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{{Short description|1950 novel by Edward Elmer Smith}}
{{Infobox Book
{{Infobox book
| name = First Lensman
| name = First Lensman
| title_orig =
| title_orig =
| translator =
| translator =
| image = [[Image:First lensman.jpg|200px]]
| image = First lensman.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| image_caption = Dust-jacket from the first edition
| caption = Dust-jacket from the first edition
| author = [[E. E. Smith|Edward E. Smith, Ph.D.]]
| author = [[E. E. Smith|Edward E. Smith, Ph.D.]]
| illustrator = A. J. Donnell
| illustrator = A. J. Donnell
| cover_artist = A. J. Donnell
| cover_artist = A. J. Donnell
| country = [[United States]]
| country = United States
| language = [[English language|English]]
| language = English
| series = [[Lensman series]]
| series = [[Lensman series|''Lensman'' series]]
| genre = [[Science fiction novel]]
| genre = [[Science fiction]]
| publisher = [[Fantasy Press]]
| publisher = [[Fantasy Press]]
| release_date = [[1950]]
| release_date = 1950
| english_release_date =
| english_release_date =
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]])
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]])
| pages = 306 pp
| pages = 306
| isbn = NA
| preceded_by = [[Triplanetary (novel)|Triplanetary]]
| preceded_by = [[Triplanetary (novel)|Triplanetary]]
| followed_by = [[Galactic Patrol (novel)|Galactic Patrol]]
| followed_by = [[Galactic Patrol (novel)|Galactic Patrol]]
}}
}}
'''''First Lensman''''' is a [[space opera]] [[novel]] by American author [[E. E. Smith]]. It was first published in [[1950 in literature|1950]] by [[Fantasy Press]] in an edition of 5995 copies. It is, in terms of internal chronology, the second novel in the [[Lensman series|''Lensman'' series]], but the sixth (or fifth) written by Smith. (Smith had originally written ''[[Triplanetary (novel)|Triplanetary]]'' as an unrelated work, but then rewrote it to fit into the series.)


==Premise==
'''''First Lensman''''' is a [[science fiction]] novel and [[space opera]] by author [[E. E. Smith|Edward E. Smith, Ph.D.]]. It was first published in [[1950 in literature|1950]] by [[Fantasy Press]] in an edition of 5,995 copies. Although it is the second novel in the [[Lensman series]], it was the last written. The novel chronicles the founding of the [[Galactic Patrol]] by Virgil Samms, the first sentient being in our [[cosmos]] to wear the "Lens", a unique pseudo-life badge of authority which grants [[Telepathy|telepathic]] powers to the defenders of civilization.
The novel chronicles the founding of the [[Galactic Patrol]] by Virgil Samms, the first sentient being in our [[cosmos]] to wear the "Lens", a unique badge of authority which is actually a form of "pseudo-life" that grants [[Telepathy|telepathic]] powers to the defenders of Civilization.


==Plot synopsis==
==Plot synopsis==
First Lensman picks up more or less where [[Triplanetary]] left off. The story follows the doings of the "First Lensman" Virgil Samms. The Arisians know that he is literally incorruptible and is a paragon of bravery and virtue, so they have chosen him to be the first entity to wear the "Lens of Civilization".
''First Lensman'' picks up more or less where ''[[Triplanetary (novel)|Triplanetary]]'' left off. The story follows the doings of the "First Lensman" Virgil Samms. The Arisians know that he is incorruptible, a paragon of bravery and virtue, so they have chosen him to be the first entity to wear the "Lens of Civilization".


