Triplanetary (novel)
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| Triplanetary | |
|---|---|
 Dust-jacket from the first edition |
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| Author | Edward E. Smith, Ph.D. |
| Illustrator | A. J. Donnell |
| Cover artist | A. J. Donnell |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Lensman series |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Fantasy Press |
| Publication date | 1934, 1948 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 287 pp |
| ISBN | NA |
| OCLC Number | 1225609 |
| Followed by | First Lensman |
Triplanetary is a science fiction novel and space opera by E. E. Smith. It was first serialized in the magazine Amazing Stories in 1934. The story takes place primarily in our Solar System: Triplanetary patrolman Conway Costigan and his friends battle Gray Roger the pirate/gangster, a battle complicated by the arrival of the technologically superior, extra-Solar, amphibian-like Nevians.
Following the success of his Lensman series, Smith expanded and reworked the novel into the first of two Lensman prequels (the second prequel was a new original novel, First Lensman). It was published in book form in 1948 by Fantasy Press in an edition of 4,941 copies.[1] Major changes to the original version were new introductory chapters concerning the history of the benevolent super-race, the Arisians (who resemble giant human brains) and their enemies, the demonic super-race, the Eddorians (who resemble amoeba). Smith also introduced the idea that the original novel's villain, Gray Roger, had always been secretly Gharlane of Eddore, but disguised in human form. We also learn that Gharlane had previously disguised himself as such personages as Nero and Hitler.
The novel covers several initial episodes in the eons-long eugenics project of the super-intelligences of Arisia to breed two genetic lines to become the ultimate weapon in Arisia's cosmic war with Eddore. Chapters covering the the Kinnison line during the fall of Atlantis and Nero's (Gharlane of Eddore) reign in Rome were added along with chapters covering members of the the Kinnison line in World Wars One, Two and Three. The final chapter of Triplanetary tells of the discovery of the inertialess drive that allows faster than light travel and the fighting of the first interstellar war against the Nevians. In this story Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison, two very important members of the eugenics project, are introduced. They will the play leading rolls in the next story, First Lensman.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Triplanetary is the first book in the classic Lensman series and is really a prologue to the main part of the series. It consists of two major parts. The first explains the background to the whole series, a huge war of mental power between the evil Eddorians and the benevolent Arisians, carried out through the history of an oblivious humankind on Earth and the eons-long eugenics project of the Arisians to breed two genetic lines to become the ultimate weapon in Arisia's cosmic war with Eddore. Smith takes five defining chapters covering the the Kinnison line: the fall of Atlantis (through a nuclear war), an attempted coup in Rome against the Eddorian-controlled Nero, the First and Second World Wars, and, finally, a nuclear Third World War. In each of these periods he tells part of the story of the two families who will be of immense importance later on, and who will produce the two people who's children will be the culmination of the human eugenics project, Kimball Kinnison and Clarissa MacDougall. One line is always male and is called "Kinnison" or some close variation. The other line can be male or female, and is distinguished by red-bronze hair and unusually colored gold flecked-tawny eyes.
The final part, which was originally published as a magazine story, takes up the tale after civilization has been rebuilt with the covert help of the Arisians. Humanity (with the Arisians secret help) has developed enough to explore the solar system and form the Triplanetary League (Earth, Mars and Venus in alliance). Humans have set up colonies and fought the first interplanetary war against the Adepts of North Polar Jupiter before the start of the story. As the story starts, interplanetary commerce is plagued by pirates led by “Gray Roger” (who, unbeknownst to the Patrol, is actually Gharlane of Eddore). The pirate fleet and the Triplanetary Patrol are in the midst of a large scale engagement when the Nevians show up. The Nevians are the dominant, amphibious race of the planet Nevia, many light years distant from the sun. The planet is desperately short of iron, and a spaceship sets out to try to obtain more - hopefully from an asteroid or meteor. Instead, they find the ships of the Triplanetary Patrol at war with the fleet of Gray Roger (a surviving Adept of North Polar Jupiter). The Nevians decide that humans are inferior beings, and carve up both fleets using a ray that reduces every atom of free or combined iron in both sides' ships and men into red, liquid "allotropic iron". This substance is what the Nevians use to power their interstellar ships and their power plants at home. The use of this ray means the death of every person in both fleets. After absorbing the fleets, the Nevian ship goes to the Earth and the same action taken against the Earth city of Pittsburgh before the ship heads for home.
A Triplanetary Patrol agent named Conway Costigan, is captured by the Nevians along with his love interest, Clio Marsden, and an old space hand and friend, Captain Bradley. Costigan uses his ultra-wave spy ray to figure out a lot of the Nevian technology and sends reports home to Earth scientists. "Roger" survives the battle and flees to start a new operation on a distant world.
On earth, Patrol scientists are working feverishly on their new “Super Ship” the “Boise”. This ship has mankind's first Inertialess Drive and can travel faster than light. Using Costigan's reports, human scientists figure out Nevian technology, improve upon it, and install it on the “Boise”. After forcing a second Nevian ship to flee, the “Boise” heads for Nevia. On the way they stumble across the new pirate base. After much fighting, "Roger" is defeated by a resurgent Patrol armed with both human and Nevian technology.
The three captives taken alive by the Nevians as zoological specimens are taken home and put on display. Costigan and his companions stage several escape attempts from their Nevian kidnappers, but are foiled again and again. Finally the make an escape and head for Earth being chased by the first Nevian ship. The “Boise” reaches them before the Nevians and Costigan and his companions are rescued. The Nevians are fought to a stalemate. The Nevians acknowledge humans are equals, and a peace is negotiated.
[edit] Publication history
- 1934, USA, Amazing Stories, (January 1934) serialized magazine publication in 4 parts
- 1948, USA, Fantasy Press, (1948) Hardback, 4,941 copies
- 1950, USA, Fantasy Press, (1950) Hardback, 2,505 copies, title in yellow
- 1954, UK, Boardman Books, (1954) Hardback
- 1960, Germany, Zimmermann, (1960) Hardback, as Die Planetenbasis
- 1965, USA, Pyramid Books, (1965) Paperback
- 1997, UK, Ripping Publishing ISBN 1-899884-12-2, (July 1997) Paperback
- 1997, USA, Old Earth Books ISBN 1-882968-09-3, (November 1997) Paperback
[edit] Notes
- ^ Chalker, Jack L.; Mark Owings (1998). The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998. Westminster, MD and Baltimore: Mirage Press, Ltd.. pp. 235.
[edit] References
- Chalker, Jack L.; Mark Owings (1998). The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998. Westminster, MD and Baltimore: Mirage Press, Ltd.. pp. 235.
- Brown, Charles N.; William G. Contento. "The Locus Index to Science Fiction (1984-1998)". http://www.locusmag.com/index/b442.htm#A6442. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
- Tuck, Donald H. (1978). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Chicago: Advent. pp. 398. ISBN 0-911682-22-8.
[edit] External links
- Triplanetary at Project Gutenberg (Transcribed from Amazing Stories January, February, March and April 1934.)
