The Wandering Fire - Guy Gavriel Kay

This is the Ninetieth  in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

The second in the richly imagined The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy. The series is a bit dark in parts but uplifting overall, which is what I look for in a fantasy novel. If I wanted a depressing story I'd turn on the news!

The Summer Tree - Guy Gavriel Kay

This is the Eighty-ninth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

I am continuing my run of fantasy with two authors to whom I was introduced by my better half. These may not have been my purchased copies and I have come late to the party but I would certainly include them on my bookshelf.

The first author is Guy Gavriel Kay, famous for having worked with Christopher Tolkien on the preparation of his late father's manuscripts for publication into what became The Silmarillion. This was not a trivial task and Kay was deeply influenced by Tolkien. However it would be disrespectful to both Kay and the Tolkiens not to acknowledge the quality of The Fionavar Tapestry.

If you've not explored this world then I would recommend you start here.

Learning - a state of mind

Life is not a constant thing. Change is actually the normal, inevitable and unavoidable nature of the universe. Stability and predictability, while nice to have, are illusions easily shattered when life intrudes. You can fill in your own examples to illustrate my point [birth, death, illness, accident, new iPhone].

One aspect of living in a changing universe that I have been thinking about recently is on which side of the training/learning coin do I sit. Do I look at  every new thing as something to be learned or do I expect life to come with a manual and a trainer?

My own view is that I prefer to look at every new thing as something to be learned, something to pull apart, press all the buttons - a new toy to occupy my mind. Not just because I don't want to read the manual but because I learn more that way and it is more fun - though sometimes I read the manual as well! In fact reading the manual or asking someone for help is just another way of learning - it just depends on how you look at it.

I'd encourage you to consider your perspective on new things. Do you learn or want to be trained?

The Claw of the Conciliator - Gene Wolfe

This is the Eighty-eighth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

I could post this book just for the eye-catching cover art and as a Halloween tribute, but in fact it is a 'new' addition to my bookshelf and the second book in the Gene Wolfe Book of the New Sun series.

Valentine Pontifex - Robert Silverberg

This is the Eighty-seventh in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

It is funny how one thing leads to another. I was 'recycling' some no longer wanted books at a local second hand bookshop and wanted to use the credit straightaway. Browsing the shelves I found three books which would complement books already on my shelf. This book in the Majipoor cycle is one of them, and another fine work from Silverberg.

You may know that the term 'pontifex' has become better know in recent times as the twitter handle of the current Pope and which is a correct use of the ancient term but nicely appropriated by Silverberg for this series.

The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula Le Guin

This is the Eighty-sixth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

Once I realised that I didn't have this on my bookshelf I kept an eye out and purchased a copy. As the cover rightly says, it is a classic of (science) fiction, and one cannot have too many Le Guin books on the shelf in case one gets snowed in for a week.

Tehanu - Ursula Le Guin

This is the Eighty-fifth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

There are nearly twenty years between the last in the original Earthsea trilogy and this work. Often this is a recipe for disaster and one might chose to discard the late comer, product of an author revisiting an earlier very successful work (perhaps at the nudging of a publisher?). This is certainly true for a number of books and series that I've added to the bookshelf where I've declined to include the latter-works (Herbert and Brin come to mind) which are worthy enough but do not reach the same heights. 

However this is still a quality work from Le Guin, though the subject matter is probably too sombre for the younger audience that could enjoy her first three Earthsea books. This work also reflects the author pondering the structures of her imagined society as her perspective on society has matured over the years. So there, read this if you wish or stop at the end of The Farthest Shore.

The Farthest Shore - Ursula Le Guin

This is the Eighty-fourth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

It was Tolkien who said, in the Hobbit, that good times go quickly for the people involved and make dull telling. Unfortunately this is true and good times don't make compelling stories. The' lived happily ever after' is usually the end and not the beginning!

This last of the original trilogy of Earthsea books nicely demonstrates the truth that trouble makes for a good tale, and things are troubled in the Archipelago. There is also a darkness to this book that reflects the darkness in the heart of the author and shows that a writer will reveal themselves when they write, and so they should. I always very much enjoy this book but it isn't so comfortable reading as the author also holds up a mirror to our own heart.

