Astounding Science Fiction, British Edition — page 123: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE REFERENCE LIBRARY 121 SECOND STAGE LENSMAN, by Edward E. Smith, Ph.D. Fantasy Press, Reading. 1953. 307 pp. $3.00 Sad to say, Doc Smith’s sagas of the Lensmen are slowly but inevitably approaching their grand finale. There is but one volume to go after this— “Children of the Lens’—although Fantasy Press reports that the old world-wrecker is at work on a new cycle of yarns dealing with Kinnison’s universe and recalling some old pals, Worsel of Valantia and a newcomer, Nadreck of Palain. I may be wrong, since my ASF files are in storage, but it seems to me that Nadreck has been added to the cast of Lensmen and some episodes in which he is important have been added to the plot since “Second Stage Lensman” first was serialized here in 1941-42. He is especially well fitted to cope with those nasties from away back, the Overlords of Delgon and the Eich, who reappear behind the scenes of the present action. Again it is Kinnison and Civiliza- tion against Boskone. This time we are treated to some new characters— the beautiful but deadly matriarchs of Lyrane, the glamorous [llona of Lonabar, and the vicious Alcon, Tyrant of Thrale. Clarrissa Mac- Dougall becomes the Red Lensman— Kinnison becomes a tyrant on-the- make—Worsel mops up another lot of Overlords. Who needs to describe a Lensman yarn? It’s space opera to the nth degree, by the man who invented space opera, polished and repolished. You either like it a lot—though you probably won’t believe a word of it— or you can’t stand it at all. I hope by this time you know which camp you're in. THE CONTINENT MAKERS, by L. Sprague de Camp. Twayne Publishers, Inc.. New York, 1953, 272 pp. $2.95 This collection is subtitled “And Other Tales of the Viagens.” Included are seven short stories—three from this magazine—and one short novel, the title story. It should be no news to ASF readers that the Viagens stories deal with a future—dated here between A.D. 2054 and 2153—in which a dominant Brazil conducts interstellar commerce among the planets of various stars, and particularly with Vishnu, Krishna and Ganesha of Tau Ceti, Osiris, Isis and Thoth of Procyon, and Thor of Epsilon Eridani. In this broad setting there is ample room for swashbuckling, skulduggery and horseplay, in which de Camp deals deftly from time to time. Out of this setting, on the other hand, has come just one really memorable book—‘Rogue Queen.” That is in a class by itself. Here you will find entertainment, ideas skill- fully played with, precise care for detail and consistency, but actually not too much plot-suspense. So logical is the development of most of the stories, that the experienced reader knows what must be coming next. The collection opens with “The Inspector’s Teeth’ and with an Osirian dinosaur enrolled as a _ freshman at Atlantic U. and pledged to Iota Gamma Omicron. In “Summer | Wear’ a fashion sales agent mixes with an equally unscrupulous rival, subjective time, and Hollywood fash- ion-proneness. “Finished” introduces the problem of keeping the highly alert Krishnans from out-world inventions and mixes in the affair of the Sotaspean mummy. All good fun, which you probably remember well. : “The Galton Whistle”—originally Connie ooolkks.€© im