Edward E. Smith

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Edward Elmer Smith ([ smɪθ ]; and EE "Doc" Smith ; * 2. May 1890 in Sheboygan , Wisconsin , † 31 August 1965 ) was an American science fiction - writer and chemist .

Life

Smith was after his chemistry degree at the University of Idaho as a food chemist head of chemical research departments (1936-1941) and in the US Army (1941-1945). The novel The Planet Base (in which a tractor beam appears for the first time ) shows that Smith acquired more precise knowledge of the manufacture of explosives and ammunition during this period . He ended his professional life in 1957; then he traveled all over North America in a trailer.

Robert Heinlein and EE Smith were friends. According to Heinlein's observation, Smith's heroes are taken from the author's real life. Smith himself was tall, blonde, athletic, intelligent, and gallant, and married to the handsome, red-haired Mrs. MacDougal, a description that fits the heroes of the Lensmen novels, Kimball Kinnison and Clarissa MacDougal.

Literary work

Skylark Three in Amazing Stories, 1930

Became known Doc Smith through his science fiction -Romanzyklen the Lensmen and the Skylark .

The novels are the first examples of space opera in which the heroes have to face constant arguments. At the same time, the novels fall into the category of the real Hard SF, which tried to extrapolate known scientific principles and socio-political developments at the time.

Critics see EE Smith's novels as clichéd. It should be noted, however, that the novels were the first to introduce some of today's clichéd topics.

Sequels

Robert Heinlein mentioned that Smith had planned a seventh Lensmen novel to conclude with the open storylines of the sixth novel (The Legacy of Lens). However, there was no manuscript in the estate.

On July 14, 1965, a good month before his death, EE Smith authorized the writer William B. Ellern to continue the Lensmen cycle. This was then published by New Lensman in 1976.

In 1980, Dragon Lensmen appeared, the first of three follow-up novels written by David A. Kyle . As a close friend of Doc Smith, he was very familiar with the plans for follow-up projects. With the consent of Smith's heirs, Kyle wrote the biographies that Smith himself had planned on Worsel from Valentia , Tregonsee from Rigel IV and Nadreck from Palain VII . With the tenth novel in the Lensmen series, he completed a fantastic saga for the time.

entertainment

The video game Spacewar was inspired by the Lensmen cycle. The GURPS role play contains a module based on the Lensmen cycle.

Awards

bibliography

The series are arranged according to the year of publication of the first part. If two years of publication are given for the original editions, the first is that of the first edition and the second that of the first edition (as a book).