The Tombs of Atuan - Ursula Le Guin

This is the Eighty-third in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

For many years this second tale from Earthsea was my least favourite of the trilogy. Yet as I grew older I found that it had become the one I preferred. How did that happen? Not sure, but perhaps it reflects that a book stays the same but the reader changes! Perhaps there is more underlying darkness in this book and that was less palatable to my younger self, or perhaps I developed a taste for a slower moving, slow burning plot - gathering pace until the tension is at breaking point. Good book this one.

A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula Le Guin

This is the Eighty-second in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

The books in the Earthsea canon are my favourite Le Guin books.

She weaves so many elements of fantasy and morality into this first story that it verges on being a fable but never becomes cliched or gratuitous. As with her science fiction universe the imagined fabric of Earthsea is a rich tapestry against which she explores her characters and yet the plot drives the reader to turn page after page.

As well as being a benchmark for writers of fantasy, this book is an exemplar of the children's book - a book that is accessible to a child but doesn't disappoint an adult.

The Dispossessed - Ursula Le Guin

This is the Eighty-first in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

Ursula Le Guin creates a compelling alternative universe in which to set her story, an achievement in itself, but she is mostly interested in the moral and ethical challenges that face her characters. I think this statement is true for all of her works. She does both brilliantly.

I don't believe that I need to say any more.

The Shadow of the Torturer - Gene Wolfe

This is the Eightieth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

I feel almost literary with my next couple of posts. Works of science fiction fiction that are beautifully written, engrossing and confronting. Not usually my taste and while I've read the other three volumes in The Book of the New Sun I don't have them on my bookshelf, but I do have this one. 

Nightfall - Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg

This is the Seventy-ninth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

As any science fiction reader worth their salt will know already, Nightfall (the original short story by Asimov) is a seminal work in the canon of the genre. This is an adaptation of the original story into a novel.

I am not a fan of works with more than one author (though I have already included a couple, just to show that there are always exceptions in life to any rule) and especially works in later life by a luminary of the genre with a younger co-author (or worse a progeny of the author). These are usually to be avoided.

However in this case Silverberg is a luminary in his own right and the end product is a worthy addition to my bookshelf.

Songs of Stars and Shadows - George R.R. Martin

This is the Seventy-eighth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

I discovered Martin's science fiction many years ago and particularly enjoyed his short stories. I'm not a great fan of short story collections as a rule but I am a great fan of Martin's writing. This collection is the one that I have on my shelf, but I would commend Tuf Voyaging for those wanting a great read in a connected set of stories.

I would also note that I found the Game of Thrones books too bloody and dark for my taste, sorry George, and will certainly not be watching the very popular series. 

Glory Season - David Brin

This is the Seventy-seventh in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

This is a departure from David Brin's Uplift series, telling a road trip narrative on an imagined world, but similarly using a science fiction setting to place his characters and explore their reactions. Worth a look and I still have my copy on the bookshelf after many years.

The Uplift War - David Brin

This is the Seventy-sixth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

This story follows close on the heels of Startide Rising and maintains the tension and pace (and mind bending alien and uplifted earthling names). Not for the fainthearted, this is for the science fiction fan.

Startide Rising - David Brin

This is the Seventy-fifth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

The Uplift story continues, some time down the track from the original novel, and it is this second book that is the stand out of the series in my opinion. It is gripping, has a great, slow build climax and keeps you turning the page.

Also has a great title - Startide Rising. Not sure what it means but it is evocative!

Sundiver - David Brin

This is the Seventy-fourth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

I continue my run of science fiction with this first novel in what became the very well regarded Uplift series by David Brin. Written in 1980 it isn't the high point of the series - and a first book often isn't - but it is a fine example of creating a universe in which the author can set his characters (human and otherwise) and explore the way in which they navigate the realities of that time and place, with some drama and science thrown in for good measure. I particularly like the concept of the 'library' as repository of ALL knowledge (how can that be a bad thing) and the effect that it has on innovation and creativity.

Lord Valentine's Castle - Robert Silverberg

This is the Seventy-third in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

I am surprised that this Robert Silverberg novel and other books set on the extraordinary planet Majipoor are not better known. They are well crafted, complex and thought provoking - and very good science fiction. Perhaps they lack a certain popularism, but I suspect they will endure over the years.This one stands up well after more than 30 years.

I wonder how many readers have been inspired to take up juggling?

