The Skylark of Space

Summary: The Skylark of Space is considered to be one of the earliest novels of interstellar travel and the first example of space opera. Originally serialized in 1928 in the magazine Amazing Stories, it was first published in book form in 1946 by the Buffalo Book Co. The novel was followed by three sequels, beginning with Skylark Three.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Skylark_of_Space?wprov=sft...

When reading this, compare also Smith's writing style - fast-paced and rarely even pausing to slow down - with older, more plodding SF styles. Verne could go for pages listing fish species or minutia of scientific apparatus. Wells was more ponderous, with Significant Questions about Man.

A couple of comments:

""What's happened, Doctah?" asked the dusky assistant. ... Here he lived alone save for an old colored couple who were his servants. ... the colored man who had been secured to take his place"

The lovely systemic racism of the era.

"If it were done instantaneously it would probably blow the entire world into a vapor, and might force it clear out of its orbit"

That didn't seem right at all, so I worked it out: 100 lbs of copper, assuming pure antimatter, is equivalent to a gigaton of TNT, or about 20 Tsar Bomba explosions.

"I gather that an ounce or so will be plenty. ... Ten thousand tons of nitroglycerin"

60 megatons, according to the earlier estimate.

"one of the great space flying stories"