Virgil Samms has a dream. He wants to establish the [[Galactic Patrol]] and protect civilization from the forces of evil. He needs to have a symbol for the incorruptible men he wants to be in his Patrol. Finally, he is guided by the intuition of one of his trusted subordinates (actually an Arisian living as a human being) to Arisia, a heretofore unapproachable planet where he is greeted by a benevolent and telepathic Arisian who presents him a Lens. The Lens is a device that can only be made by the Arisians using their advanced mental science and that can be worn only by the person that it is exclusively attuned to. It gives its wearer the ability to communicate telepathically with any being or animal with a mind, as well as other powers. The Lens is the focus of all the remaining stories in the series. Samms is charged with locating all "Lens worthy" individuals and directing them to Arisia to have their own Lens bestowed upon them. The Arisian further states that women aren't psychologically able to wear a Lens.
Samms has a dream. He wants to establish the [[Galactic Patrol]] to protect civilization from the forces of evil for which he needs to have a reliable (unfakeable) symbol to identify its members. He is guided by one of his trusted subordinates to Arisia, a previously unapproachable planet, where he is greeted by a benevolent and telepathic Arisian who presents him with a "Lens". The Lens is a device that can only be made by the Arisians and that can be worn only by the person that it is exclusively attuned to. It gives its wearer the ability to communicate telepathically with any being or animal with a mind, as well as other powers. The Lens underlies all the remaining stories in the series. Samms is charged with locating all "Lens worthy" individuals and directing them to Arisia to have their own Lens bestowed upon them.


Once he has a cadre of Lensmen available to defend civilization, Samms uses them to begin tracing leads to the major threats to civilization. Crooked politics, illegal drugs, and pirates attacking merchant ships in space. To fight the crooked politics all they can do for the moment is gather evidence and hold it until the campaign and elections which are covered later in the story. The leads to the pirates hit a blank wall and stall (for now). The leads followed to combat drug traffickers yields the most success. Breaking the drug smuggling turns out to be the key to getting a handle on all the other threats. As the Lensmen trace the trade in "thionite", a mind altering drug, from the beginning to the "end user", they find the different leads all coming together, and all leading straight to the corrupt political machine that was then running North America, and trying to get a strangle hold on all the rest of civilization.
Once he has a cadre of Lensmen available to defend civilization, Samms uses them to begin tracing leads to the major threats to civilization. Corrupt politicians, illegal drugs, and pirates attacking merchant ships in space. To fight the crooked politics all they can do for the moment is gather evidence and hold it until the campaign and elections. The leads to the pirates hit a blank wall and stall (for now). Combating the drug traffickers yields the most success. Breaking the drug smuggling turns out to be the key to getting a handle on all the other threats. As the Lensmen trace the trade in "thionite", a mind-altering drug, from the source to the end user, they find the different leads all coming together, and all leading straight to the corrupt political machine that was then running North America.


While following the leads the Lensmen visit alien planets and encounter bizarre life forms (and attempt to recruit representative members of as many species as possible as Lensmen), build a fleet by uniting all the continental fleets of Tellus (Earth) into the “Grand Fleet of the Galactic Patrol”, and engage in a satisfyingly massive space battle in defense of their headquarters, “The Hill”. By this time the upper levels of the Patrol are just starting to play with the idea that maybe the beings that have been calling “pirates” are actually members of another civilization, a civilization at least as big and as powerful as the civilization of the Galactic Patrol. Having beaten off the “pirate” fleet attacking The Hill, traced the drug smuggling from source to user, it was time to cut off the head of the dragon by defeating the corrupt political machine in the next election.
While following the leads, the Lensmen visit alien planets and encounter bizarre life forms (and attempt to recruit representative members of as many species as possible as Lensmen). They build a fleet uniting all the continental fleets of Tellus (Earth) into the “Grand Fleet of the Galactic Patrol”, and engage in a massive space battle in defense of their headquarters, “The Hill”. The upper levels of the Patrol are starting to realise that the beings that they have been calling pirates are actually members of another civilization, a civilization at least as big and as powerful as that of the Galactic Patrol. Having beaten off the pirate fleet attacking The Hill, it was time to cut off the head of the dragon by defeating the corrupt political machine in the next election.


