Triplanetary, by E.E. "Doc" Smith

Hyper-Evil Villans. Exotic spaceships racing through the ether, powered by unknown technologies. Conquest and destruction of entire planets. Sounds like Star Wars, but it's not. "Triplanetary" by E.E. "Doc" Smith was the first of the Lensmen series and introduced these concepts twenty-nine years before the release of "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope". Today, this series of six books is recognized as the inspiration for Space Opera, and is available free to anyone with a computer or e-reader such as the Nook or Kindle.

The Lensmen series starts with "Triplanetary", a history of how civilization was prepared for battle with the ultra-evil Eddorians. The Arisians are a race of ultra-good guys, influencing development of men (and women) to be ready for THE LENS, the ultimate in technology. This device bonds with its owner, and provides telepathy '" among other special powers. If that sounds familiar, you'll be interested to know that the Lens was an influence for Green Lantern, and in fact, Arisia Rrab and Eddore of Tront, two Green Lanterns, are named after the two master races in Lensmen. What's more, Star Wars and Babylon 5 were both influenced by Triplanetary. Apparently, all Sci-Fi roads lead back to the Lensmen series.

Triplanetary is a quick read, easily finished in a week - possibly a day. It moves fast, is kid friendly (brief moments of gore, no sex) and is a rollercoaster through planets populated by weird aliens. The series unapologetically exceeds the bounds of physics, at least, those we know of today. Like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, it's a wonderfully written story, calling us to dream beyond the bounds of our daily lives, and imagine what could be, if only...

Obtain your free copy at Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org), and you'll be boarding the Interplanetary Spaceliner "Hyperion" in a matter of hours.