Famed director Ron Howard is currently negotiating with the E.(Edward) E. “Doc” Smith estate to be given the filming rights for his iconic Lensman novels, according to SCI FI Wire. Joining Howard’s Imagine Entertainment in the deal is Universal Pictures. Smith wrote most of his seminal work in the late 1920’s and began the Lensman series in 1934.
The series covers millions of years of history, chronicling the ongoing struggle between the good Arisians and the evil Eddorians. The novels record humanity’s place in the fight through the eyes of the series protagonist, Kim Kinnison, who comes to control a key artifact — the lens, which is a bracelet that gives telepathic, as well as other powers, to its possessor.
Smith’s Lensman is considered by many to be one of the first serialized sci-fi sagas. Smith, the granddaddy of the space opera, helped to influence many of the creative minds we now call genius; people such as Eugene Roddenberry, Michael J. Straczynski, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.
I think I heard about this for the first time on KAMN, I can never find a copy though!
Ben: Amazon UK lists most of the Lensman books as available from their used book associates. Here’s what I found for Galactic Patrol, the original first book in the series (there was some tinkering and retconning to tie an earlier set of books into the Lensman universe._
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/0586038280/ref=dp_olp_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1200615804&sr=8-12
The good/very good copeis seem to be around 3 pounds. Hell of a deal compared to the $40 plus being asked for similar used editions on Amazon US!
Try and find the two volume, omnibus edition from the Science Fiction Book Club. Those seem to be going for under $30/volume and, between the two of them, include the four original books plus the two “prequels.”
Great series – read it when I was a pup. Two things though PLEASE !! 1] No Tom Cruise 2]Treat it seriously.
Mal@Oz