This is one of the most energetic books I have read. Yes, it is pure "pulp fiction" in the non-Quentin Terantino sense of the word, but it was a powerful page turner. Every page was super-charged, and every chapter left you wanting more! E. E. "Doc" Smith is one of the giants of SF, and one of it"s greatest popularizers. He doesn"t have the finesse that Asimov of Heinlein. He doesn"t have the aura of humor of Niven. Doc"s strength is his raw energy. This book is like watching Yoda"s fight with Count Dooku at double-time. He overwhelms at times. . . Another one of Doc"s strength is his mixture of science and gadgets. You are immediate placed in a world of sub-ether communicators, atomic weapons, tractor beams, spacer ships, space armor, and all the other props associated with old school SF. I now know where Roddenberry and Lucas got many of their terms and gadgets. This tale is layered, and you can actually smell the intrigue and forces control other forces and nothing is what it seems. "Wheels within wheels" and "plots within plots within plots." At times it can be complex. Sometimes the action runs too fast, and I find myself panting for the characters. At times it is almost a melodrama, or a morality play. While the dialogue might seem old-fashioned today, the stories themselves are timeless. What a wonderful experience awaits the new reader! Highly recommended.