#first lensman

[vintagegeekculture]

A.J. Donnell’s 1950 unused cover for “First Lensman.” 

His method of illustrating the Lens differs from how many other artists depict that wonder device. 

[70sscifiart]

Chris Foss cover art for First Lensman, by E.E. “Doc” Smith

[cosmica-galaxy]

Do you happen to have any reference pic of the large unit trio?

I don’t think there are any visuals of them after their first introduction, except for the description of the large cam that appeared in your fanfic, which leaves me with the impression of the first cinema cam being disinfected in the original series. You know, having a red shirt and black overcoat.

The large units are just like normal large units, just with minor changes. Malco is a large camera unit with a black coat and red shirt. He may even have a black tie with red pinstripes. (He also smells strongly of popcorn!) Philip would be a large speakerman that would have a polka dot tie, red with white spots. And the large TV man is a smaller model of Poly with two extensions instead of four. I think I remember calling them static or something?

Edit: THEIR NAME IS HERTZ. THANK YOU, LENSMAN!!

I remember that they have a black suit with purple pinstripes.

[kintatsujo]

like those "what was your first anime" polls always sort of make me laugh bc half the time all the options are anime I never watched or was barely "into"

but also the net I'd cast to get as many people as possible doesn't include the first anime I watched because my first anime included the VHS tapes Mom would get from the local rental place, and the surprisingly decent dubs that the local station would put in the dead air slots at 6 AM

and we knew they were anime because Mom had the cultural awareness to know that and talked to us like we were adults

When I wanted the anime Lensman movie for my sixteenth birthday it was because she'd rented it for us so many times I'd still had parts of it memorized.

Also all those polls forget Gundam, too, and I have a hard time believing Gundam wasn't somebody's first anime

[gsirvitor]

Hi, sorry about last night

I talked to my friend and realize what a lot of post lotr and dune fantasy/sci-fi writers tend to do this

“Well they [older writers] already did the heavy lifting so I’m good!”

So a lot of writers forget the minor but important lore pieces that make these settings interesting and good.

And how does warhammer “borrows” it can’t that-

Oh…found that named inquisitor from the first edition. Are the blood ravens an homage to game workshop early days of worldbuilding?

Perhaps I’m not the best for discussion, sorry, your post just reminded of stuff I been noticing even as a child.

What did 40k "borrow" from?

DUNE

God Emperor of Dune Leto Atreides II: clearly the basis for the God-Emperor of Mankind, including the self sacrifice element (Leto lets himself be killed).

The Golden Path: the plan Leto wanted to enact to save humanity and the inspiration for Big E's big plan to help humanity ascend.

Melee combat: 40k has an absurd focus on melee combat and so does Dune.

Ix: basis for the Adeptus Mechanicus. Basically tech obsessed dudes building advanced tech.

Bene Gesserit: inspiration for both the absurd amount of mental control the Astartes have over their bodies and of the special order of Adepta Sororitas that assists noble families as personal counselors.

Sardaukar: elite combat specialists trained on an irradiated world from childhood with an absurd casualty rate and the personal army of the emperor.

Face dancers: assassins that can imitate anyone. Basically Callidus assassins.

Navigators: 40k navigators.

Prescience-negating gene: pariah gene.

Butlerian Jihad: Men of Iron and hatred of AI.

Miscellaneous

The concept of an Ecumenopolis (a planet converted into a single city) was first explored in a widely known way in Isaac Asimov's Foundation, with the capital of the Galactic Empire, on Trantor.

He again popularised the concept of Hyperspace (Warp) travel in that series, though the concept was a little older.

Eldar (before they became legally distinct) is literally just a word in Tolkien's Elvish for star people, AKA elves. It's pretty blatant.

The Horus Heresy is a pretty explicit homage to the War in Heaven from John Milton's Paradise Lost, except this time Lucifer wins.

The Tau Battlesuits are inspired by Mobile Suit Gumdam, including the Commsnder Farsight.

Lovecraft.

The Deathworld book by Harry Harrison, in which the entire planet is trying to kill you, is a clear inspiration for the various Deathworlds in 40k.

The Lensman series by E.E. Smith is probably the reason Psychic powers are so common in sci-fi today, and 40k is no exception.

Xenomorphs: Tyranids, or Genestealers more specifically, xenomorph queen basis for Norn Queens.

P-5000 Powered Work Loader: Nob power armor.

Powered Armor troopers: Space Marines, the term coming from Bob Olsen in his short story "Captain Brink of the Space Marines," while the works of Heinlein were much more influential.

Predator, ripped sweaty dudes in a jungle: Catachan jungle fighters.