Skylark of Space (novel cycle)
  • 1 The Skylark of Space (1928, 1946, with Lee Hawkins Garby)
    • German: Secret formula QX 47 R. Translated by HG Zimmerhäckel. Semrau (Der Weltraumfahrer # 1), 1958. Also as: Moewig (Terra # 332), 1964. Also as: The adventures of the Skylark. Translated by Thomas Schlück . Heyne (Heyne Science Fiction & Fantasy # 3479), 1976, ISBN 3-453-30365-2 .
  • 2 Skylark Three (1930, 1948)
    • German: From the depths of space. Translated by Heinrich R. Arenz. Balowa / Gebrüder Zimmermann (Balowa Bestseller des Kosmos), 1962. Also as: Moewig (Terra # 334/335 ), 1964. Also as: The Skylark and the Battle of Osnome. Translated by Thomas Schlück. Heyne (Heyne Science Fiction & Fantasy # 3491), 1976, ISBN 3-453-30381-4 .
  • 3 Skylark of Valeron (1934, 1949)
    • German: Lost in the afterlife. Moewig (Terra # 338/339), 1964. Also called: The Skylark and the Star Walkers. Translated by Thomas Schlück. Heyne Science Fiction & Fantasy # 3503, 1976, ISBN 3-453-30393-8 .
  • 4 Skylark DuQuesne (1965, 1966)
    • English: The Skylark and the battle for the galaxy. Translated by Thomas Schlück. Heyne Science Fiction & Fantasy # 3515, 1976, ISBN 3-453-30381-4 .
  • To the Far Reaches of Space (1928, short story)
  • The Complete Skylark (2003, collective edition of 1–4)
Lensman (novel cycle)
  • 1 Triplanetary (1934, 1948)
    • German: The planet base. Translated by Botho Rainer Doddenhof. Balowa / Gebrüder Zimmermann (Balowa Das Galaktische Imperium # 1), 1960. Also as: Moewig (Terra # 199), 1961. Also as: The planet base. Translated by Thomas Schlück. Heyne (Heyne Science Fiction & Fantasy # 3704), 1969. Also called: The Planet Base. Translated by Thomas Schlück. Apex (Apex Science Fiction Classic # 9), 2017, ISBN 978-3-7438-3598-6 .
  • 2 First Lensman (1950)
    • German: The first Lensmen. Translated by Botho Rainer Doddenhof. Balowa / Gebrüder Zimmermann (Balowa Das galaktische Imperium # 2), 1961. Also as: Moewig (Terra # 204), 1961. Also as: The first Lensmen. Translated by Thomas Schlück. Heyne (Heyne Science Fiction & Fantasy # 3705), 1969. Also called: The first Lensmen. Translated by Thomas Schlück. Apex (Apex Science Fiction Classic # 14), 2018, ISBN 978-3-7438-5522-9 .
  • 3 Galactic Patrol (1937, 1950)
    • English: Galactic Patrol. Translated by Botho Rainer Doddenhof. Balowa / Gebrüder Zimmermann (Balowa Das galaktische Imperium # 3), 1961. Also as: Moewig (Terra # 208), 1962. Also as: Galactic patrol. Translated by Thomas Schlück. Heyne Science Fiction & Fantasy # 3708/3709, 1969.
  • 4 Gray Lensman (1939, 1951)
    • German: The gray rulers. Translated by Botho Rainer Doddenhof. Balowa / Gebrüder Zimmermann (Balowa Das galaktische Imperium # 4), 1961. Also as: Moewig (Terra # 213), 1962. Also as: The gray rulers. Translated by Thomas Schlück. Heyne Science Fiction & Fantasy # 3710/3711, 1969.
  • 5 Second Stage Lensmen (1941, 1953)
    • German: The second empire. Balowa / Gebrüder Zimmermann (Balowa Das galaktische Imperium # 5), 1961. Also as: Moewig (Terra # 217), 1962. Also as: The second empire. Translated by Thomas Schlück. Heyne Science Fiction & Fantasy # 3713/3714, 1969.
  • 6 Children of the Lens (1947, 1954)
    • English: The legacy of the Lens. Balowa / Gebrüder Zimmermann (Balowa Das galaktische Imperium # 6), 1961. Also as: Moewig (Terra # 222), 1962. Also as: The legacy of Lens. Translated by Thomas Schlück. Heyne Science Fiction & Fantasy # 3716/3717, 1969.
  • Pirates of Space (1934, short story)
  • Atlantis (1948, short story)
  • The History of Civilization (1955, collective edition 1-6)
  • The Fall of Atlantis (1974, short story)
  • Chronicles of the Lensmen, Volume 1 (1998, collective edition 1–3)
  • Chronicles of the Lensmen, Volume 2 (1999, collective edition 4-6)

Vortex Blaster :

