"David A. Kyle - Lensman 8 - The Dragon Lensmen" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kyle David A)

 THE DRAGON LENSMAN
An Astonishing New Adventure in the
Lensman Series
Created By E.E. тАЬDocтАЭ Smith

By David A. Kyle

Introduction

When David Kyle told me he was writing the story of Worsel the Velantian as the first
book in the continuation of the Lensman series, I was pleasantly surprised-though, if truth
be told, a bit apprehensive. Bantam Books had approved his original outline, and the
Smith heirs had given their consent to the effort-but, I thought, better no additional
Lensman stories than poor Lensman stories.

More than two decades ago, as Fantasy Press, I published the original hard-back
editions of the Lensman tales. I was responsible for the expansion of the original four
books into the seven that now make up the series. With the publication of The Vortex
Blaster I thought, with regret, that I had enjoyed my last excursion into the Universe of
Arisia and the Lens. At one time Doc Smith had considered writing the stories of two of
the non-human Lensman-Worsel of Velantia Three and Nadreck of Palain Seven-but
because of a lack of market, with the specialty science fiction book publishers faltering or
out of business, he had abandoned the idea.

Now David Kyle was writing the saga of Worsel, the Dragon Lensman. The passing
years bad not dimmed my interest in the Universe of the Galactic Patrol-but could Dave
pick up the threads of another writer's creation? Could he recreate the atmosphere and
characters of E. E. "Doc" Smith. It was a tall order-and I was skeptical.

In February 1979 I was a house guest of the very hospitable Ruth and David Kyle at
Hobe Sound, Florida. There I read the manuscript of The Dragon Lensman-and I was
surprised and delighted! Not only had Dave captured the style of a Doc Smith epic, not
only had he blended his own original concepts into the Lensman series, but he had
written an exciting, first rate science fiction novel, fully able to stand on its own merits.

Were he able to read it, Doc, I'm sure, would be pleased. In The Dragon Lensman,
through David A. Kyle, E. E. "Doc" Smith has returned to literary life!

Lloyd Arthur Eshbach Myerstown, Pennsylvania March 1979



-1-
 Foreword

For all those of you who have previously read E. E. "Doc" Smith's accounts of the
Galactic Patrol and the Arisian-Eddorian conflict, most of this Foreword is redundant.
You are hereby waved on to the last three paragraphs beginning with "The chronicler . .
." For those of you who are newcomers, or whose memories have clouded with the
years, a few words of background are certainly desirable.