Judge Dredd: Arbitrators of the Adeptus Arbites.

Cenobites: Drucharii.

Michael Moorcock's Universe, Chaos: literally the basis for 40k's Chaos, down to the symbol.

I can go on...

[barkingbonzo]

Chris Foss Cover Art, The Clockwork Traitor

Christopher Frank Foss (born 1946) is a British artist and science fiction illustrator. He is best known for his science fiction book covers and the black and white illustrations for the original editions of The Joy of Sex.

Born in 1946 in Guernsey, Channel Islands, Foss started working there as an artist in his teens, creating signage for local companies. He went to a boarding school in Dorset; his master encouraged him to train for an art scholarship. While studying at Magdalene College, Cambridge, he started pursuing professional magazine commissions, including the then recently launched Penthouse magazine.

Books featuring Foss illustrations include the 1970s British paperback covers for Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy, several of Edmund Cooper's novels, and E. E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman and Skylark series. Some of the art he did produce was specific to the stories and some examples of this are the covers he did for the Grafton publications of the Demon Princes novels by Jack Vance in the late 1980s, Star King, The Killing Machine, The Palace of Love, The Face and The Book of Dreams.

Not being a fan of science fiction, Foss typically did not read the books he illustrated, preferring to paint scenes entirely from his imagination.

In 1975, Foss was hired by director Alejandro Jodorowsky for an intended film version of the science-fiction novel Dune by author Frank Herbert. He delivered several conceptual studies published in the book 21st Century Foss, ISBN 90-6332-571-1, containing a foreword by Jodorowsky. The project failed. In 1977 Foss worked for several months on studies for the movie Alien (not being used in the movie) and also did some designs of the planet Krypton for the movie Superman. Some of his crystal structures for the planet were realised in the movie, although they were used as ice-structures.

During this period Chris Foss illustrated the sleeve of the album Clear Air Turbulence for the Ian Gillan Band.

Painter Glenn Brown controversially appropriated individual space scene paintings by Foss and in the one case copying and altering it (Exercise One (for Ian Curtis), 1995) and in the other, leaving it entirely unchanged (Dark Angel (for Ian Curtis), 2002).

Chris Foss created much of the colour concept art for Sweetpea Entertainment's Traveller franchise, as produced by Imperium Games. He produced 12 pages of artwork for the new Traveller edition's first supplement, Starships (1996). He also illustrated a number of covers for Imperium's Traveller.

In contrast, Foss's numerous illustrations for the sex manual The Joy of Sex are done in a soft, natural style. The illustrations were based on photographs taken by Chris in his studio in Fulham, London.

[xinu1941-1966]

illustration：真鍋博　hiroshi MANABE

ファースト･レンズマン　1974　創元推理文庫 japan

First Lensman by Edward Elmer Smith　1950

#真鍋博　#hiroshi MANABE　#Edward E. Smith　#EEスミス　#レンズマン　#Lensman Series　#lensman

[st-just]

un-recommending the Lensman series (or at least the first book of it) by E. E. Smith. The edition I had came with glowing quotes from various sci-fi big names on it, and then I got to the book itself and it was like "oh. you all think this was good because you read it when you were 12."

attempts to be galaxy-scale space opera but lacks the prose skills, the characterization skills, the pacing skills, and the plot skills to approach a good story. reminded me of nothing so much as two kids on the playground progressively trying to one-up each other ("my spaceship has infinity power!" "well MY spaceship has infinity plus one power!") All human characters (in the future segments at least) read like someone compressed the archetypal Heroic Squarejawed Spaceship Captain into a single line. Fictional battles are described with the same amount of emotion and grandeur and coherence as the worst real-life history textbook. the described physics seem to imply that luminiferous aether is real? (that one's not really a complaint; i think it's funny and could be done well in a different story). not worth the time; just skip to reading the better stuff it inspired

Lensman is one of those series you see a bunch of 20th C space opera guys cite as a huge inspiration and like, yeah - I skimmed the wikipedia page once and this more or less bears out the impression I got from that.

[flechettestorm]

I read your fics, they are really good and engaging. And, it gave me some dark thoughts. Titan really loves his engineers, I wonder what would happen if Titan saw one of his engineers die in front of him? Sorry I'm just an asshole who enjoys seeing characters' pain : p

Thank you!!

I touched upon that topic briefly in a post on @lensman-arms-race:

Titan TV will probably be devastated if/when the first TV dies in the war. So far they’ve avoided all casualties by being cautious (and from being the most powerful of the 3 factions). They’re already fewer in number than the other types of hardware, so if a TV actually gets killed it’s going to hit the Titan hard. I have a headcanon that there are few enough TVs that they’re all at least acquainted with each other, and the Titan has met every single one of them. Such a loss would hit them personally.

