His mother was a teacher born in Michigan in February 1855; his father was a sailor, born in Maine in January 1855 to an English father.
born September 1882, Daniel M.
born January 1884, Mary Elizabeth born February 1886 (all of whom were born in Michigan), and Walter E.
born January 1884, Mary Elizabeth born February 1886 (all of whom were born in Michigan), and Walter E.
Edward Elmer Smith (May 2, 1890 – August 31, 1965), publishing as E.
He is sometimes called the father of space opera. ==Biography== ===Family and education=== Edward Elmer Smith was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, on May 2, 1890, to Fred Jay Smith and Caroline Mills Smith, both staunch Presbyterians of British ancestry.
born July 1891 in Washington.
Smith was working as a contractor in 1900.
In 1902, the family moved to Seneaquoteen, near the Pend Oreille River, in Kootenai County, Idaho.
Her father had moved to Boise when the children were young, and later sent for his family; he died while they were en route in 1905.
(Many years later he would be installed in the 1984 Class of the University of Idaho Alumni Hall of Fame.) He entered its prep school in 1907, and graduated with two degrees in chemical engineering in 1914.
In 1910, Fred and Caroline Smith and their son Walter were living in the Markham Precinct of Bonner County, Idaho; Fred is listed in census records as a farmer. Smith worked mainly as a manual laborer until he injured his wrist while fleeing from a fire at the age of 19.
(Many years later he would be installed in the 1984 Class of the University of Idaho Alumni Hall of Fame.) He entered its prep school in 1907, and graduated with two degrees in chemical engineering in 1914.
Kessler in 1914 worked at, and later owned, a boarding house on Ridenbaugh Street. The Smiths had three children: Roderick N., born June 3, 1918, in the District of Columbia, was employed as a design engineer at Lockheed Aircraft. Verna Jean (later Verna Smith Trestrail), born August 25, 1920, in Michigan, was his literary executor until her death in 1994.
Whether the two were related is not known. On October 5, 1915, in Boise, Idaho he married Jeanne Craig MacDougall, the sister of his college roommate, Allen Scott (Scotty) MacDougall.
His draft card, partly illegible, seems to show that Smith requested exemption from military service, based on his wife's dependence and on his contribution to the war effort as a civilian chemist. One evening in 1915, the Smiths were visiting a former classmate from the University of Idaho, Dr.
About one third of The Skylark of Space was completed by the end of 1916, when Smith and Garby gradually abandoned work on it. Smith earned his master's degree in chemistry from the George Washington University in 1917, studying under Dr.
About one third of The Skylark of Space was completed by the end of 1916, when Smith and Garby gradually abandoned work on it. Smith earned his master's degree in chemistry from the George Washington University in 1917, studying under Dr.
Kessler in 1914 worked at, and later owned, a boarding house on Ridenbaugh Street. The Smiths had three children: Roderick N., born June 3, 1918, in the District of Columbia, was employed as a design engineer at Lockheed Aircraft. Verna Jean (later Verna Smith Trestrail), born August 25, 1920, in Michigan, was his literary executor until her death in 1994.
Smith completed his PhD in chemical engineering in 1918, with a food engineering focus; his dissertation, The effect of bleaching with oxides of nitrogen upon the baking quality and commercial value of wheat flour, was published in 1919.
Smith completed his PhD in chemical engineering in 1918, with a food engineering focus; his dissertation, The effect of bleaching with oxides of nitrogen upon the baking quality and commercial value of wheat flour, was published in 1919.
Sam Moskowitz gives the degree date 1919, perhaps reflecting different dates for thesis submission, thesis defense, and degree certification.) ===Writing Skylark=== In 1919, Smith was hired as chief chemist for F.
Stock & Sons of Hillsdale, Michigan, at one time the largest family-owned mill east of the Mississippi, working on doughnut mixes. One evening late in 1919, after moving to Michigan, Smith was baby-sitting (presumably for Roderick) while his wife attended a movie; he resumed work on The Skylark of Space, finishing it in the spring of 1920.
Kessler in 1914 worked at, and later owned, a boarding house on Ridenbaugh Street. The Smiths had three children: Roderick N., born June 3, 1918, in the District of Columbia, was employed as a design engineer at Lockheed Aircraft. Verna Jean (later Verna Smith Trestrail), born August 25, 1920, in Michigan, was his literary executor until her death in 1994.
