). Enjoyed it.

Confused, though. The volumeI checked out had two separate books, "Triplanetary" and "Masters of Space". Are they both prequels and normally printed together?

f.

>24 feaelin:: No and no. "Masters of Space" isn't part of the series and I've never seen it published with Triplanetary. Some publisher's idea of a nice omnibus, I guess.

Its probably an old book. The SF publishers used to put out 'Doubles' with 2 books in one. Usually because the earlier stuff was so short.

That explains it then. I couldn't seem to make it fit in my picture of things. :)

Just read online that it was a novel begun by E. Everett Evans and finished by Doc smith.

If someone doesn't have access to Triplanetary in book form, Project Gutenberg has it:

http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/20782

Just a quick note on the Project Gutenberg version - this is the serialized version originally published in the 1930s. After writing the core of the Lensman series (which we don't get to until Galactic Patrol!), Doc went back and revised this serialized novel to bring it into the Lensman universe and also wrote First Lensman to flesh out the Lensman story. The core of Triplanetary is here, but the first few sections giving the history of the Arisia/Eddore conflict aren't in here, neither are a few later passages relating to the conflict embedded in the text.

It's still a decent way to get most of the story, though!

The Cosmos version of Triplanetary that is a double with Masters of Space is the stand alone version, not the rewritten Lensman version. The blurb on the back cover talks about the Lensman version, so a little misrepresentation there.

A reminder that book 2 of the series is coming up. Tomorrow is the 1st (can you believe it?) and we will start discussion on the spoiler thread on Sunday the 7th. Join us for First Lensman. This was actually the last book in the six book series to be written. The next book, Galactic Patrol, was the first book written.

Notice: Discussion of Book 3 in the Lensman series starts this Sunday, March 7. Time to start Galactic Patrol, actually the first real book of the series. See what you think!

Discussion of Gray Lensman is open today at

http://www.librarything.com/topic/79055&newpost=1#lastmsg

I got my groups messed up and read Taran Wanderer first, so I am behind. I will try and catch up to this one in the next day or two.

If anyone is still reading along with me on this, discussion is open on Second Stage Lensmen at this time on the spoiler thread! See message 32 for the link.

Kinda fizzled out, but to wrap things up, Children of the Lens is the last book in the main Lensman series.

Yes, I kind of got caught up in the end of the school year and didn't start this off on schedule, although it may be just you and me at this point. I officially announce the start of reading Children of the Lens with discussion to start on June 22, just 2 weeks behind schedule. And yes, this IS the final book. Who's still on board?

I am with you, Roni. I will get caught up too.