E. E. "Doc" Smith (1890-1965) is widely celebrated as the father of modern space opera. A trained food chemist who once worked on perfecting doughnut mixes, Smith transformed the world of science fiction with his epic tales of interstellar warfare, cosmic adventure, and retro rocketship [...] two most famous sagas-the Skylark series and the Lensman series-defined the Golden Age of science fiction, thrilling readers of pulp magazines with their dazzling scope, relentless action, and sweeping imaginative scale. In the Lensman novels, Smith introduced the concept of a galactic police force, star-spanning wars, and super-science technology on a scale never before seen, directly influencing later works of epic science [...] their vast cosmic conflicts, larger-than-life heroes, and exuberant scientific speculation, Smith's novels remain foundational to the development of twentieth-century science fiction and continue to shape the traditions of modern space opera.