Cartoon Planet Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Not all rediscoveries are fun. On a high from the Star Trek movie, I was looking for some old-fashioned space opera and gave the Lensman books another whirl. Rather, the Lensman book: I got about three pages into part two before hollering basta. My tolerance for square-jawed heroes is pretty high, but "Doc" Smith really abuses the privilege. Chapter after chapter of sang froid and joshing in the face of death and roll-up-your-sleeves gumption make you remember just how radical Philip K. Dick's schlubs looked back in the sixties. Then there's the cosmic chess game and the hilariously weird science--all of which might be enjoyable on their own but taken together are just too alienating to make for a good read.

@ 6:57:00 AM,

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