Art by Virgil Finlay for “The Hellflower” by George O. Smith in “Startling Stories,” May, 1952.
It enslaves the women of Earth! It looked like a gardenia but it was the most vicious drug in existence. Framed and disgraced space pilot Charles Farradyne is offered one shot at redemption by finding out who was peddling the deadly ultra-aphrodisiac Hellflowers and infiltrating the interstellar organization trafficking it — and he might just discover who framed him in the process . . . [Prologue]
“Farradyne had committed the one unpardonable error a Space Master could make. He didn't die along with the other 32 passengers when his ship smashed into the Bog on Venus. They broke him—exiled him to the rotting fungus fields of Venus. Now his only desire in existence was to return to the cool, gleaming sea of deep space. And there was a way—only one. But he would have to become the vilest parasite in the universe—peddler of a poison that stripped the spirit, before it consumed the body...." – Goodreads.com
George O. Smith, born on April 9, 1911, was an American science fiction author renowned for his contributions during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. He frequently published stories in “Astounding Science Fiction” and is best known for his “Venus Equilateral” series, which revolved around a communications station in outer space. His notable works include "Operation Interstellar" (1950) and "Lost in Space" (1959). Smith's career spanned several decades, with his writing peaking in the 1940s and 1950s.
Smith's personal life was as intriguing as his stories. He married Doña Campbell, the first wife of Astounding's editor John W. Campbell, in 1949. Despite a prolific early career, his output diminished in the 1960s due to a demanding job. He was honored with the First Fandom Hall of Fame Award in 1980, a testament to his lasting impact on the science fiction community. George O. Smith passed away on May 27, 1981, leaving behind a legacy of imaginative and technically rich science fiction. [Sources: Wikipedia and Fancyclopedia.org]
[Note: "Lost in Space" by George O. Smith is a classic story about a lost space lifeboat. The book is told from the perspectives of the searchers, the missing passengers, and the aliens closing in. It is not connected to the 1965 TV series of the same name.]
Art by Virgil Finlay for “The Hellflower” by George O. Smith in “Startling Stories,” May, 1952.
It enslaves the women of Earth! It looked like a gardenia but it was the most vicious drug in existence. Framed and disgraced space pilot Charles Farradyne is offered one shot at redemption by finding out who was peddling the deadly ultra-aphrodisiac Hellflowers and infiltrating the interstellar organization trafficking it — and he might just discover who framed him in the process . . . [Prologue]
“Farradyne had committed the one unpardonable error a Space Master could make. He didn't die along with the other 32 passengers when his ship smashed into the Bog on Venus. They broke him—exiled him to the rotting fungus fields of Venus. Now his only desire in existence was to return to the cool, gleaming sea of deep space. And there was a way—only one. But he would have to become the vilest parasite in the universe—peddler of a poison that stripped the spirit, before it consumed the body...." – Goodreads.com
George O. Smith, born on April 9, 1911, was an American science fiction author renowned for his contributions during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. He frequently published stories in “Astounding Science Fiction” and is best known for his “Venus Equilateral” series, which revolved around a communications station in outer space. His notable works include "Operation Interstellar" (1950) and "Lost in Space" (1959). Smith's career spanned several decades, with his writing peaking in the 1940s and 1950s.
Smith's personal life was as intriguing as his stories. He married Doña Campbell, the first wife of Astounding's editor John W. Campbell, in 1949. Despite a prolific early career, his output diminished in the 1960s due to a demanding job. He was honored with the First Fandom Hall of Fame Award in 1980, a testament to his lasting impact on the science fiction community. George O. Smith passed away on May 27, 1981, leaving behind a legacy of imaginative and technically rich science fiction. [Sources: Wikipedia and Fancyclopedia.org]
[Note: "Lost in Space" by George O. Smith is a classic story about a lost space lifeboat. The book is told from the perspectives of the searchers, the missing passengers, and the aliens closing in. It is not connected to the 1965 TV series of the same name.]