Triplanetary is a science fiction novel and space opera by American writer E. E. Smith. It was first serialized in the magazine Amazing Stories in 1934. After the original four novels of the Lensman series were published, Smith expanded and reworked Triplanetary into the first of two prequels for the series. The fix-up novel Triplanetary was published in book form in 1948 by Fantasy Press. The second prequel, First Lensman, was a new original novel published in 1950 by Fantasy Press.
Dust-jacket from the first edition
The first installment of Triplanetary took the cover of the January 1934 issue of Amazing Stories, illustrated by Leo Morey.
Another Morey cover illustrated the third installment in the March 1934 Amazing Stories.
Edward Elmer Smith was an American food engineer and science-fiction author, best known for the Lensman and Skylark series. He is sometimes called the father of space opera.
A scene from the first installment of The Skylark of Space, August 1928
The serial novel Skylark Three began as Amazing Stories cover story (August 1930)
Spacehounds of IPC was also serialized in Amazing Stories.
Triplanetary was the last of Smith's 1930s novels to be serialized in Amazing Stories; his Lensman novels were published in Astounding Stories.