The second half of the book tells of a North American presidential election (Canada, the US and Mexico together form a single state) fought by the officers of the Triplanetary Service (as 'Cosmocrats') on the right to elect Roderick Kinnison North American President, and the crooked political machine on the left (as 'Nationalist') to keep the corrupt incumbent in office. After a knock down, drag out fight between the two parties, another battle in space even bigger than the first one, and the release of all the evidence of corruption gathered and held on to before, the Cosmocrats win the crucial election that ensures the continuation of the Galactic Patrol and the safety of Civilization (for now).
The second half of the book tells of a North American presidential election fought by the officers of the Triplanetary Service (as 'Cosmocrats') to elect Roderick Kinnison North American President, and the crooked political machine (as 'Nationalist') to keep the corrupt incumbent in office. After a knock down, drag out fight between the two parties, another battle in space even bigger than the first, and the release of all the evidence of corruption gathered and held on to before, the Cosmocrats win the crucial election. The continuation of the Galactic Patrol and the safety of Civilization are secured.

==Publication history==
*1950, USA, [[Fantasy Press]], Pub date 1950, Hardback
*1955, UK, [[Boardman Books]], Pub date 1955 Hardback
*1961, Germany, Zimmermann, Pub Date 1961, Hardback, as ''Die ersten Lensmen''
*1964, USA, [[Pyramid Books]], Pub date 1964, Paperback
*1997, UK, Ripping Publishing ISBN 1-899884-13-0, Pub date July 1997, Paperback
*1997, USA, Old Earth Books ISBN 1-882968-10-7, Pub date November 1997, Paperback


==References==
==References==
*{{cite book | last=Chalker | first=Jack L. | authorlink=Jack L. Chalker | coauthors=Mark Owings | title=The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998 | location=Westminster, MD and Baltimore | publisher=Mirage Press, Ltd.| pages=237 | year=1998}}
*{{cite book | last=Chalker | first=Jack L. | authorlink=Jack L. Chalker |author2=Mark Owings | title=The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923–1998 | location=Westminster, MD and Baltimore | publisher=Mirage Press, Ltd.| pages=237 | year=1998}}
*{{cite web
*{{cite web
| last = Brown
| last = Brown
| first = Charles N.
| first = Charles N.
| authorlink = Charles N. Brown
| authorlink = Charles N. Brown
| coauthors = William G. Contento
|author2=William G. Contento
| title = The Locus Index to Science Fiction (1984-1998)
| title = The Locus Index to Science Fiction (1984–1998)
| work =
| publisher =
| publisher =
| date =
| url = http://www.locusmag.com/index/b442.htm#A6442
| url = http://www.locusmag.com/index/b442.htm#A6442
| format =
| format =
| doi =
| doi =
| accessdate = 2008-03-05}}
| accessdate = 2008-03-05}}
*{{cite book | last=Tuck | first=Donald H. | authorlink=Donald H. Tuck | title=The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy | location=Chicago | publisher=[[Advent (publisher)|Advent]] | pages=397 | year=1978|id=ISBN 0-911682-22-8}}
*{{cite book | last=Tuck | first=Donald H. | authorlink=Donald H. Tuck | title=The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy | location=Chicago | publisher=[[Advent (publisher)|Advent]] | pages=397 | year=1978|isbn=0-911682-22-8}}
* {{cite book | author=Ellik, Ron and Bill Evans | title=The Universes of E.E. Smith | location=Chicago | publisher=Advent:Publishers | year=1966 | isbn=0-911682-03-1}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
* {{StandardEbooks|Standard Ebooks URL=https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/e-e-smith/first-lensman}}
* {{FadedPage|id=20170455|name=First Lensman}}
* {{isfdb title|id=1198}}
* {{isfdb title|id=1198}}
* {{librivox book | title=First Lensman | author=E. E. SMITH}}


{{E.E. Smith}}
[[Category:1950 novels]]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:First Lensman}}
[[Category:1950 science fiction novels]]
[[Category:1950 American novels]]
[[Category:American science fiction novels]]
[[Category:Lensman series novels]]
[[Category:Lensman series novels]]
[[Category:Space opera novels]]
[[Category:Space opera novels]]
[[Category:Fantasy Press books]]


{{1950s-novel-stub}}

[[fr:Le Premier Fulgur]]

Latest revision as of 08:28, 29 December 2024

First Lensman
Dust-jacket from the first edition
AuthorEdward E. Smith, Ph.D.
IllustratorA. J. Donnell
Cover artistA. J. Donnell
LanguageEnglish
SeriesLensman series
GenreScience fiction
PublisherFantasy Press
Publication date
1950
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardback)
Pages306
Preceded byTriplanetary 
Followed byGalactic Patrol 

First Lensman is a space opera novel by American author E. E. Smith. It was first published in 1950 by Fantasy Press in an edition of 5995 copies. It is, in terms of internal chronology, the second novel in the Lensman series, but the sixth (or fifth) written by Smith. (Smith had originally written Triplanetary as an unrelated work, but then rewrote it to fit into the series.)