I think if Titan TV saw one of their engineers get killed they would fly into an inconsolable rage!

[journalthroughtime]

In shadows deep where moonlight wanes,

A tale unfolds, where fright remains.

A SFX artist with skills untold,

And a photographer, their story unfolds.

Together they weave a spectral dance,

Crafting nightmares with each chance.

In the dark, where fears convene,

They birth a world, eerie and serene.

On this eve, the first of fright,

They embark on a haunted flight.

With brushes dipped in spectral hues,

They conjure scenes that fear imbues.

The SFX artist, a wizard in disguise,

Shapes nightmares before your eyes.

Prosthetics and paints, a macabre art,

From the depths of the eerie heart.

Beside them stands the lensman bold,

A photographer, their tales unfold.

Capturing shadows, in frames they seal,

A ghostly pact, a spectral deal.

The moon ascends, a spectral guide,

As 31 days of fear reside.

Yet, in the eerie, a paradox gleams,

For in each scare, hope redeems.

A tapestry of fright and glee,

As Halloween's magic sets them free.

Spooky whispers and pumpkin light,

An eerie journey through the night.

Through cobwebbed dreams and ghostly lore,

They spin a tale of evermore.

On this eve, where shadows play,

The SFX artist and lensman sway.

With spirits high and frights unfurled,

They dance through this spectral world.

For in the haunting, a truth profound,

Spooky joy in darkness found.

[nem0c]

replaying mass effect and thinking about lensman. one thing I wish they had stolen is the way second-stage lensmen (and woman, singular) are visually distinguished from first-stage lensmen since it would help differentiate your ultracool superspy council spectres from the regular military grunts that make up much of the supporting cast

being militarised galatic police, first stage lensmen of the galactic patrol wear a fitted dress uniform in all black, with silver trim, shiny shiny ray pistol, and a gold meteor pin on the collar that glows in the dark and plays the star spangled banner

the second stage, or grey, or unattached lensman has fully internalised Civilisation and no longer requires it’s external disciplinary apparatus. Theoretically answerable to the galactic patrol and civilian government, they in fact go wherever and do whatever. This is reflected in their outfit: simple grey leather fitted breeches, knee-high boots, grey leather short jacket, newsboy cap and driving goggles. Also works to your advantage as 30s sf writer because every mechanic and motorist in the country already has the materials to cosplay your character.

[brookston]

Holidays 7.25

Holidays

Act Like a Caveman Day

Antifascist Pasta Day (Italy)

Bayreuther Festspiele begins (Wagner festival; Germany) [thru 8.28]

Be Adamant About Something Day

Community Day (Galicia, Spain)

CTNNB1 Awareness Day

A Day Out of Time (Last Day of the Year; Mayan, Galactic)

Ebernoe Horn Fair (Sussex, UK)

Feed the Country Ducks Day

Festival of Picaresque Animality

Health and Happiness with Hypnosis Day

International AfroLatinx, AfroCaribbean & Diaspora Women’s Day

International Day of Solidarity with Antifascist Prisoners

International Red Show Day

International Sop Rapping Over Vocals Day

John Knill Day (Cornwall, UK) [Every 5 Years]

Jumatul Bidah (Bangladesh)

Jumat-ul-Wida (India)

Merry-Go-Round Day [also 5.17]

Mugwort Day (French Republic)

National African American Hepatitis C Action Day

National Campus Press Freedom Day (Philippines)

National Carousel Day

National Clay Day

National Day of Galicia (Spain)

National Hire a Veteran Day

National Houston Day

National Schizophrenia Awareness Day (UK)

National Video Game Team Day

Occupation Day (Puerto Rico)

Rain of Black Worms Day (Romania)

Red Shoe Day

Republic Day (Tunisia)

Rosiland Franklin Day

Santiago Apóstol (Spain)

Test-Tube Baby Day

Thread the Needle Day

Traditional Palestinian Dress Day

World Drowning Prevention Day (UN)

World Embryologist Day

World IVF Day

World Youth Days 2023 begins (Lisbon, Portugal; Roman Catholic; until 7.31) [Varies; @Every 3 Years]

Food & Drink Celebrations

Candles on a Cake Day

Culinarian’s Day

Frozen Fruit Freeze Day

Indie Beer Day (Australia)

National Hot Fudge Sundae Day

National Wine and Cheese Day

4th Tuesday in July

Waterton-Glacier Science & History Day [4th Tuesday]

Independence Days

Abode of Heaven (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Andany (Declared; 2017; Dissolved Sep. 2018) [unrecognized]