Cyteen - C.J. Cherryh

This is the Seventy-second in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

Dense, difficult to follow, engrossing and intellectual. You often feel - when reading Cherryh - that you have come late to the party and have missed out on the introductions and entree - or that you have joined a guided tour but didn't get the handout and don't know if it is the right tour. However that is just her style and if you can live with it, read and enjoy.

Downbelow Station - C.J. Cherryh

This is the Seventy-first in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

Cherryh is an author that passed me by for many years. I think that the cheap, garish covers on her books may have influenced my avoidance, as I had seen them on the shelves but had never opened one or explored the interior. One of my cousins is a serious reader and has been collecting Cherryh's books for years. She introduced me to this amazing author and I have been a big fan ever since. Unfortunately I don't have many on my bookshelf, having borrowed from my cousin's private collection, but I am on the lookout for some titles that I must have. Unfortunately Cherryh is not a supporter of the ebook format otherwise I would be adding them to my Kindle instead of being disappointed in their availability in new and secondhand bookshops. Some of her earlier works are only in print as omnibus and I don't like that. However I will add to my bookshelf in the fullness of time.

This particular title is an excellent example of what makes Cherryh's science fiction so good. I don't claim that she is always an easy read or that her books don't occasionally have flat patches and can be a little dark and uncomfortable but she captures the reader's sense of perspective in a manner I've not encountered before and then turns you on your head. Traveling and living in space, being a human amongst aliens or being an alien - she is a genius. Seriously. Iconic. Must-read for the serious science fiction fan.

Time for the Stars - Robert Heinlein

This is the Seventieth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

The last in my current sequence of Heinlein books but not my last!

The picture on the cover of this version describes something that happened in the story and which stuck with me since I first read the book as a youth. There are primal fears in that image!

I think that one of the enduring attractions of Heinlein is his ability to capture the imagination of the reader and to influence how the reader thinks about things - the renown Heinlein philosophy of life. There is a great deal to like about this book and I recommend it to you.

Rocketship Galileo - Robert Heinlein

This is the Sixty-ninth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

Apparently, when Heinlein pitched this book, the publisher thought that travel to the moon was too far and initially rejected it. It was 1947 and the publisher was right in a sense. The moon is an awful long way! Not one of Heinlein's best books but very readable and has all the elements that I like about his juvenile works.

Double Star - Robert Heinlein

This is the Sixty-eighth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

I am happy to return to the world of science fiction for the next run of titles from the bookshelf.

This Hugo award winning novel has a plot device that is timeless but handled masterfully by the master!

Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them - Newt Scamander

This is the Sixty-seventh in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

This is the last of my Rowling books on the bookshelf, though I a book on Quidditch wouldn't go astray and I suspect there will be other Rowling books to come. The Casual Vacancy was a little bleak for the better half and I've not attempted The Cuckoo's Calling yet but am getting very good word of mouth reviews.

Newt Scamander will be the lead character in a new film series with the script being written by Rowling. I look forward to it and especially to see if she can imbue her film script with the light humour present in this book.  

The Tales of Beedle the Bard - J.K.Rowling

This is the Sixty-sixth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

Those who have read the Harry Potter series to its conclusion know that the stories in this collection are integral to the plot. Even if you knew little or nothing about the world of Harry Potter the tales in the collection are gripping. Rowling totally gets the ancient tradition of fairy tales.

For those who are avid fans of the series then this allows you to revisit the world for a brief while.

Recommended.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K.Rowling

This is the Sixty-fifth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

This last and much anticipated book in the Harry Potter series was released in July 2007 amidst great secrecy and extraordinary logistics. The attempts, largely successful, to embargo the book and release simultaneously worldwide created an hysteria. We were not immune. However - we were travelling by car during its release, a long journey that had two overnight stops, to an isolated place on the Western Australian coast called Coral Bay. The last major town we passed through before our week in relative isolation was Carnarvon (which is not major by world definitions of a town, google it if you want to see what I mean). At this time my daughter was also reading the series and we both wanted the last book. We dropped into a newsagent in the town, expecting to get a copy, but their long faces told us the sad news. The shipment of books hadn't arrived. Carnarvon was the town Harry forgot.

We survived the disappointment and enjoyed our week at the coastal resort - despite being tormented by the sight of another guest who was clearly reading the Deathly Hallows by the pool. The day after our return to the city the kids went to school and the better half started a new job and I went to the shops and bought me a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I sat in the car and read the first chapter before I drove home. During the next week my daughter read it during the day and I read it after she had retired for the night.

