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The Skylark of Space
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Skylark of Space is one of the earliest novels of interstellar travel. First published in 1928, it was written between 1915 and 1921 by chemical engineer Edward Elmer Smith (E.E. "Doc" Smith) and Lee Hawkins Garby, the wife of his college classmate and later neighbor Carl Garby.[1] The Skylark of Space is often categorized as the first literary Space Opera (in the complimentary sense), complete with protagonists perfect in mind, body, and spirit, who fight against villains of absolute evil. The Skylark series has been in and out of print ever since its first publication, in both hardback and paperback editions, and is considered a classic of pulp science fiction. Frederik Pohl says of the book, "With the exception of the works of H. G. Wells, possibly those of Jules Verne — and almost no other writer — it has inspired more imitators and done more to change the nature of all the science fiction written after it than almost any other single work."[2]
For more details of the publication history of the story and series, see E. E. Smith.
The novel begins with the accidental discovery, in a Government laboratory in Washington D. C., of a form of clean nuclear power. Our hero, Dr. Richard Seaton, uses this power to build first a flying belt and then an interstellar spaceship. He later discovers that the process operates by generation and manipulation of gravity fields.
When his government coworkers do not believe him, Seaton acquires rights to his discovery from the government and commercializes it with the aid of his friend, millionaire inventor Martin Crane. A former colleague, Dr. Marc DuQuesne, joins with the unscrupulous World Steel Corporation to try to steal Seaton's invention. The resulting conflict escalates, as Seaton and Duquesne develop greater and greater technical capabilities and enlist more and more powerful alien races as allies.
- The Skylark of Space, available at Project Gutenberg. (Transcribed from Amazing Stories 1928 publication.)
- Skylark Three, available at Project Gutenberg. (Transcribed from Amazing Stories, 1930.)
- Skylark of Space - Audiobook Version
- ^ See historical data at Edward Elmer Smith#Skylark series.
- ^ Frederick Pohl, introduction to The Skylark of Space, Easton Press, 1991.