Commonwealth Constitution Day (Puerto Rico) 

Rathunis (Declared; 2011) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Anne (Eastern Christianity)

Christopher (Western Christianity)

Cucuphas (a.k.a. Cueufas, Cougat; Christian; Saint)

Feast of Formation of Saint Ann (Mother of the Virgin Mary; Byzantine Rite)

Furrinalia (Old Roman Goddess of Springs)

Glodesind (Christian; Saint)

Holbein (Positivist; Saint)

Hot Fudge Sundae Day (Pastafarian)

Ilyap'a Festival (Inca thunder god)

James the Great (Western Christianity)

John I Agnus (Christian; Saint)

Julian of Le Mans (Christian; Translation)

Magnerich of Trier (Christian; Saint)

Maxfield Parrish (Artology)

National Baha’i Day (Jamaica)

Nissen, Abbot of Mountgarret, Ireland (Christian; Saint)

Paul (Christian; Martyr)

Shylock Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Slippery Slim (Muppetism)

Thea and Valentina (Christian; Virgins)

Thomas Eakins (Artology)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

The Adventures of André & Wally B. (Pixar Cartoon; 1984)

Air Force One (Film; 1997)

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (Film; 2008)

Armor Wars (Film; 2025)

Back in Black, by AC/DC (Album; 1980)

Batman: The Killing Joke (Animated Film; 2016)

Broken Quest (Animated tV Series; 2013)

Caddyshack (Film; 1980)

China Grove, by the Doobie Brothers (Song; 1973)

A Chorus Line (Broadway Musical; 1975)

Drinking Buddies (Film; 2013)

Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (WB MM Cartoon; 1953)

Fame, by David Bowie (Song; 1975)

First Lensman, by E.E. "Doc" Smith (Novel; 1950) [Lensman #2]

Good Burger (Film; 1997)

Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (Film; 1962)

Justice League: Warworld (WB Animated Film; 2023)

Kill ‘Em All, by Metallica (Album; 1983)

Lara Croft Tom Raider: The Cradle of Life (Film; 2003)

Last Train to Clarksville, recorded by The Monks (Song; 1966)

Lego Scooby-Doo! Blowout Beach Bash (WB Animated Film; 2017)

Lucy (Film; 2014)

Maximum Overdrive (Film; 1986)

Paul’s Boutique, by The Beastie Boys (Album; 1989)

Porky’s Spring Planting (WB LT Cartoon; 1938)

Ruby Sparks (Film; 2012)

Seabiscuit (Film; 2003)

Step Brothers (Film; 2008)

The Tree’s Knees (WB LT Cartoon; 1931)

X-Files: I Want to Believe (Film; 2008)

Yes, by Yes (Album; 1969)

You Can’t Hurry Love, by The Supremes (Song; 1966)

Today’s Name Days

Jakob, Jakobus, Thea, Thomas, Valentina (Austria)

Ana, Yana (Bulgaria)

Beata, Jakov, Krsto, Valentina (Croatia)

Jakub (Czech Republic)

Jacobus (Denmark)

Jaagup, Jaak, Jaako, Jaap, Jako, Jakob, Jass (Estonia)

Jaakko, Jaakob, Jaakoppi, Jimi (Finland)

Jacques, Valentine (France)

Jakob, Valentine (Germany)

Anna (Greece)

Jakab, Kristóf (Hungary)

Cristoforo, Giacomo (Italy)

Jēkabs, Marika (Latvia)

Aušrinė, Jokūbas, Kristupas (Lithuania)

Jack, Jakob, Jim (Norway)

Jakub, Krzysztof, Nieznamir, Sławosz, Walentyna (Poland)

Jakub (Slovakia)

Jaime, Santiago (Spain)

Jakob (Sweden)

Jac, Jack, Jacki, Jackie, Jackson, Jacky, Jacques, Jimmie (Universal)

Coby, Colby, Diego, Israel, Jacob, Jacoby, Jack, Jackie, Jackson, Jaclyn, Jacqueline, Jacquelyn, Jacques, Jaime, Jake, Jakob, James, Jameson, Jamie, Jaquan, Jaqueline, Jaxon, Jaxson, Jim, Jimena, Jimmie, Jimmy, Kobe, Koby, Kolby, Santiago (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 206 of 2024; 159 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of week 30 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Tinne (Holly) [Day 16 of 28]

Chinese: Month 6 (Ji-Wei), Day 8 (Jia-Shen)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 7 Av 5783

Islamic: 7 Muharram 1445

J Cal: 26 Lux; Fiveday [26 of 30]

Julian: 12 July 2023

Moon: 50%: 1st Quarter

Positivist: 10 Dante (8th Month) [Holbein]

Runic Half Month: Ur (Primal Strength) [Day 12 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 35 of 94)

Zodiac: Leo (Day 4 of 31)

[cluboftigerghost]

Chris Foss cover art for First Lensman, by E.E. “Doc” Smith https://ift.tt/zfqjyCX

[beautifully-mine]

A distanza di piú di un secolo, si sente ancora la gioia...

