Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg Anos
Spoiler alert! [ For E.E. 'Doc' Smith's Lensmen series]
Spoiler:
There aren't any major difference, at least until later in Gray Lensman, but a number of phraseology changes, and a lessening of the Arisian appearance of competency. They are still really smart, but nearly as overpowering as in the novel version.
Several general examples of changes:
Galactic Patrol: When Kinnison captures 6 Boskonian ships, the surviving crew of Britiannia are scattered among the 6 ships, rather than being concentrated in one ship of the 6 in the novel.
Gray Lensman: in the torture scene with the Delgonian Overlord, Kinnison ends up physically fighting the Overlord, (completely implausible!) rather than having the worm switch off the thought screen. (obviously an editorial re-write, and a clumsy one at that!)
No major scene omissions or insertions, just editorial steeping on various scenes, from trivial to major.
I haven't started on Second Stage Lensmen yet.
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Thank you.
Your findings about Smith's serialized novels are generally the same that I have experienced in serialized novels published in popular SF magazines (especially 'IF Science Fiction' and 'Galaxy Magazine of Science Fiction', and even short story collections of the 1940s and 1950s, such as A.E. Van Vogt's Null series and in Clifford D. Simak ('City'), and in Zenna Henderson's work). In fact, this seemed to be the norm back then, perhaps due to an attempt to legitimize the field as authors attempted to dig SF out of its perceived 'ghetto market' persona; and, in addition, as publishers (perhaps due to Ray Bradbury's growing influence in the early 50s, and then later with Harlan Ellison's landmark 'Dangerous Visions' anthology in 1967.) I'm also thinking of Robert Silverberg as he abandoned the pulpish SF of his early period. The same can be said of Michael Moorcok's mature work, as well, I believe. Of course, all of this is an over-simplification of why serialized novels were later fleshed out to a different level of emancipation as authors embraced a more mature, universal, and personal vision of their work.
And don't forget money!