This last book, which has such a convoluted plot to disentangle that it required two movies, was a bit of a struggle at times, but, the last 100 pages are magnificent. The first time I finished the book I went straight back and read those last chapters again. I will read all seven books again, and again. That is why they are on my bookshelf.

I'm a big admirer of Rowling. I think she has some real talents as a writer, particularly her naming of people and things, her twisty plots, her humour and her endearing (and not) characters. I think she is under rated and that her books will still be in print in a 100 years. However I am even more impressed by the fact that she likes to write and despite the global hysteria that surrounded the growing popularity of her books and the films, and the squillions of money she was making, and the subsequent off spring she had, that she managed to complete the series and bring it all home in a fabulous, satisfying and complete finale. She is one tough woman and clearly a compulsive writer. Hooray!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K.Rowling

This is the Sixty-fourth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

It is appropriate that Harry and Dumbledore dominate the cover as they dominate the story. Dumbledore has been a strong presence since the first page of the first book, but in this book he gets more screen time and much more depth.

Reflecting on the changing tone of the books as the series has progressed, it seems to me that they become darker as Harry becomes older, in some way reflecting the passage from child to adolescent and finally to almost adult. I'm not sure that this is a conscious thing from Rowling but the later books are more young adult in keeping with the age of the protagonists. As anyone who has read young adult fiction it isn't generally a pleasant place to dwell for too long!

The second last book in the series is an extended treasure hunt and has an ending that I didn't see coming and that I didn't accept until I had read the last book. As one has passages in a book that one doesn't like but has to pass through to get to the good parts, so this book is a passage to more cheerful things!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K.Rowling

This is the Sixty-third in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

Over 700 pages! Enough said on that score.

I don't find the larger than life and ever present Voldemort all that scary. Professor Dolores Umbridge from the Ministry of Magic however is another matter. Her small minded, bureaucratic, saccharin coated meanness is all too believable and I think she is one of the great villains of the series. When the revolution comes she would my choice for first up against the wall! 

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K.Rowling

This is the Sixty-second in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

While I am of the opinion that the Harry Potter series hits a peak with the previous book, that doesn't mean that the remaining books are not excellent. They are engaging and draw the reader along relentlessly (with one exception that I will mention in a later post), full of invention and plot twists.

However the size of the books grows alarmingly, starting with one, and I don't believe that just because an author has a head full of ideas and a complicated plot that their publisher should indulge them. I'm sure any of the last 4 books in this series could be improved by a ruthless editor. This is something of a modern trend, and I don't blame publishers who need to make a quid in a tough market, but the quality of a bloated book suffers from this lack of discipline.

Minor quibble. Enjoy, take your time and go along for the ride.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K.Rowling

This is the Sixty-first in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

I have no doubt that this book in the Harry Potter series is the best.

As a hardened reader of fantasy and science fiction I am not often surprised, but this devious and twisty plot was a surprise and a delight. There is also a poignancy about the relationship between the title characters that hits the right note. Coincidentally (or not) the film of the book is also, in my opinion, the best of the films by a long mark.

For me the series reaches a certain height in this third novel that isn't surpassed by the remaining books. 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K.Rowling

This is the Sixtieth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

Following up a first novel with a solid second book is a challenge and Rowling steps up to the plate. She uses a clever mixture of the familiar, starting in Primrose Lane, and the new - playing with the expected routine to tantalise the reader. The characters are well established but allowed to grow as they get older.

Harry Potter is a pastiche of genres in some ways and the 'children as detectives' is a tried and true plot device that Rowling exploits to full advantage in her series. In this second book there are also darker elements that begin to intrude giving a hint at the deeper themes that Rowling explores as her series progresses.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K.Rowling

This is the Fifty-ninth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

Not all of the books on my bookshelf were published in the middle of the last century and I do have some 'modern' works that are a must-have of which the Harry Potter books are top of my list.

As I reflect on what to say about this first book I realise that it is nearly 16 years since it was published. I can recall that we had recently moved into our house and had our first child when I began hearing about these hot new children's books. This was before information was passed at the speed of light. News was forced to slowly filter out via the more traditional word of mouth and mentions in the paper. The copy I have on my shelf is dated 1997 but mentions the first three titles in the cover pages and was likely printed in 2000. I wasn't early to the scene of the Harry Potter juggernaut but as I read about Harry and Ron and Hermione I remember telling my better half that she had to read this, it was something special. I was right!

