Imperial Stars: Family D'Alembert Book 1

Family d'Alembert #1

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

Smith, E.E. Doc, Imperial Book 1, Family d'Alembert Series

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Space Opera, Science Fiction Fantasy, Espionage, Classics, Literature

155 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2011

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

[Mark Hebwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first rated it, I gave this book one star. This rating was seen as scandalous by some in the Goodreads community - well, Paul thought so, anyway - and I am now recording what I have to say for myself.

When I read the Family d'Alembert series for the first time, I was a teenager - a young teenager at that, I don't think I was older than 12, certainly not 14. And.... I LOVED it. I remember being completely absorbed in the James Bond-style spy caper, the space opera settings, the banter between the main characters.

And I should have left it at that. But no. I had to go and destroy it all. A few months ago, I revisited my childhood joy and picked the book up again. As an adult.

And as an adult, you cannot read this stuff. The characters are totally transparent, the banter makes you cringe, and the plot does not even need its space-opera settings to work in the admittedly superficial way it does.

But as Paul pointed out to me, all this is irrelevant. The "Doc" did not write his novels for an adult readership. The fact that his stories appealed to a teenage mind is enough. And yes, to anticipate Paul's next comment, I have not exactly matured into somebody whose literary needs can only be met by the highest standards of art and refinement, so who am I to condemn the Doc even now, at a more advanced age?

So here it is. I changed my rating to 5*. This is a rating by Mark the teenager. And I learnt a valuable lesson also - there is a risk in revisiting your childhood dreams. If you do so, they may lose the innocent lustre they had then - so best not to try and polish them up.

So I didn't, and went along to award 5*s to all of the Doc's books I read at the time. Actually, it felt really good to do this. :-)

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had this series years and years ago but the books fell apart and I foolishly threw them out, thinking I was past reading this sort of sci-fi. However, on a recent trip to a charity book shop, I was offered the full set of 'Family d'Alembert' books for - wait for it - £2.50.

And I am reading them again. What a joy! And yes, they are ridiculously over-written and far-fetched, with impossible characters and unbelievable plots - sort of 'Tarzan in space' novels - so fast paced and action packed that you simply don't have chance to pick up on the plot holes.

But.. damnit, it's good to read them again. And I got the 'Skylark' series for £1.50 at the same time! Now I just need to find the Lensman series!

Five stars - simply because its brave, exciting, ridiculous, implausible, adventurous and .. FUN!! (and takes me back to my teenage years)

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has aged better, I think, than the bulk of E.E. 'Doc' Smith's books. That's probably largely because it wasn't written by him; it was written by Stephen Goldin, based upon a novella by the Doc. It wasn't published until 1976 and this is reflected by both style and the cultural assumptions underpinning it.

The only things that date the book, really, were the chapter preambles which didn't know anything about the failure of communism in the U.S.S.R. and the computers that chatter as they process their tapes!

More than anything else, the thing this book has in common with the kosher Smith novels is that it's a rollicking good tale, rattling on from start to finish at a breakneck pace. It's traditional, fifties-and-sixties-style space opera, the sort of book that carries you eagerly from page to page. Just don't expect much in the way of depth ...

[Jay Fusco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book in a used book store. I have read some of Smith's other books but was not familiar with this series. I plan on reading the other books when I can find them.

[George K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Η πρώτη μου επαφή με αυτόν τον κλασικό συγγραφέα παλπ επιστημονικής φαντασίας (εντάξει, το μεγαλύτερο μέρος του βιβλίου είναι γραμμένο από τον Γκόλντιν, αλλά βασίζεται στις ιδέες του Σμιθ), και έμεινα αρκετά ευχαριστημένος. Περίμενα παλπ space opera και ήταν όντως έτσι.

Η όλη δημιουργία είναι ιδιαίτερα ενδιαφέρουσα, εννοώ την Αυτοκρατορία που αποτελείται από δεκάδες κατοικήσιμους πλανήτες, που διοικούνται από Δούκες και Βαρόνους, με κεντρικό αρχηγό τον Αυτοκράτορα φυσικά. Η όλη ιστορία δεν είναι ιδιαίτερα πολύπλοκη, μια συνωμοσία εξυφαίνεται με σκοπό την πτώση του Αυτοκράτορα για να ανέλθει στην εξουσία ένας νόθος γιος παλαιότερου Αυτοκράτορα. Πολλοί πράκτορες της Αυτοκρατορίας προσπάθησαν να βρουν ένα σημαντικό για την αποτροπή της συνωμοσίας στοιχείο, χωρίς επιτυχία, οπότε επιστρατεύτηκαν τα δυο αδέλφια της οικογένειας Ντ'Αλαμπέρ, που είναι οι καλύτεροι. Και φυσικά, μετά από αναζητήσεις και μπόλικη ενδιαφέρουσα περιπέτεια, τα καταφέρνουν.

