The planets Arisia and Eddore were at war for control of the Universe. The battleground was a tiny backward planet in a remote galaxy called Earth! Only a few Earthlings knew of the titanic struggle, and of the strange, decisive role they were to play in the war of the super-races. Here is the first book of the celebrated Lensman series.

No human had ever landed on the hidden planet of Arisia. A mysterious space barrier turned back both men and ships. Then Samms of the Galactic Patrol got through;and came back with
the Lens, the strange device which gave its wearer powers no man had ever possessed before.

The pirates of Boskone raided at will, menacing the whole of interstellar civilisation. Masterminded by a super-scientist, their fleets out-gunned even the mighty cruisers of the Galactic Patrol. When Kim Kinnison of the Patrol found the secret Boskonian base, it was impregnable to outside attack. But a single infiltrator might penetrate its defenses; if
he wanted to take on million-to-one odds!

Somewhere among the galaxies was the stronghold of Boskone;a network of brilliant interplanetary criminals whose mania for conquest threatened the future of all civilisation. But where? Boskonian bases dotted the universe;shielded by gigantic thought-screens that defied penetration. It was up to Lensman Kin Kinnison, using his fantastic mental powers, to infiltrate the Boksonian strongholds and learn the location of the enemy's Grand Base;and smash it forever!

Kim Kinnison had the incredible assignment of infiltrating the inner circle of Boskone. His job was to become a Boskonian in every gesture, thought and deed. He had to work himself up through the ranks of an alien enemy organisation, into the highest echelons of power; until it was he who would be issuing the orders that would destroy his own civilisation!

It was beginning to look as though no one could prevent the annihilation of the civilised Universe. For a weird intelligence was directing the destruction of all civilisation from the icy depths of outer space. Kin Kinnison of the Galactic Patrol was one of the few men who knew how near the end was. And in the last desperate stratagem to save the Universe from total destruction, he knew he had to use his children as bait for the evil powers of the hell-planet Ploor.