There has been so much hype around the Harry Potter phenomenon that going back to read the first novel again is a breath of fresh air. It moves at a terrific pace, is packed with ideas -big plot ideas that carry the seven books and small sorting hat, Diagon Alley, mirror of Erised, Quidditch ideas - and is funny. I think that with the latter part of the series being rather dark that one forgets that Rowling is very, very funny. She is also gifted with the naming of people and things, rarely misses a step in that regard and it is one of her under valued strengths. This is a laugh aloud book. Harry Potter is fast, fun, inventive and a delight.

I think it was C.S. Lewis who said that a children's book that could only be read by children wasn't much of a book, and in this regard Rowling nails it as well. This first book works as well for me as for my kids. Never too late to get on board the Hogwarts Express.

The World of Pooh - A.A. Milne

This is the Fifty-eighth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

Speaking of iconic English bears I am delighted to include this ancient, battered and much treasured copy of Pooh. I can honestly say that the travesty of the Disney Pooh and his Disney friends have never been heard in our house but the original has been aloud with appropriate voices to the children and pondered for its simple wisdom and gentle irony, often quoted. To be enjoyed at leisure.

A Bear Called Paddington - Michael Bond

This is the Fifty-seventh in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

It would be hard to think of anything more typical of the English than Michael Bond's Paddington. The bear is exotic (from Darkest Peru) but everything else is so whimsically English. The eccentricities of one's home are best exposed by a visitor from abroad. Paddington fits the bill to a tea.

Like other classics on my bookshelf there are so many derivatives that if one hasn't experienced the original (and best) then one is missing out.

The Story of Doctor Dolittle - Hugh Lofting

This is the Fifty-sixth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

As a child I was an avid reader of Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle books. I would take out two or three at a time from the library and return them in a couple of days and look for more. I only have this single copy on my bookshelf, a copy that I bought for my kids, and I'm disappointed not to see the full set in the bookshops. I'm sure that silly film versions don't help! Might be time for a resurgence.

In any case my childhood was full of John Dolittle and his adventures.

The Revenge of Samuel Stokes - Penelope Lively

This is the Fifty-fifth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

This slightly more whimsical work by Penelope Lively is a delight. Gentle and pointed!

Astercote - Penelope Lively

This is the Fifty-fourth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

In Astercote, Penelope Lively's first book, we see the blending of the old and the new that characterized her works. The new has an authentic, contemporary crispness that provides a backdrop for the memories of older times. I particularly like the very 70's cover art on this copy.

The Ghost of Thomas Kempe - Penelope Lively

This is the Fifty-third in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

After my short run of Australian classics I thought I'd have a run of rather English children's books. I wouldn't say this was such a novelty as books set in England tend to dominate my bookshelf. For me, growing up in Australia, a Cornish village or a London street were interesting, exotic locations.

There are lots of things to like about Penelope Lively, especially her blending of historical and contemporary settings - a technique used by Ruth Park in Playing Beatie Bow. In this award winning novel I particularly like the way she has captured the exuberant joy of a boy's world and the low key use of fantasy.

Sun on the Stubble - Colin Thiele

This is the Fifty-second in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

Unusually for me this Australian classic has no hint of fantasy but nevertheless finds a place on my bookshelf. I suspect I was exposed to it first at school but it was good enough to survive being a set text (something publishers love but authors often don't).

This finishes my run of very Australian classics. I would recommend any of them for a flavour of the real Australia.

Taronga - Victor Kelleher

This is the Fifty-first in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

My search for Australian classics on my bookshelf found this excellent post-apocalyptic work by Victor Kelleher, providing a rather different view of Sydney's iconic zoo, which I've yet to visit in person. I'm sure there is at least one other of his books that has stuck in my memory, something to do with groves and I will have to go shopping!

An Older Kind of Magic - Patricia Wrightson

This is the Fiftieth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

My last bookshelf post made me wonder what other Australian classics I had on the shelf and so I went looking...

Patricia Wrightson is an icon and an inspiration, perhaps under appreciated. I can only find one of her novels on my shelf but I've read most of her works at one time or another. The lack of her others on my bookshelf is one that I will have to address!