Δεν υπάρχουν ανατροπές, ούτε αγωνία, αλλά υπάρχει μπόλικη περιπέτεια και καλές σκηνές. Η ατμόσφαιρα πολύ καλή για παλπ space opera και οι χαρακτήρες καλοί και ενδιαφέροντες και αυτοί. Η γραφή, αν και του 1976, δείχνει ότι είναι πιο παλιά, αλλά ίσως ο Γκόλντιν ήθελε η γραφή του να είναι σαν αυτή του Σμιθ, οπότε εντάξει, δεν υπάρχει πρόβλημα.

Είναι και παλπ, αλλά βοηθά πολύ στη γρήγορη και εύκολη ανάγνωση του βιβλίου. Το βιβλίο είναι ό,τι πρέπει για ένα ξεκούραστο και ανάλαφρο απόγευμα.

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the 1st book in a 10 book series which I decided to try as I like long series. Stick with Lensmen, this left me feeling flat, two dimensional.

This is a fast paced spy novel containing little real SF in an uninteresting far future human universe. Granted the protagonists are from a world with 3 times the gravity of earth, giving them superhuman abilities, some which do not make sense. The story is predictable and frankly bored me. Everything about the book was 2-dimensional.

[Cary Enlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun diversion. Old time space opera. Heroes are heroic and the villains are dastardly. (You thought I was going to say villainous, didn't you). This is the kind of book where I would get into a marathon reading binge and consume a book a day for 3 weeks. Put brain on hold and enjoy.

[Jon]

A fair amount of time ago (pre-Amazon), I was reading and collecting the Family d'Alembert series written by "Doc" Smith (edited and finished by Goldin and published by his wife after his passing, I believe), and eventually just lost track of the progress of the series, so I missed the last few, which I didn't find out until I was playing around on Goodreads a month or so ago. I got lucky and found a source for a bunch of old SF ebooks, and all of the series was there, as well as his Lensman and Galactic Patrol stuff, which I've had in paperback for years. So, after so much time has passed, one can't just jump in at the end of the series and read the last ones, and I had to start at the beginning, with Imperial Stars.

It's difficult to say, at this point, so far removed from the time in which it was written, but there may be a bit more than just a bit of satire in this story, containing elements of the Bond mythos, some very broad space opera, and a pair of heroes who are trapeze artists from a long line of circus folks. Here in book 1, the Empire is threatened by the plotting of a pretender to the throne, the bastard cousin of the current Emperor Stanley. The bastard has possession of a patent acknowledging his parentage and nobility, and many good secret agents in the SOTE (Service of the Empire) have died trying to recover the document. At last, the Head of SOTE is down to his ultimate weapon, Jules and Yvette d'Alembert, performers in galaxy-renowned Circus of the Galaxy, where for generations the top agents of SOTE have trained in secret.

Jules and Yvette and their family come from the triple-gravity planet of DesPlaines, so they are far faster and stronger than ordinary humans, and their training has made them the most deadly creatures in the galaxy. They go undercover on several worlds to uncover the conspiracy and to foil the plots of the evil bastard, far too handily for serious fiction, but in an amusing and overblown and heroic fashion all the same. A fun little mindless tale that broke me out of my reading slump at last.

[Kevin O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in a 10 novel series which was mostly written by Stephen Goldin. Doc Smith wrote a novella called Imperial Stars which Goldin expanded into this 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.

In this opening novel the threat they deal with is a pretender to the throne who is plotting to take over via a coup. Jules and Yvette d'Alembert, top agents of SOTE, must get to the bottom and stop this plot. The book is fast-paced and a good combination of space opera with spy thriller.

[Frank Carver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I read both the Lensman and Skylark series, and most if not all of the minor works when I was young, and have re-read them all from time to time since, I had held off from reading this series as it is not "pure" E. E. 'Doc' Smith, and I was concerned that the books would somehow dirty my memory of the others.

I did enjoy this book, and I will move on to reading the others in due course. All the classic 'Doc' Smith tropes are there -ridiculously beautiful and competent protagonists, random brand names and unexplained acronyms, pulp-style action, and so on, but there were also times when it seemed to veer a little too close to pastiche of the more well-known stories.

What I found most interesting was the background setting. I wasn't expecting an alternate history in which galactic society developed into feudalism via communism of all things. I guess that's the point of this first book, though.

[Luc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reviewing this book on the basis of what it is, rather than what modern standards would like it to be. This means that I went into this expecting kind of schlocky pulp sci-fi shenanigans, and that is exactly what I got, goddamnit.

The D'Alemberts are acrobats with superhuman capabilities because they're from a planet with triple earth gravity. They're also interplanetary super-spies. I'm obsessed with this concept. It's like an unholy mashup of Nightwing and Superman, and that's exactly the vibe of the story. It's fun, it's pulpy, there's very little tension except wondering how exactly they're going to pull off their plans.

Yeah, it's also very 60's, but you know what? Surprisingly well-written women abound. I'm going to keep my eyes open for more of these books, because this scratched a reading itch I didn't know I had.

[Rex Libris · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Galactic Empire of a distant future, the secret agents have to find the illegitimate heir who wants to usurp the throne. The d'Alembert family is a traveling acrobatic circus, which is the cover for the brother and sister who are the best secret agents in the empire and tasked with finding the usurper.

