Triplanetary

Imagine a super-long fight between good space wizards from Arisia who help planets grow nice, and sneaky bad guys from Eddore who want to wreck everything. Long ago on Earth, there are big battles, then in our time, a smart lady named Clio and a guy named Costain steal a magic spaceship that flies without engines to beat pirate spaceships. Way in the future, hero Kimball Kinnison uses a special ring called a Lens that lets him read minds and talk in his head to stop the pirates and save the whole galaxy from exploding stars and evil bosses!

Triplanetary, the opening salvo of E.E. Smith's monumental Lensman saga, spans eons in a cosmic chess game between the ancient, benevolent Arisians—who foster order and civilization—and the insidious Eddorians, shape-shifting agents of chaos plotting universal domination. The narrative weaves three interconnected eras: an ancient cataclysm on Earth pitting Atlantean-like forces against invaders, a near-future World War II-adjacent conflict where metallurgist Clio Marsden and engineer Conway Costain stumble into a pirate ambush, commandeering the first inertia-less spaceship powered by the revolutionary Bergenholm generator to evade the villainous Roger and his fleet. Propelling into the 32nd century, the story escalates to galaxy-shaking battles as the Galactic Patrol, armed with psychic Lenses granting telepathic powers and unbreakable loyalty, confronts pirate strongholds and uncovers Eddorian manipulations. Protagonist Kimball Kinnison, a Lensman of unparalleled prowess, leads assaults on Neptune's pirate base and beyond, showcasing Smith's signature super-science arsenal including ultra-wave communicators, free spaceships, and Visiplates. This pulp masterpiece fuses pulp adventure with grand-scale interstellar warfare, laying the groundwork for humanity's role in a eternal struggle for cosmic harmony.