And today, on Under The Influence...

[seawasp]

... I talk about what has probably been the single greatest influence in my writing life: E. E. "Doc" Smith.

Comments

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

Looks in vain for the Under the Influence collumn devoted to Airwolf.

I think the only Lensman novel I read was The Gray Lensmen, IIRC.

[scott-sanford.livejournal.com]

That clearly established the Bell 222 as the coolest helicopter. At least when you're a junior high school boy...

[kengr]

I first encountered Doc in the library at Fairchild AFB. Mom had dependent privileges and I was young enough to be allowed to come along on her ID.

Anyway, they had a hardcover copy of Galactic Patrol, which I read several times over the years. But that was the only Smith they had. And the local libraries in Spokane (at least the two branches I went to didn't have any (I know, because by the time I started Junior high I'd read *all* of what they had. :-)

In junior high, a friend loaned me some of the pryamid paperbacks. It was only then, that I realized Galactic Patrol was part of a *series*. I eventually got my own copies of both the Lensman and Skylark series.

I still have those battered paperbacks somewhere. Though I've "replaced" them with the trade paper sized "archival quality" reprints. Just wish they were able to get the rest of the series (Vortex Blaster for the Lensman series, and the last two Skylark books)

[sally charette (from livejournal.com)]

Hi,

I've been looking for contact information for the estate of E.E. "Doc" Smith and/or Kim Trestrail. Doc's daughter, Verna Smith Trestrail and her husband Al were my teachers in high school and elementary school music, and I'd love to get in touch with the family to let them know how positively these two impacted my life. Thinking of her today in light of the passing of Ray Bradbury. I loved his work, and she insisted it wasn't science fiction...wouldn't use his books in her scifi class.

Any info you can give me would be appreciated.

Sally Charette
www.anygivensundry.com