Stock & Sons of Hillsdale, Michigan, at one time the largest family-owned mill east of the Mississippi, working on doughnut mixes. One evening late in 1919, after moving to Michigan, Smith was baby-sitting (presumably for Roderick) while his wife attended a movie; he resumed work on The Skylark of Space, finishing it in the spring of 1920.
(later Clarissa Wilcox), was born December 13, 1921, in Michigan. ===Early chemical career and the beginning of Skylark=== After college, Smith was a junior chemist for the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, D.C., developing standards for butter and for oysters.
Bob Davis, editor of Argosy, sent an encouraging rejection letter in 1922, saying that he liked the novel personally, but that it was too far out for his readers.
Works first published before 1923, are also public domain in the United States.
(According to Warner, but no other source, Smith began work on the sequel, Skylark Three, before the first book was accepted.) Finally, upon seeing the April 1927 issue of Amazing Stories, he submitted it to that magazine; it was accepted, initially for $75, later raised to $125.
Smith was reportedly dislocated from his job at Dawn Doughnuts by prewar rationing in early 1940. Smith had been contemplating writing a "space-police novel" since early 1927; once he had "the Lensmen's universe fairly well set up", he reviewed his science-fiction collection for "cops-and-robbers" stories.
It was published as a three-part serial in the August to October 1928 issues and it was such a success that associate editor Sloane requested a sequel before the second installment had been published. Mrs.
It was published as another three-part serial, in the August to October 1930 issues of Amazing, introduced as the cover story for August.
(In 1930, the Smiths were living in Michigan, at 33 Rippon Avenue in Hillsdale.) This was as far as he had planned to take the Skylark series; it was praised in Amazing's letter column, and he was paid ¾¢ per word, surpassing Amazing's previous record of half a cent. ===The early 1930s: between Skylark and Lensman=== Smith then began work on what he intended as a new series, starting with Spacehounds of IPC, which he finished in the autumn of 1930.
Smith's long-time friend, Dave Kyle, wrote three authorized added novels in the Lensman series that provided background about the major nonhuman Lensmen: Dragon Lensman, Lensman from Rigel, and Z-Lensman. ==Influence on science and the military== Smith was widely read by scientists and engineers from the 1930s into the 1970s.
The novel describes friendship and rivalry among pulp writers of the 1930s.
It was published in the July through September 1931 issues of Amazing, with Sloane making unauthorized changes.
The January 1933 issue of Astounding announced that Triplanetary would appear in the March issue, and that issue's cover illustrated a scene from the story, but Astounding's financial difficulties prevented the story from appearing.
Orlin Tremaine, the new editor of the revived Astounding, offered one cent a word for Triplanetary; when he learned that he was too late, he suggested a third Skylark novel instead. In the winter of 1933–34, Smith worked on The Skylark of Valeron, but he felt that the story was getting out of control; he sent his first draft to Tremaine, with a distraught note asking for suggestions.
He finally submitted it to Amazing, which published it beginning in January 1934, but for only half a cent a word.
Tremaine accepted the rough draft for $850, and announced it in the June 1934 issue, with a full-page editorial and a three-quarter-page advertisement.
The novel was published in the August 1934 through February 1935 issues.
The novel was published in the August 1934 through February 1935 issues.
Astounding's circulation rose by 10,000 for the first issue, and its two main competitors, Amazing and Wonder Stories, fell into financial difficulties, both skipping issues within a year. ===The Lensman series=== In January 1936, a time period where he was already an established science-fiction writer, he took a job for salary plus profit-sharing, as a food technologist (a cereal chemist) at the Dawn Doughnut Company of Jackson, Michigan.
Tremaine responded extremely positively to a brief description of the idea. Once Dawn Doughnuts became profitable in late 1936, Smith wrote an 85-page outline for what became the four core Lensman novels; in early 1937, Tremaine committed to buying them.
Tremaine responded extremely positively to a brief description of the idea. Once Dawn Doughnuts became profitable in late 1936, Smith wrote an 85-page outline for what became the four core Lensman novels; in early 1937, Tremaine committed to buying them.