  • The Vortex Blaster (1941, short story)
  • Storm Cloud on Deka (1942, short story)
  • The Vortex Blaster Makes War (1942, short story)
  • The Vortex Blaster (1960, also called Masters of the Vortex )
    • German: the vertebrate. Translated by Birgit Reß-Bohusch . Moewig (Terra Nova # 68/69), 1969. Also called: Guardian of the Maelstrom. Translated by Thomas Schlück. Heyne (Heyne Science Fiction & Fantasy # 3717), 1977, ISBN 3-453-30461-6 .
Family D'Alembert (novel cycle, with Stephen Goldin )
  • The Imperial Stars (1964, short story)
  • 1 Imperial Stars (1976)
    • English: The steel fortress. Translated by Ingrid Rothmann. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction # 21094, 1977, ISBN 3-404-00740-9 .
  • 2 Stranglers' Moon (1976)
    • English: The killer moon. Translated by Leni Sobez. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction # 21096, 1977, ISBN 3-404-00777-8 .
  • 3 The Clockwork Traitor (1977)
    • English: the robot bomb. Translated by Ingrid Rothmann. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction # 21098, 1977, ISBN 3-404-00794-8 .
  • 4 Getaway World (1977)
    • German: Der Asyl-Planet. Translated by Ingrid Rothmann. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction # 21102, 1978, ISBN 3-404-00917-7 .
  • 5 Appointment at Bloodstar (1978, also as The Bloodstar Conspiracy )
    • German: meeting point death star. Translated by Ingrid Rothmann. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction # 21115, 1979, ISBN 3-404-01236-4 .
  • 6 The Purity Plot (1978)
    • English: The Puritan plot. Translated by Ingrid Rothmann. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction # 21127, 1980, ISBN 3-404-21127-8 .
  • 7 Planet of Treachery (1982)
    • German: Verräterwelt. Translated by Ingrid Rothmann. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction # 23055, 1986, ISBN 3-404-23055-8 .
  • 8 Eclipsing Binaries (1983)
    • German: The double trap. Translated by Ingrid Rothmann. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction # 23058, 1986, ISBN 3-404-23058-2 .
  • 9 the Omicron Invasion (1984)
    • English: The Omicron Invasion. Translated by Ingrid Rothmann. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction # 22095, 1986, ISBN 3-404-22095-1 .
  • 10 Revolt of the Galaxy (1985)
    • German: Death to the Star Emperor. Translated by Ingrid Rothmann. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction # 22097, 1986, ISBN 3-404-22097-8 .
Lord Tedric ( novel cycle, with Gordon Eklund )
  • Tedric (1953, short story)
  • Lord Tedric (1954, short story)
  • 1 Lord Tedric (1978)
  • 2 Space Pirates (1979)
    • German: Raumpiraten. Translated by Peter Pape. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction # 21156, 1982, ISBN 3-404-21156-1 .
  • 3 Black Knight of the Iron Sphere (1979)
  • 4 Alien Realms (1980)
  • Lord Tedric and Alien Realms (1980, collective edition of 1 and 4)
Subspace (series of novels)
  • 1 Subspace Explorers (1965)
  • 2 Subspace Encounter (1983, with Lloyd Arthur Eshbach )
  • Subspace Survivors (1960, short story)
    • German: The survivors. In: Space Adventure. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction Special # 24017, 1981, ISBN 3-404-24017-0 .
Novels
  • Spacehounds of IPC (1931, 1947)
    • German: The Interplanetary Society. Moewig (Terra Nova # 13/14), 1968. Also as: Die Jagdhunde des IPC. Translated by Bernd Müller. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction # 21185, 1985, ISBN 3-404-21185-5 .
  • The Galaxy Primes (1959, 1965)
    • German: The first of the galaxy. Translated by Wulf H. Bergner . Heyne Science Fiction & Fantasy # 3152, 1969.
  • Masters of Space (1961, 1976, with E. Everett Evans )
Collections
  • The Best of EE 'Doc' Smith (1975)
  • Have Trenchcoat - Will Travel and Others (2001)
  • The EE 'Doc' Smith Megapack (2015)
Short stories
  • What a Course! (1934, also as Robot Nemesis )
    • German: Robot Nemesis. In: Adventure Space 2. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction Special # 24051, 1984, ISBN 3-404-24051-0 .
  • The Challenge from Beyond (Part # 3, 1935)
  • Doctor DuQuesne's Ruse (1994)
  • Full Time Nurse (2001)
  • Motorsickle Cop (2001)
  • Nester of the Caramints (2001)

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Smith, Edward E.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Smith, Edward Elmer (full name); Smith, Doc; Smith, EE
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American science fiction writer and chemist
DATE OF BIRTH May 2, 1890
PLACE OF BIRTH Sheboygan
DATE OF DEATH August 31, 1965