Book Note: Edward E. Smith, The Galaxy Primes (#2)

This note contains spoilers for the book.

The previous reading was more careful, but I made a few notes from this one, too. Wow, there was a hardcover edition from Harper Collins in 1975, I didn't know that.

Page numbers this time from Ace #27291, not the original paperback.

p.12 The relationship between the Galaxian Society and Solar SystemsEnterprises isn't clear to me. Jim and Clee work for SSE and are loaned to the Galaxians, that's clear. It sounds like much of the work is done by SSE under contract to the Galaxians; but that leaves the Galaxians firmly in charge. The thing is, they talk about pressures being brought to bear on the men to make them go on the trip. Who's doing that, and why? It's not like the Galaxians -- and Clee runs the Galaxians. Would SSE do it? Why? There's no indication they believe in the project at all.

Also, why haven't Belle and Clee met? Or have they? They both know they're the only two Primes in the solar system. There are bits of this opening that just don't hang together.

p.33: EES on (the lack of) male self-control:

"Bunk!" Garlock snorted. "Sheer nonsense! Pure psychological prop-wash, started and maintained by men who are either too weak to direct and control their drives or who haven't any real work to occupy their minds."

p.37: Everybody agrees artificial insemination of humans is of course completely ruled out. Except it wasn't in 1965, I don't think; at least it sure isn't now. Not technically, he was suggesting no real woman would put up with it.

p.55: The issue of lying with your mind comes up again. Brownie can do it, but they tell the politicians on that Earth-analog world that one can't do it. This plays out in the Lensman and Skylark books, too; he keeps trying to say you can't, and then finding that some people can sometimes.

p.72: The Earth-analog planet, with two large dictatorships and a coalition of smaller free countries. With the right economic and technical relationships. Note that he doesn't leave the West-analog countries armed either. "You are much better than those we have already disarmed, but you are not good enough."

p.117: Genocide again, this time against the wasp-things in that 6-planet neighborhood. One of them is a bit stressed by it, but nobody has any doubt it's the right thing to do.

And that seems to be it for new things not remarked before.