What makes this story really interesting is the d'Alembert family is from the planet DesPlaines, which has gravity three times as high as Earth. Thus when these people are touring around the galaxy, they can do amazing acrobatic tricks, as well as formidable acts of secret agent-ing.

Between this and the Lensman series, Doc Smith is becoming one of my favorite authors. He knows how to write action-packed adventure stories.

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't finish it--gave it the old "your age + 1" pages (and I'm pretty old!) but it's not for me.

I don't mind that it's "fun" sf (I like fun!), it's that it was Stupid Writing. For instance, the protagonists are supposed to be the agency's 2 best spies. Except ... they've never worked in the field. And sorry, it doesn't matter how much talent one has, the New Kid is never going to be as good as someone more seasoned. It's irritating!

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).

[Brett O'Callaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book of this 10 book series of slim SF spy/action adventure novels. This series is one of my favourite series - they are just FUN!

This one was expanded by Stephen Goldin from a novella 'Doc Smith' wrote. Re-reading it now I am impressed with how Goldin does that, and seamlessly injects ideas and concepts that he's going to use in later books in the series.

The rest of the series is purely Goldins work, with no text or ideas from 'Doc Smith', and frankly all the better for that. Even this one, that does have Smith material, doesn't really read like Smith.

[Robert D · Rating 3 out of 5]

The galactic empire of earth is facing a threat, one that SOTE, the secret agency responsible for the security of the empire, has lost over 80 operatives trying to fully uncover. It's time to bring in the best agents available. Enter Jules and Yvette d'Alembert trained from birth to be the best agents SOTE ever had.

It's a short book and one a bit light on character development. It reads a bit like a James Bond story set in space. The story feels more like you're being told it than experiencing it through the characters. It was entertaining though.

[Dantegideon · Rating 1 out of 5]

We open with a super spy pole-vaulting his way into a mansion, where he evades such traps as an electric banister and a bomb shaped like a door-handle. He kills five guards and two dogs with his ‘stunner’, then misses the most obvious trap possible, delighting a man who, we learn, walks with a “long, cat-like” stride. I could get no further.

[John JJJJJJJJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read Doc's original novella.

I don't have much to say, except that it hasn't aged well and was adapted into a novel, in 10 novels, by Stephen Goldwin.

You can really feel the Cold War and the communist cancer throughout the novel, which takes place in space, where we follow the brother/sister duo Jules and Yvette.

[Arwen · Rating 2 out of 5]

E.E. Doc Smith is a classic Sci-fi writer, which is why we bought this book. It contains what tries to be a sci-fi spy story, but just end up being a run of the mill plot with lots of costume changes. A book for the fashion'esta who want to get into sci-fi.

[Christopher M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved this when I read it as a boy, but struggled to finish the slim volume now. It's exposition, action, exposition, action until the thin characters press the stop story button.

[Cheryl Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imperial Stars is a fun, space opera type spy story set in the Imperial Earth universe of E.E. "Doc" Smith. Doc did not finish the book, he died before he could, but it was finished by Stephen Goldin who also wrote the rest of the series.

I very much enjoyed Imperial Stars as it was close to my first introduction to Doc Smith's work.

The setting is a space imperium ruled from Earth where the bad guys are getting ready to take over even though all the other agents have tried to thwart them. So the Family D'Alembert, circus performers extraordinaire and super-secret spies, are called in to save the day.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in the day, the little library in my home town has a very tiny and rather dated sci-fi section. However, they had this entire series. Having just gotten hooked on Star Wars and desperate for more sci-fi/fantasy (but not heavy sci-fi), this series fit the bill. It was fun adventure without being heavy-handed on the technology. I may need to track this down and read it again, all these decades later, and see if I still enjoy them as much as I did then.

[Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

This just isn't the kind of science fiction that I like. I had heard of "space opera" and didn't know what that means. I just looked up a definition in the dictionary: "a novel, movie, or television program set in outer space, typically of a simplistic and melodramatic nature." That describes what this book was like to me. The simplistic style with lack of character depth along with the melodramatic nature of everything that happens doesn't appeal to me.

[windy walsh-berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great every time

I remember listening to my mom reading Doc Smith books to my dad, with us kids setting on the bed or the floor, when I was growing up. I've been a fan ever since, and have read them all several times over the years. I have owned them several times. Over the years also. Am now retired and am reading them and enjoying them again.

[Pam Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good and the second in the series I read... I started with #5 which I'm reading again now that I got thru 1-4, recommend you read them in order. Similar in style to Andre Norton and that era though these are written later, in the 70's.

[Mark Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the Lensmen series, but then this wasn't really written by the "Doc" was it?

Read this as a nerdy kid and enjoyed it thoroughly, as far as I can recall. Now as a nerdy adult it has lost a lot in the passage of time, as have I.

It really is just for kids

[Andrew Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this series when I was in elementary school. Finally found another copy of one of the books in the series. Hoping to track down the rest.

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good read even if a bit dated these days

[Edward White · Rating 1 out of 5]

Two acrobatic agents forge their way through intense but vague action like a hot knife through butter

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes it is dated but it's not a bad read. I enjoyed it anyway.

[ricky]

Very good

The beginning of a very enjoyable space saga and introducing us to the most secret resource of the galactic empire.