Front matter
Reading edition
(original title: THE VORTEX BLASTER)
E. E. Smith
NEW YORK
Copyright 1960 Edward E. Smith, Ph.D.
All Rights Reserved
Printed in the United States of America
[Transcriber's Note: Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
THE VORTEX BLASTER
—“Storm” Cloud, the only man who could destroy the ravening nuclear vortices that struck and killed at random.
THE VORTEX BLASTER
was also the name of Cloud’s space-ship, an incredibly advanced arsenal of modern science, in which Cloud and his crew of colorful space castaways hunted the source of the lethal vortices, battled a criminal mastermind, developed unheard-of sciences, and made an ultimate discovery of shattering importance to the destiny of the Universe!
THE VORTEX BLASTERS
team up in a saga of crisis and adventure in the worlds of the Lensmen—“Doc” Smith’s most enduring creation.
Novels of science fiction
by
“DOC” SMITH
The Skylark series
THE SKYLARK OF SPACE
SKYLARK OF VALERON
SKYLARK THREE
SKYLARK DUQUESNE
The Lensman series
TRIPLANETARY
FIRST LENSMAN
GALACTIC PATROL
GRAY LENSMAN
SECOND STAGE LENSMEN
CHILDREN OF THE LENS
MASTERS OF THE VORTEX
(original title: The Vortex Blaster)
To
Bob Heinlein
With Admiration and Esteem
CONTENTS
ChapterPage
1Catastrophe7
2Cloud Blasts a Vortex15
3Cloud Loses an Arm24
4“Storm” Cloud on Deka34
5The Boneheads48
6Driving Jets are Weapons54
7The Blaster Acquires a Crew70
8Vesta the Vegian77
9Trouble on Tominga89
10Janowick99
11Joan the Telepath106
12Vesta Practices Spaceal115
13Games Within Games123
14Vesta the Gambler138
15Joan and Her Brains147
16Vegian Justice158
17The Call171
18Cahuita183