Premise

[edit]

The novel chronicles the founding of the Galactic Patrol by Virgil Samms, the first sentient being in our cosmos to wear the "Lens", a unique badge of authority which is actually a form of "pseudo-life" that grants telepathic powers to the defenders of Civilization.

Plot synopsis

[edit]

First Lensman picks up more or less where Triplanetary left off. The story follows the doings of the "First Lensman" Virgil Samms. The Arisians know that he is incorruptible, a paragon of bravery and virtue, so they have chosen him to be the first entity to wear the "Lens of Civilization".

Samms has a dream. He wants to establish the Galactic Patrol to protect civilization from the forces of evil for which he needs to have a reliable (unfakeable) symbol to identify its members. He is guided by one of his trusted subordinates to Arisia, a previously unapproachable planet, where he is greeted by a benevolent and telepathic Arisian who presents him with a "Lens". The Lens is a device that can only be made by the Arisians and that can be worn only by the person that it is exclusively attuned to. It gives its wearer the ability to communicate telepathically with any being or animal with a mind, as well as other powers. The Lens underlies all the remaining stories in the series. Samms is charged with locating all "Lens worthy" individuals and directing them to Arisia to have their own Lens bestowed upon them.

Once he has a cadre of Lensmen available to defend civilization, Samms uses them to begin tracing leads to the major threats to civilization. Corrupt politicians, illegal drugs, and pirates attacking merchant ships in space. To fight the crooked politics all they can do for the moment is gather evidence and hold it until the campaign and elections. The leads to the pirates hit a blank wall and stall (for now). Combating the drug traffickers yields the most success. Breaking the drug smuggling turns out to be the key to getting a handle on all the other threats. As the Lensmen trace the trade in "thionite", a mind-altering drug, from the source to the end user, they find the different leads all coming together, and all leading straight to the corrupt political machine that was then running North America.

While following the leads, the Lensmen visit alien planets and encounter bizarre life forms (and attempt to recruit representative members of as many species as possible as Lensmen). They build a fleet uniting all the continental fleets of Tellus (Earth) into the “Grand Fleet of the Galactic Patrol”, and engage in a massive space battle in defense of their headquarters, “The Hill”. The upper levels of the Patrol are starting to realise that the beings that they have been calling pirates are actually members of another civilization, a civilization at least as big and as powerful as that of the Galactic Patrol. Having beaten off the pirate fleet attacking The Hill, it was time to cut off the head of the dragon by defeating the corrupt political machine in the next election.

The second half of the book tells of a North American presidential election fought by the officers of the Triplanetary Service (as 'Cosmocrats') to elect Roderick Kinnison North American President, and the crooked political machine (as 'Nationalist') to keep the corrupt incumbent in office. After a knock down, drag out fight between the two parties, another battle in space even bigger than the first, and the release of all the evidence of corruption gathered and held on to before, the Cosmocrats win the crucial election. The continuation of the Galactic Patrol and the safety of Civilization are secured.

References

[edit]
  • Chalker, Jack L.; Mark Owings (1998). The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923–1998. Westminster, MD and Baltimore: Mirage Press, Ltd. p. 237.
  • Brown, Charles N.; William G. Contento. "The Locus Index to Science Fiction (1984–1998)". Retrieved 2008-03-05.
  • Tuck, Donald H. (1978). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Chicago: Advent. p. 397. ISBN 0-911682-22-8.
  • Ellik, Ron and Bill Evans (1966). The Universes of E.E. Smith. Chicago: Advent:Publishers. ISBN 0-911682-03-1.
[edit]