I had the whole set of the paperback reissues of the E.E. Smith "Lensman" books, that originally came out in the 1940s. A while back I sent them to my son. Spoke to him on the phone a few days ago and he said he'd gotten well into reading them.

What amazed him, he said, was how much George Lucas had stolen, that he thought was original ideas in the Star Wars movies.

I said, "Ayuhh," like any good Vermont father.

Peter.