
A meticulous chronicler attempts to capture the deeds of Kimball Kinnison, the Gray Lensman whose reputation spans planets and species across two galaxies. The prologue frames his record as part biography, part history, acknowledging the difficulty of condensing a life that helped shape the Galactic Council’s victory over the Boskonian menace. Listeners are introduced to the vast, diverse audience that will someday hear his story—from readers on world‑wide libraries to beings who receive narratives telepathically.
The narrative rewinds to Earth’s gritty early days, when law‑breakers outran the limited reach of fledgling police forces. As automobiles gave way to stratospheric aircraft and finally to interplanetary travel, criminals learned to slip between worlds, exposing the need for a new kind of guardian. Against this backdrop, the emergence of the Galactic Patrol and Kinnison’s ascent hint at a larger conflict that will test the limits of human and alien resolve.
Language
en
Duration
~9 hours (565K characters)
Series
Lensman 4.
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: Street & Smith Publications, Inc.,1939.
Credits
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2022-12-19
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1890–1965
A pioneering force in early science fiction, he helped define the grand, galaxy-spanning adventure later known as space opera. His Skylark and Lensman stories set the pattern for generations of writers who dreamed bigger and bolder.
View all books
by E. E. (Edward Elmer) Smith

by E. E. (Edward Elmer) Smith

by E. E. (Edward Elmer) Smith

by E. E. (Edward Elmer) Smith

by E. E. (Edward Elmer) Smith

by E. E. (Edward Elmer) Smith

by E. E. (Edward Elmer) Smith

by E. E. (Edward Elmer) Smith