E.E. "Doc" Smith's "Triplanetary" online, free

[yevaud]

Link <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[bobw]

That book was unimaginably unbelievably incredible! Not bad for 1934. I guess the only difference between then and now is the nature of future-tech. I wonder how long it will be before readers have to grab the dictionary to find out what "knobs" and "dials" are?<br /><br /><font color="yellow">..."What do you make of that, Costigan?" asked the captain. "Tractor beams?"<br /><br />...Only his eyes moved: flashing back and forth between the observation plates and smoothly-running rolls which were feeding into the cameras the hardened steel tapes upon which were being magnetically recorded the frightful scenes of carnage and destruction there revealed.<br /><br />...Flaming a dazzling white from the friction of the atmosphere through which she had torn her way, the Boise slowed abruptly as she neared the ground, plunging toward the surface of the small but deep artificial lake below the Hill's steel apron. Into the cold waters the space-ship dove, and even before they could close over her, furious geysers of steam and boiling water erupted as the stubborn alloy gave up its heat to the cooling liquid. Endlessly the three necessary minutes dragged their slow way into time, but finally the water ceased boiling and Rodebush tore the ship from the lake and hurled her into the gaping doorway of her dock. <br /><br />...I'd have the pink fantods for a month if I had to do only once what he's just done--and to him it's just part of a day's work."<br /><br />...Of course, since we had so little thrust on, practically all of our time and energy was spent in getting out of the atmosphere; but, even at that, it's a good thing that space isn't an absolutely perfect vacuum or we would have been clear out of the Universe by this time."<br /></font>/safety_wrapper> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[etavaunt]

lol. Well, things go the full circle. Yes, it was a thrilling read for its time, but soon after, people spoke contemptously of it as "Space opera", and now it can be read again with pleasure as one would read "The Land Leviathans" by Wells.<br /><br />Man, you have to hunt down "Skylark of Space" and its sequels. AND the Lensmen. but most assuredly you need to read his best book, "Spacehounds of the I.P.C."<br /><br /><br />And with the idea of this thread being, obviously, on-line resurrections of UTTER classics, I give you<br /><br />It Can't Happen Here

 

[hracctsold]

EtAvaunt,<br /><br />What do you have against Van Diesel? I, maybe rather lamely, assume you meant him by Flying S. Monster. He was alright in the "Pacifier" I thought, but then again him playing a H. Ford role in Blade Runner may be a leap. but after destroying War of the World as they did, why not?

 

[etavaunt]

He is an atrocious actor, his characters, always the same "persona", are played as arrogant, ignorant, and substitute style for substance. He jumps onto any "Cool" bandwagon that passes and basically represents every trope that is damaging my Friend and Ally, the American nation.<br /><br />And he is tall. This I can never forgive in a man, let alone a man as well paid for as little worth as he.<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[etavaunt]

Carmilla<br /><br />The original vampire novel, 30 years prior to Shellys dinner party.<br /><br />And LESBIAN Vampires, at that. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[bobw]

Since I can't resist free entertainment, after reading Triplanetary I did download <i>The Skylark of Space, Spacehounds of IPC</i>, and other old Sci-Fi. There seems to be a lot of it lately at Gutenberg. <i>Skylark</i> made me think of Flubber and Cavorite. I hope I don't start reading all the old Tom Swift stuff again! I feel guilty, like I should be reading Virgil or something.<br /><br />Anyway, this one seemed "different" enough to mention.<br /><br />The Colors of Space by Marion Zimmer Bradley<br /><br />PS. Thanks, Yevaud. I'm staying up all night reading stuff that makes "B" movies run in my brain <img src="/images/icons/crazy.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[etavaunt]

YOU KID ME!. I can down load Skylark?.<br /><br />*eats up de bandwidth*<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />How did you like the elevator scene, mate?. Or the pragmatic Alien leaping to the machine gun as they rose out of the enemy Capital?. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />Or best of all, the disappearing bathtub?.<br /><br />Good times, good times!.<br />

 

[bobw]

<font color="yellow">Or best of all, the disappearing bathtub?</font><br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> Don't look too closely, that thing would never have flown straight. I liked the melted guns better than the elevator, but I was surprised about the damage dealt by the bullets.<br /><br />I have read 10 of them since this thread started, including your <i>Carmilla</i>. <i> The Colors of Space</i> is the only one which I didn't imagine looking like Buster Crabbe's Flash Gordon. It would probably make a pretty good modern movie.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[etavaunt]

<img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />I think that Dequense (sp? 30 years since I first read it, can't really remember when I read it again) had his cyclotronamajigthingi running down stairs the whole time the "tub" was in flight?. It was a POWERED flight?. But yes, not to look so close.<br /><br />What I liked about the Elevator, was EXACTLY the Flash Gordon handing of the "gats" to their enemy, because he could be trusted to help them escape, shoot faster/better than Seatons mate, and could be trusted to hand them back, because he knew he was getting off planet WITH Seaton, but might NOT make it, AGAINST Seaton.<br /><br />And afterwards told his Henchman that suggested just strolling up and wacking Seaton out "I wouldn't. He shoots straighter than I do, and you couldn't take ME".<br /><br />Or so my often embelishing memory holds it. How did I do?.<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" />

 

[bobw]

The propulsion thing was wierd, they had to put the bar in backwards to slow down, makes me think it was directional. If the tub wasn't symmetrical it seems like it would spin, you know, if the forces were slightly off center.<br /><br />I thought the escape was anticlimactic compared to just before, when the good alien told Seaton that Nalboon was going to smelt their bodies for salt. LOL Not much suspense in the escape... I <i>knew</i> they would get away, half the book to go!<br /><br />I don't remember the part about konking Seaton on the head, DuQuense's henchman died on the ship. You don't mean one of the alien's henchmen? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[etavaunt]

No, I mean my memory/reading bug often edits for clearity/excitement as I READ a book/think of it afterwards/deconstruct it in relation to entirely OTHER books that seem similar, read decades apart, etc.<br /><br />So I was wondering how clearly/cearly WRONGLY I remembered that part.<br /><br />And I am thinking the incident of Desquense saying that to a minion was in a later book. And i conflated them. It remains to be seen, asd i will rad it again this week sometime.

 

[Skylark]

My user name is an homage to Mr Smith's character Skylark Duquesne. I read many of his books during high school/college, and revelled in the blending of space hardware and strong characters. Who wouldn't love to rearrange planetary systems with their mind?

 

[bobw]

Project Gutenberg released another one on the 13th of this month. Will the ultimate spaceship get even ultimater? Find out for free!<br /><br />Skylark Three by E. E. Smith <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[larper]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>My user name is an homage to Mr Smith's character Skylark Duquesne.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />Skylark Duquesne is not the name of a character. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Vote </font><font color="#3366ff">Libertarian</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[yevaud]

An entire library of free SF titles at Baen.com:<br /><br />http://www.baen.com/library/ <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>