Book review: Galactic Patrol by E. E. Smith

Galactic Patrol is the third book in the Lensman series by E.E. "Doc" Smith. I recently picked this book up from Fantastic Collectibles.

This is the first time we are introduced to Kim Kinnison. Kim is a main focus of the rest of the series. Galactic Patrol starts with Kim as a young man who has just graduated and will join the Galactic Patrol as a Lensman. He is given a near impossible task, but through perseverance, ingenuity and luck, Kim is able to bring home a captured space ship from the pirates of Boskone.

The Boskone Pirates threaten to destroy civilization. And because their technology is better they have a very good chance to crippling civilization so that it will never flourish. With the Boskone spaceship that Kim captures civilization has a chance.

E. E. Smith does a great job of keeping the action moving. In many chapters our heroes are in another near hopeless situation. Again and again the odds are stack against them. But they keep trying, and they are always able to pull a rabbit out of the hat to escape total destruction.

We see more of the Lensmen universe. We’re introduced to Worsel and the two others who will become second stage lensmen, along with Worsel and Kim. E. E. Smith drops little details left and right flushing out a rich universe to make it seem almost real.

Like I said in my review of The First Lensman, if you enjoy Science Fiction and have never read the Lensman series, start with Triplanetary and then read the reset of the series. You are in for a great ride.