E. E. 'Doc' Smith   Masters of Space

First published in If magazine, 1961/2. Orbit UK paperback published 1976.

A colossus of SF from the 1920s through to the 1970s, E. E. "Doc" Smith specialised in rocketship adventures. The craft were usually crewed by Mr Universe finalists, their looks and strength complemented by way-above-average intelligence and the very highest of ethical and moral sensibilities. The women had similarly superhuman standards of appearance and ability. Here's the opening sentences of The Galaxy Primes: "Her hair was a brilliant green. So was her spectacularly filled halter. So were her tight short-shorts, her lipstick, and the lacquer on her finger- and toe-nails. As she strolled into the Main of the starship, followed hesitantly by the other girl, she drove a mental probe at the black-haired, powerfully-built man seated at the instrument-backed console."

Masters of Space tells of the high-powered exploratory ship Perseus. When her extravagantly versatile and brilliant crew of Naval and scientific experts encounter the Omans, a race of super-strong extra-helpful servant humanoids, events unfold that could destroy mankind, or give it a huge step up its evolutionary advance. The uniformly naked and cheerful Omans (geddit?) live on an inexplicable planet with a crust lavishly veined with the highly-radioactive raw material used to produce spaceship fuel. Workplace politics complicate the survey leader's plans, and the relationships between the ultra-delectable women officers and their super-handsome male counterparts provide many subplots. A long-dormant battle is rejoined, and the future of humanity hangs in the balance as the extra-aggressive Stretts make an appearance. Just for good measure, there are also some experiments in gene therapy, and a typical E. E. Smith weapon of apocalyptic destruction.

Some readers can't stand "Doc" - even the appearance of the quote-marked nickname gets them rolling their eyes. Others love him, and can't get enough - scouring junk shops for his books, however dog-eared. I was perhaps fortunate to discover him through the epic Lensman series. This is a bit less extreme than some of Smith's work and, with the exception of the final volume (which I think got tacked on as an ill-conceived afterthought), sustains both character and plot development well. Have a look at the extracts - if they are to your taste, you might well enjoy this blast from the politically-incorrect past of fantastic futures.

Ratings:

Nudity	Naturist nudity	A good read?

Last updated 2004 August 19.
 
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