E E Smith

Triplanetary E E Smith

The first installment in E. E. Smith's ("Doc Smith") groundbreaking and genre defining space opera. As humanity begins reaching out to the stars, it encounters technologically advanced alien races, including the Eddorians and the Arisians. Unknown at the time to the exploring humans, aliens had long been using the population of Earth in genetic experiments to breed lineages to be used in interplanetary war. In Triplanetary, readers are introduced to the characters of Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison. The narrative spans time periods from pre-destruction Atlantis, to ancient Rome, to the First, Second (and Third!) World Wars. The "Triplanetary League" is an alliance formed among Earth, Mars, and Venus. The Space Opera genre would come to influence science fiction for years to come, including by being an inspiration for Star Wars and other works.