"E. E. Doc Smith - Lensman 8 - The Dragon Lensman" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith E. E. Doc)

THE DRAGON LENSMAN

An Astonishing New Adventure in the
Lensman Series
Created By E.E. "Doc" 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