Playing Beatie Bow - Ruth Park

This is the Forty-ninth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

I love a good fantasy, as you may have worked out from my bookshelf, and I particularly like one that is set in a realistic urban environment and this is Australian with an historical twist to boot. Having lived all of my life in Perth my vision of Sydney and a wider Australia was formed by books such as this.

Ms 14 has just finished reading it and comments "it is so nice to have a really Australian classic to read and with a protagonist my age". I couldn't agree more.

Coffee - greasing the wheels

I was pondering the role of coffee* in my working life and have come to the realisation that it is important. I am not the only person to come to this conclusion. Our recently retired Vice-Chancellor commented (I loosely paraphrase) that world class scholars needed world class coffee - and coffee shops that open after 4pm.

When I say coffee is an essential ingredient in my working life I don't just mean the act of drinking a hot brew, though that is self evidently a Good Thing. I am talking about the process of having a coffee with someone. This is different to having a meeting. If you are having a meeting then you would meet in a meeting room, have an agenda and commit to actions. You sent a meeting invite. You take notes. You try to get through the business efficiently so you can go and have a coffee.

However in my working life you often want to engage with someone, perhaps someone you don't know very well or someone that you want to sound out on an issue (that might lead to a meeting) or someone you just want to get to know better in the likely event that you may have common interests - now or in the future. These coffee catch ups at work are the not-meetings that help build the intangible network that makes up an organisation.

In days gone past you may have had a beer with someone at the club during lunch or caught them at the pub  on the way home from work (while the wife prepared your dinner). Today it is the coffee shop where you have a meeting of minds.

Coffee - the essential ingredient in building a working community.

* you can of course substitute any other brew of choice, I am using the word coffee in a generic 'hot or cold drink' sense

Masters of The Vortex - E.E 'Doc' Smith

This is the Forty-eighth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

This last and later book in the lensman series is more of a story set in the lensman universe than a part of the series as such. Still enjoyable and rounds out the works by E.E. 'Doc' Smith on my bookshelf.

Children of the Lens - E.E 'Doc' Smith

This is the Forty-seventh in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

This is the real conclusion to the lensman series and brings the saga to a crunching and satisfying finish, tying up the loose ends and rounding out the story cycle.

Second Stage Lensman - E.E 'Doc' Smith

This is the Forty-sixth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

The three book cycle that forms the core of the larger lensman series, continues in this work, dominated by Kimball Kinnison.

One of the traps that a writer can fall into is to create an internal arms race as the story escalates with larger and more catastrophic consequences and more powerful and evil villains and the plots can spiral out of control, losing credibility and leaving the writer no where to go and the reader jaded and disinterested. One of the defining features of the lensman series is that Smith manages an ever increasing escalation without ever losing control of the plot. Admirable.

Gray Lensman - E.E 'Doc' Smith

This is the Forty-fifth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

The story continues apace in this middle book of the trilogy within a series.The persistent threat of the evil masterminds of the Boskone drive the heroic Kimball Kinnison to the brink of disaster. Can our hero survive? Will the truth be revealed?

Galactic Patrol - E.E 'Doc' Smith

This is the Forty-forth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

This book and the next two are dominated by the legendary lensman Kimball Kinnison. We follow his extraordinary heroic doings, within the unfolding larger story, which is revealed layer by layer like a reverse galactic onion.

First Lensman - E.E 'Doc' Smith

This is the Forty-third in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

The Lensman series starts to gather momentum with the first lensman setting the tone for those who would follow. There are the small battles within the larger battle and the introduction of non-human lensmen.

The Lensman series has been compared to Asimov's Foundation series and there are many points of similarity, especially with the large canvas of space and time and the deterministic nature of the universe, but Asimov tends to be cool and intellectual, while Smith is emotive with lots of rough and tumble.

Triplanetary - E.E 'Doc' Smith

This is the Forty-second in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

The Lensman series, in a manner reminiscent of Dickens, Conan Doyle and others, was mostly first published in a serial form in magazines and later collected together as a series of novels. I am adding them to the bookshelf in reading order though I believe the original stories were written and published in a different sequence, re-written for internal consistency etc etc. This is the type of series that defines 'space opera' and can still be enjoyed nearly 60 years after it was written.

This first book sets the scene for a battle that spans galaxies and eons, but is played out on a small stage with very human and likable, slightly larger than life, characters.