Bantam, 1980, $1.95, ISBN 0-533-13741-7, 176 pgs., paperback

I bought this particular copy at a book sale for 50 cents, but I had purchased one back in 1980. You see, I went to college with Kyle’s son, and met his father, the author. I even had the fortune to look over other manuscripts Kyle’s written.

Over the years the book disappeared, so I was pleased to find a replacement copy. I had forgotten the plot, which follows one of the characters from the famous E.E. ‘Doc’ Smith Lensman series. I’ve read these and it still remains one of the notable series of the sci-fi genre.

The Dragon Lensman offshoot follows Worsel, a “dragon” sized and shaped Lensman of notable ability as he investigates a mechanoid planet and its awesome arsenal of sentient robots. Worse, other powers press mental attacks against Worsel and his Lensmen group as they confront a potential traitor in the ranks.

The plot is quite intricate, and the writing is dense with information. I’m going to say it’s similar in style to Smith, but that’s only a vague memory now. In any case, the twists and turns are quite good, even if the actions prove super-human and even god-like.

All in all, this was a pleasant stroll down memory lane.

This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com