New Lensman: The Space Age Sequel To E. E. Doc Smith’s Immortal LENSMAN Series by William B. Ellern

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am a huge fan of Doc Smith’s Lensman series, but there was one book I had never read because I needed to locate a copy. This is that book, and I located an old but quite readable paperback copy online. This novel is not by Doc Smith, but it was authorized by him. Would it stand up?

The story is set contemporaneously with the events of First Lensman, and a number of those happen off-stage in this book. Some of these include the attempt on Virgil Samms’ life, and the climactic battle between the Grand Fleet of the Galactic Patrol and the Black Fleet of the enemy. And characters like Knobos, the Martian Lensman, Roderick Kinnison, and Virgil Samms make appearances. But while the Lensman novels cover vast distances, this novel is all set in one place, the Moon. Our hero, Lieutanant Larry McQueen of the Triplanetary Service, goes to Copernicus Base because there are plots afoot. Early on in the book he is kidnapped by enemy agents, but manages to escape. But people keep showing up to attempt sabotage, and it eventually becomes clear they are part of the same enemy as the Black Fleet, and that their sabotage is intended to coincide and align with the Black Fleet attack. Copernicus Base is a major military installation and taking it out of action would be a major loss to the Patrol. As Lieutenant McQueen is trying to stop these attacks, he starts to hear that Virgil Samms is turning the Solarian Patrol into the Galactic Patrol, and that he is creating a force of “Lensmen”. And in due course McQueen receives his Lens and joins that elite fraternity. Of course, in the end the good guys prevail.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to fans of Doc Smith. That said, unlike the Lensman books proper, this isn’t really Space Opera because all off the action happens in one small, confined space. But I think the fans will find it very familiar, and it does touch on an aspect not really covered in the series proper, about how the changes Samms made affected the lower level operatives of the Triplanetary Service.



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