Galactic Patrol was published in the September 1937 through February 1938 issues of Astounding; unlike the revised book edition, it was not set in the same universe as Triplanetary. Gray Lensman, the fourth book in the series, appeared in Astounding's October 1939 through January 1940 issues.
Even in 1938, after he had written Galactic Patrol, Smith considered it his finest work; he later said of it, "This was really scientific fiction; not, like the Skylarks, pseudo-science"; and even at the end of his career, he considered it his only work of true science fiction.
Galactic Patrol was published in the September 1937 through February 1938 issues of Astounding; unlike the revised book edition, it was not set in the same universe as Triplanetary. Gray Lensman, the fourth book in the series, appeared in Astounding's October 1939 through January 1940 issues.
Galactic Patrol was published in the September 1937 through February 1938 issues of Astounding; unlike the revised book edition, it was not set in the same universe as Triplanetary. Gray Lensman, the fourth book in the series, appeared in Astounding's October 1939 through January 1940 issues.
Smith was reportedly dislocated from his job at Dawn Doughnuts by prewar rationing in early 1940. Smith had been contemplating writing a "space-police novel" since early 1927; once he had "the Lensmen's universe fairly well set up", he reviewed his science-fiction collection for "cops-and-robbers" stories.
Galactic Patrol was published in the September 1937 through February 1938 issues of Astounding; unlike the revised book edition, it was not set in the same universe as Triplanetary. Gray Lensman, the fourth book in the series, appeared in Astounding's October 1939 through January 1940 issues.
Smith saying he and Hubert Rogers agreed on how Kinnison looked." Smith was the guest of honor at Chicon I, the second World Science Fiction Convention, held in Chicago over Labor Day weekend 1940, giving a speech on the importance of science fiction fandom entitled "What Does This Convention Mean?" He attended the convention's masquerade as C.
Moore's Northwest Smith, and met fans living near him in Michigan, who would later form the Galactic Roamers, which previewed and advised him on his future work. Smith worked for the US Army between 1941 and 1945.
Orlin Tremaine, and Smith angered Campbell by showing loyalty to Tremaine at his new magazine, Comet, when he sold him "The Vortex Blaster" in 1941.
Moore's Northwest Smith, and met fans living near him in Michigan, who would later form the Galactic Roamers, which previewed and advised him on his future work. Smith worked for the US Army between 1941 and 1945.
Allen Company (a manufacturer of doughnut and frosting mixes) in 1946 and worked for them until his professional retirement in 1957. ===Retirement and late writing=== After Smith retired, his wife and he lived in Clearwater, Florida, in the fall and winter, driving the smaller of their two trailers to Seaside, Oregon, each April, often stopping at science fiction conventions on the way.
Literary precursors of ideas which arguably entered the military-scientific complex include SDI (Triplanetary), stealth (Gray Lensman), the OODA loop, C3-based warfare, and the AWACS (Gray Lensman). An inarguable influence was described in a June 11, 1947, letter to Smith from John W.
This is itself derived from a discussion of reductionist atomic theory in the second novel, Skylark Three, which brings to mind modern quark and sub-quark theories of elementary particle physics. ==Literary influences== In his 1947 essay "The Epic of Space", Smith listed (by last name only) authors he enjoyed reading: John W.
Campbell's announcement of Children of the Lens, in 1947, was less than enthusiastic.
May had written an early SF work called Dune Roller in 1950, and had attended several Science Fiction Conventions in the early '50's, where she met and came to know Smith personally. ==Fictional appearances== Smith himself appears as a character in the 2006 novel The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril by Paul Malmont.
Allen Company (a manufacturer of doughnut and frosting mixes) in 1946 and worked for them until his professional retirement in 1957. ===Retirement and late writing=== After Smith retired, his wife and he lived in Clearwater, Florida, in the fall and winter, driving the smaller of their two trailers to Seaside, Oregon, each April, often stopping at science fiction conventions on the way.
(Heinlein dedicated his 1958 novel Methuselah's Children "To Edward E.
Despite this, it was rejected by Campbell, and it was eventually published by Amazing Stories in 1959.
Heinlein reported that Smith had planned a seventh Lensman novel, set after the events described in Children of the Lens, which was unpublishable at that time (the early 1960s).
