Triplanetary

Hundreds of millions of years ago, two near-omnipotent alien races encountered each other, beginning a conflict that will shape the history of the entire universe. The benevolent Arisians covertly influence humanity, hoping to create a people capable of one day defeating the vile Eddorians, who are waging their own campaign for the fate of civilization on Earth. This sets the stage for a clash between the Triplanetary League of the inner solar system, the enigmatic pirate-scientist Roger, and the Nevians, interlopers whose first appearance wreaks havoc among the other parties.

        <p><i>Triplanetary</i> is the first of <a href="https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/e-e-smith">Edward E. “Doc” Smith’s</a> <a href="https://standardebooks.org/collections/lensman">Lensman</a> series, an early and influential entry in the space opera genre. Originally serialized in <i>Amazing Stories</i> in 1934 as a stand-alone story, <i>Triplanetary</i> was collected in book form in 1948 with six new chapters and numerous additions, changing the story to be a prequel to the rest of the Lensman series.</p>