The Skylark of Space
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| The Skylark of Space | |
 Dust-jacket from the first edition |
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| Author | Edward E. Smith, Ph.D. |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Charles Schneeman (frontispiece) |
| Cover artist | Allan Halladay |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Skylark |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | The Buffalo Book Company |
| Publication date | 1946 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 218 pp |
| ISBN | NA |
| Followed by | Skylark Three |
The Skylark of Space is one of the earliest novels of interstellar travel. Originally serialized in 1928 in the magazine Amazing Stories, it was first published in book form in 1946 by The Buffalo Book Co. It was written between 1915 and 1921 by chemical engineer Edward 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.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The novel begins with the accidental discovery, in a Government laboratory in Washington, DC, of a form of clean power that holds the promise of space travel. The hero, Dr. Richard Seaton, uses this power to build first a flying belt and then an interstellar spaceship. He later discovers 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.
[edit] Publication history
- 1928, USA, Amazing Stories, Pub date August 1928, serialized magazine publication in 3 parts
- 1946, USA, The Buffalo Book Company, Pub date 1946, Hardback, 500 copies
- 1947, USA, The Hadley Publishing Co., Pub date 1947, Hardback, 1,000 copies
- 1950, USA, FFF Publications, Pub date 1950, Hardback, 1,000 copies
- 1954, France, Le Rayon Fantastique, Pub date 1954, Hardback, as La curee des astres
- 1958, USA, Pyramid Books, Pub date 1958, Paperback, revised
- 1958, Germany, Der Weltraumfahrer, Pub Date 1958, Hardback, as Geheimformel QX 47 R
- 1959, UK, Digit, Pub date 1959, Paperback
- 1961, Spain, Cenit, Pub date 1961, Paperback, as La estrella apagada
- 1984, USA, Berkley Books ISBN 0-425-06561-8, Pub date March 1984, Paperback
- 1992, USA, Easton Press, Pub date January 1992, Hardback
- 2001, USA, Bison Books ISBN 0-8032-9286-4, Pub date March 2001, Paperback
[edit] External links
- 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
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ See historical data at Edward Elmer Smith#Skylark series.
- ^ Frederick Pohl, introduction to The Skylark of Space, Easton Press, 1991.
[edit] References
- Chalker, Jack L.; Mark Owings (1998). The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998. Westminster, MD and Baltimore: Mirage Press, Ltd., 125, 258, 343.
- Brown, Charles N.; William G. Contento. The Locus Index to Science Fiction (1984-1998). Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
- Brown, Charles N.; William G. Contento. The Locus Index to Science Fiction (2001). Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
- Tuck, Donald H. (1978). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Chicago: Advent, 398. ISBN 0-911682-22-8.
