Triplanetary, First in the Lensman Series

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Triplanetary was first serialized in Amazing Stories in 1934. After the Lensman series
became popular, Smith took his Triplanetary story and turned it into the first of the
£ Lensman series, using it as a prequel to give the back story for the protaganists in the
CO Lensmen series. He added 6 new chapters, doubling it in size and it's really a different
book from the serialized novel, being published 14 years after the first. It was put into
O Gutenberg just last year.

The novel covers several episodes in an eons-long eugenics project of the super-
intelligences of the Arisia. This alien race is breeding two genetic lines to become the
ultimate weapon in Arisia's cosmic war with their arch enemy, the Eddore. The initial
chapters cover the Kinnison genetic line during the fall of Atlantis and Nero's
(Gharlane of Eddore) reign in Rome. These tales were inserted into the novel following
the serialized release, along with chapters covering members of the Kinnison line in
World Wars One, Two and Three. The final chapter of Triplanetary tells of the
discovery of the inertialess drive that allows faster than light travel. Patrolman
Conway Costigan and his friends engage in a space battle with Gray Roger the pirate
gangster. This conflict is complicated by the arrival of the technologically superior,
extra-Solar, amphibian-like Nevians, resulting in the first interstellar war involving
humans. In this story Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison, two very important
members of the eugenics project, are introduced. They will play the leading roles in
the next story, First Lensman. (Summary by Wikipedia and Phil Chenevert)

flj Read by Phil Chenevert. Total running time: 10:31:09
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This recording is in the public domain and may be reproduced, distributed, or modified without
"q^ permission. For more information or to volunteer, visit librivox.org.

Cover picture by magazine. Copyright expired in U.S., Canada, EU. and all countries with author's
life +70 yrs laws. Cover design by Annise. This design is in the public domain.

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