The Skylark of Space

Description

Written during the second decade of the 20th century, in an era when space travel was just fantasy, The Skylark of Space by E. E. Smith is a science fiction novel that is just as exhilarating for readers today as it was when it was first published. It is considered by many to be the first space opera and also one of the first pieces in the genre to feature interstellar journeys.

The plot of Skylark revolves around the conflict between good and evil, between the idealistic and the mercantile, embodied by amazing, larger-than-life characters. The protagonist is Dick Seaton, an ingenious and, in many respects, naïve scientist who discovers a space drive made from copper and a fictional mineral called X that can be used for creating a space ship that he calls Skylark.

The evil antagonist, DuQuesne is determined to sabotage the creation of the ship and to create a ship of his own using Seaton’s documentations. DuQuesne builds the ship indeed and he uses it to kidnap Seaton’s fiancée. Seaton sets off on pursuit of DuQuesne and his space ship and that is where his extraordinary journey starts, taking him through all sorts of dangerous and exciting adventures on various planets across the galaxy. The story ends with everyone returning safely to Earth, but DuQuesne escapes the ship just before landing – a story element that allows Smith to create sequels to the story.

The success of the book prompted E. E. Smith to write sequels to it, so The Skylark of Space is the first in the line of stories featuring the same protagonist, such as Skylark Three, Skylark of Valeron and Skylark DuQuesne, so if you enjoyed this novel, don’t be sad that you have finished it, you will surely find the other Skylark stories just as entertaining and exciting.
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