The Skylark of Space

Richard Seaton, a government scientist, discovers a fuel that moves faster than light. He plans to use it to power an interstellar spaceship, the Skylark. The discovery makes him a target.

Marc DuQuesne, a ruthless rival, wants the fuel for himself. So does the World Steel Corporation, a sinister company ready to go to any length to get it. Together they kidnap Seaton's fiancée and his friends.

The kidnapping sets off a furious pursuit. Seaton's anger and his wish for revenge drive the Skylark out across the galaxy and back again.

This is space opera, the first book in a four-book series. It first appeared in Amazing Stories in 1928, an early landmark of American pulp science fiction. The dialogue is breezy, and a romantic thread runs alongside the chase.

The heroes make mistakes, and the villains are complicated rather than flat. A conflict on a galactic scale stays tied to people, and the pace is quick, with the fun of old pulp adventure. The question is whether Seaton can rescue those he loves before DuQuesne's side secures the fuel.