The overwhelming joy, unity and spontaneity that a resident of the Bronx, employee of the Norther Gaslight Company and amateur lensman documented one fine New York day in eighteen ninety nine. That fellow was New Yorker George Ehler Stonebridge and his captures of daily life in its toils, leisure, pastoral and street scenes in addition to photographic records of buildings, developmental progress and the pursuit of entertainment today are precious little treasures of a world our ancestors tread.

These beaming lasses took a class trip to the Bronx Zoo in the final year of the 19th century. Out of all Stonebridge's glass negatives he left behind, this one has the most feeling, vibrancy, soul. It tells the truths of not only life, in its high moments and simplistic joy and the pleasures of youth, but its story extends further in gifting us further understanding of the massive developments photography experienced in the 19th century. I see innumerable comments around the internet where there is a great misunderstanding regarding the technical progression of the camera and its capabilities. Regular readers will know, given the many posts this year that focus on collections of jolly Victorians in mirthful moments and full on grins, and as early as the 1840's-the very first commercial decade of the history of photography. Smiling WAS absolutely possible in early photography. Jump into the next decade-the 1850's-and we see again the advancements of photography and its ability (whether sitters choose to stare in neutrality, merriment or indeed in a malevolent disposition, for those inclined) to convey human emotion. By the time Stonebridge took this portrait, in 1899, the camera was sitting at a fraction of a second, and had been for some time, exposure wise.

Stonebridge very likely had no idea this portrait of an unidentified class of young lassies could possibly convey such...reality, vibrancy and humanity. What's more, you can almost hear the bubbly giggles from one and all...

[theseventhoffrostfall]

Another reason I avoid planet-killers is that sci-fi already has scale problems, like I've ranted about before, with entire planets not only single-note monoliths but being treated in the narrative more like mid-sized towns. That problem skyrockets once you start casually classing habitable worlds, which even in grand-scale settings should be pretty rare and sparse compared to everything else in space. Scale spirals out of control and more often than not you start running into Dragonball-tier power creep. "The superweapon that crushed the toughest thing from the first installment in the most recent one? Old news! We got a new, bigger one that shoots entire suns at things!" And eventually it gets so ridiculous you stop giving a fuck. That's one of the reasons I will never read Lensman or Xelee (though I'm also not reading Xelee because it looks like a pile of shit that's trying deliberately to shame nadir-40k in terms of nonsensical hyper-grimdark)

[suzylwade]

We Can Be Hiro’s … “Hiro is no ordinary man. He is one of the few artists in the history of photography. He is able to bring his fear, his isolation, his darkness, his splendid light to film.” - Richard Avedon, Photographer. Fashion photographer Hiro had a unique oeuvre which continues to permeate the industry today. The lensman's surreal and clean aesthetic broke the mould of fashion photography in the 1960s and 70s, quickly earning him respect for his unusual and striking compositions and his signature use of bold colour - for titles including ‘Harper’s Bazaar’, ‘French Vogue’ and ‘Mirabella’. Born in Shanghai in 1930 to Japanese parents, Yasuhiro Wakabayashi grew up in China and spent the years following the Second World War in Japan. He first encountered fashion photography while working at an American hotel there - he would wait for guests to throw out their magazines so he could look through the glossy images. In 1954, the budding image-maker emigrated to the United States to enrol at the ‘School of Modern Photography’ in New York City. Hiro found the school unsatisfactory, dropping out after several classes, and opted instead to become a photographic apprentice. It was this unexpected twist of fate which led him to the studio of Richard Avedon two years later, beginning a formative experience for the young practitioner. Avedon had been working for ‘Harper’s Bazaar' since 1944 and had himself radically changed fashion photography, challenging static fashion poses with more animated compositions and scenarios that presented models in a realistic and more dynamic way. After a year of Hiro’s apprenticeship, Avedon felt the student too talented to be his assistant and introduced him to legendary art director Alexey Brodovitch at ‘Harper’s Bazaar’. Brodovitch, too, saw great potential and originality in his work, and hired Hiro as a staff photographer in 1957 - a position he held for the next 10 years. https://www.instagram.com/p/CeDfhSbICut/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=