Eclipsing Binaries

Family d'Alembert #8

by E.E. "Doc" Smith, Stephen Goldin

Jules and Yvette d'Alembert must discover who is using doubles of themselves to lure other agents to their death

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy

184 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Edward Elmer Smith (also E.E. Smith, E.E. Smith, Ph.D., E.E. “Doc” Smith, Doc Smith, “Skylark” Smith, or—to his family—Ted), was an American food engineer (specializing in doughnut and pastry mixes) and an early science fiction author, best known for the Lensman and Skylark series. He is sometimes called the father of space opera.

Reviews

[Kevin O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the eighth in a 10 novel series which was mostly written by Stephen Goldin. Doc Smith wrote a novella called Imperial Stars which Goldin expanded into the first novel, and then Goldin wrote another 9 novels in a long story arc. But Smith is the famous one, so his name appears in large letters everywhere and Goldin is barely mentioned.

The setting is a universe where a Russian Feudal system has somehow become the dominant mode of government and of the language, so we see Russian words sprinkled throughout the conversations. Humanity has spread to a number of planets with varying characteristics. One of these is DesPlaines, a high gravity planet whose inhabitants have adapted by becoming shorter and stockier, and which has developed a unique attraction, The Circus of the Galaxy. What people don't know is that this circus is also a key part of the secret service SOTE, the Service Of The Empire. This allows for an interesting twist for space opera, a series where the heroes do not have secret weapons or super powers, merely acrobatic training.

The conspiracy against the Imperial family has taken notice of the fact that so many of their plots have been foiled by Jules and Yvette d'Alembert. So they create doubles of the two agents who go around the galaxy getting other agents killed. The idea is to make these top agents useless since no one knows if it is the real agents or the traitorous doubles. But Jules and Yvette d'Alembert, top agents of SOTE, must get to the bottom and stop this plot. And they confront Lady A.'s conspiracy on a battlestation in space that was designed to lure them to their death. The book is fast-paced and a good combination of space opera with spy thriller. But since this a 10-novel story arc, each novel builds on what went before, so do not read them out of order.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turns out this pre lockdown charity shop was number eight in a series of episodic short novels which although are seemingly co authored are mainly Stephen Gold in tales using characterisation from E.E. Doc Smith...Smith being the bigger 'name' gets too billing.
I'm not sure if I wholly under the term 'space opera' but a series with twists and turns of a dynasty or two within a intergalactic setting seems to sum up much I have read referred to as such so I'm saying this would be 'Space Opera'
Despite it being number eight I found this easy to follow who was who and to get who was the bad guy(or gal in this one) swiftly and as a intergalactic romp I enjoyed this...unlike other times of this nature the story is short punchy and not over elaborate which made for a better tale.
I probably will seek other s in this series despite the fact as I've gone out of sequence I suspect any 'spouse's have already looked through me reading this.

[Alice]

I always enjoy rereading "Doc" Smith. It is escapism at it's finest for me.

[Derek · Rating 1 out of 5]

I went into it thinking I'd dislike it, which is probably the wrong attitude. And I have only read a smattering of the earlier of the series, and not recently. And I hated Purity Plot.

And then the newborn started screaming and I asked myself what this book was really giving me and didn't have an answer.

[ricky]

Very good

I am really enjoying these books again. Relatively short compared to some modern books but it means the story can crack on at a lively pace.