The Epic of Space

The following are the words of E.E. Doc Smith describing the writing of his Lensman books. I found it on a corner of the Internet, and I know not if it is still in copyright. If anyone objects I will take it down. Until then, I hope you find it as fascinating as did I:

The Epic of Space

How do I write a space story? The question is simple and straightforward enough. The answer, however, is not; since it involves many factors.

What do I, as a reader, like to read? Campbell, de Camp, Heinlein, Leinster, Lovecraft, Merritt, Moore, Starzl, Taine, van Vogt, Weinbaum, Williamson-all of these rate high in my book. Each has written more than one tremendous story. They cover the field of fantastic fiction, from pure weird to pure science fiction. While very different, each from all the others, they have many things in common, two of which are of interest here.

First, they all put themselves into their work. John Kenton is Abraham Merritt; Jirel of Joiry is Catherine Moore.

Second, each writes-or wrote -between the lines, so that one reading is not enough to discover what is really there. Two are necessary-three and four are often-times highly rewarding. Indeed, there are certain stories which I still re-read, every year or so, with undiminished pleasure.

Consider Merritt, for instance. He wrote four stories “The Ship of Ishtar,” “The Moon Pool,” “The Snake Mother,” and “Dwellers in the Mirage”-which will be immortal. A ten-year-old child can read them and thrill at the exciting adventurous surface stories. A poet can read them over and over for their feeling and imagery. A philologist can study them for their perfection of wording and phraseology. And yet, underlying each of them, there is a bedrock foundation of philosophy, the magnificence of which simply cannot be absorbed at one sitting.

In this connection, how many of you have read, word by word, the ascent to the Bower of Bel, in “The Ship of Ishtar?” Those who have not, have missed one of the most sublime passages in literature. And yet a friend of mine told me that he had skipped “that stuff.” It was too dry!

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Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.