Lensmen From Rigel by David A. Kyle
pub: Red Jacket Press. 270 page enlarged paperback. Price: $15.95 (US). ISBN: 0-9748895-6-3).

check out website: www.redjacketpress.com

This is the second book of David Kyle's 1980s continuation in Doc Smith's Lensmen universe. With this one, attention is focused on the Rigellian Second-Stage Lensmen, Trigonsee.

A rather unusual looking alien in that he's essentially resembles a short tree trunk on four legs with a few tentacles and a toothy mouth. The Lens provides his means of perception in seeing the universe about him. How can you not like an alien with such a name as 'Trigonsee'?

After being the target of an assassination attempt, Trigonsee allows himself to be thought dead so he can seek down the aliens behind the attack and yields another part of the conspiracy that Worsel found in the previous book. Trigonsee is also the boss of the Galactic Patrol's secret intelligence police and from the results in this book looks remarkably merciless as the Eddorian trained bad side.

This adventure has the co-operation of other members of the Galactic Patrol and a technician Benson 'DD' Cloudd who solves the problem of breaking into alien probes that explode if not handled carefully.

Smith's original Lensmen books tended to focus far more on the human Kimball Kinnison and his family than the alien members of the Galactic Patrol. In that respect, this allows author Kyle a lot more latitude in developing these aliens and demonstrably show just how alienisque they really are.

If you're familiar with this universe, then you'll feel at home. Kyle demonstrates his knowledge here and it's nice to see a cross-reference to Smith's 'The Vortex Blasters', the last released Smith Lensmen book which didn't actually have much to do with the Lensmen themselves.

It doesn't need reading 'The Dragon Lensmen' to appreciate this book but whether there's more than a tenuous link between the three books will have to wait until I read the third next month. Long out of print but a good buy for those who like space opera.

GF Willmetts

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