(Smith did not like to fly.) In 1963, he was presented the inaugural First Fandom Hall of Fame award at the 21st World Science Fiction Convention in Washington, D.C.
"Doc" Smith, containing these two short stories, excerpts from several of his major works, and another short story first published in Worlds of If in 1964 entitled "The Imperial Stars". In Smith's original short stories, Tedric was a smith (both blacksmith and whitesmith) residing in a small town near a castle in a situation roughly equivalent to England of the 1200s.
Edward Elmer Smith (May 2, 1890 – August 31, 1965), publishing as E.
While the book covers indicate the series was written by Smith and Goldin together, Goldin only ever had Smith's original novella to expand upon. The fourth Skylark novel, Skylark DuQuesne, ran in the June to October 1965 issues of If, beginning once again as the cover story.
Smith apparently never wrote any of it down. On July 14, 1965, barely a month before his death, Smith gave written permission to William B.
Ellern to continue the Lensman series, which led to the publishing of "Moon Prospector" in 1965 and New Lensman in 1976.
Smith, Professor of Sociology” in his military science fiction book, “No Worse Enemy”. ==Bibliography== Because he died in 1965, the works of E.
(It is listed as a novel in the series in some paperback editions of the 1970s.) Robert A.
Smith's long-time friend, Dave Kyle, wrote three authorized added novels in the Lensman series that provided background about the major nonhuman Lensmen: Dragon Lensman, Lensman from Rigel, and Z-Lensman. ==Influence on science and the military== Smith was widely read by scientists and engineers from the 1930s into the 1970s.
In 1975, a compendium of Smith's works was published, entitled The Best of E.
Ellern to continue the Lensman series, which led to the publishing of "Moon Prospector" in 1965 and New Lensman in 1976.
Heinlein, which was reprinted in the collection Expanded Universe in 1980.
Michael Straczynski, the creator of Babylon 5, as writer, but in 2014 the project was scrapped due to budget limitations. In her short "Pliocene Companion" book, author Julian May explained that a major character in her Exile series written in the early 1980s, Marc Remillard, was strongly influenced by Smith's villain character from Skylark DuQuesne, Marc DuQuesne.
He also appears as "Lensman Ted Smith" in the 1980 novel The Number of the Beast and as "Commander Ted Smith" in the 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, both by Robert A.
Heinlein in part dedicated his 1982 novel Friday to Verna. Clarissa M.
(Many years later he would be installed in the 1984 Class of the University of Idaho Alumni Hall of Fame.) He entered its prep school in 1907, and graduated with two degrees in chemical engineering in 1914.
He also appears as "Lensman Ted Smith" in the 1980 novel The Number of the Beast and as "Commander Ted Smith" in the 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, both by Robert A.
Efforts to print translations of the associated manga in the United States in the early 1990s without payment of royalties to the Smith family were successfully blocked in court by Verna Smith Trestrail with the help of several California science-fiction authors and fans. In his biography, George Lucas reveals that the Lensman novels were a major influence on his youth.
Kessler in 1914 worked at, and later owned, a boarding house on Ridenbaugh Street. The Smiths had three children: Roderick N., born June 3, 1918, in the District of Columbia, was employed as a design engineer at Lockheed Aircraft. Verna Jean (later Verna Smith Trestrail), born August 25, 1920, in Michigan, was his literary executor until her death in 1994.
May had written an early SF work called Dune Roller in 1950, and had attended several Science Fiction Conventions in the early '50's, where she met and came to know Smith personally. ==Fictional appearances== Smith himself appears as a character in the 2006 novel The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril by Paul Malmont.
Michael Straczynski, creator of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5, also has acknowledged the influence of the Lensman books. Superman creator Jerry Siegel was impressed, at an early age, with the optimistic vision of the future presented in Skylark of Space. An attempt to create a feature film based on the Lensman series by Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment and Universal Studios began in 2008 with J.
Michael Straczynski, the creator of Babylon 5, as writer, but in 2014 the project was scrapped due to budget limitations. In her short "Pliocene Companion" book, author Julian May explained that a major character in her Exile series written in the early 1980s, Marc Remillard, was strongly influenced by Smith's villain character from Skylark DuQuesne, Marc DuQuesne.
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