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Gray Lensman - E E 'Doc' Smith Quiz

'Gray Lensman' is the fourth of E. E. 'Doc' Smith's classic Lensman books. Kimball Kinnison has to find the headquarters of Boskone. Do you know how well he did? Don't forget to rate this quiz when you are done!

A multiple-choice quiz by johnfair. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
johnfair

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
304,210

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
25

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
16 / 25

Plays
177

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 25

1. As the book opens, Kinnison is attacking the base of Helmuth, who he thinks is the head man of Boskone.
Is he correct?

Yes

NEXT>

Question 2 of 25

2. There was a ball of energy in Helmuth's office. What happened when Kinnison examined it? Hint

It had been rigged to explode.

A space monster ate his starship.

A counter thought burnt out Kinnison's mind.

Nothing happened.

NEXT>

Question 3 of 25

3. Surgeon-Marshal Lacy took Kinnison to the Grand Ball in honour of the fleet's victory. Whom did he leave with? Hint

He left the dance alone.

Gladys Forrester.

Clarissa MacDougall.

The little blond in the high slitted dress.

NEXT>

Question 4 of 25

4. Where was Kinnison intending to go a couple of weeks after the Ball? Hint

Corrina.

Vega.

Lundmark's Nebula

Trenco.

NEXT>

Question 5 of 25

5. What ship carried Kinnison on his epic intergalactic voyage? Hint

The Dauntless.

The Chicago.

The Britannia II.

Vengeance.

NEXT>

Question 6 of 25

6. Was the first planet that Kinnison and his people found in the Lundmark Nebula part of Boskone's empire?

Yes

NEXT>

Question 7 of 25

7. Which planet did the Dauntless come upon which still resisted the encroachment of Boskone? Hint

Jarnevon.

Ploor.

Medon.

Borova IV.

NEXT>

Question 8 of 25

8. What happened to the invested planet after the Dauntless's arrival? Hint

The whole planet moved to our galaxy.

The population was enslaved by Boskone.

It was finally destroyed by Boskone.

The surviving population was evacuated by the Dauntless.

NEXT>

Question 9 of 25

9. As whom does Kinnison arrive on Radelix as? Hint

Charles Forte.

Surgeon-Marshal Lacy.

Lensman Gerrond.

Chester Q. Fordyce.

NEXT>

Question 10 of 25

10. Who gave Kinnison his initial lead to the drug runners? Hint

Dessa Desplaines.

The Countess Avondvin.

Clarissa MacDougall.

Lensman Gerrond.

11. After Kinnison had taken out the first zwilnik on Radelix, some one else was sent along to investigate. This next link in the chain had prior history with Kinnison, however. Who was this unfortunate person? Hint

Dessa Desplaines.

Wise of Medon.

Clarissa MacDougall.

John Doe.

NEXT>

Question 12 of 25

12. Did either of Kinnison's first two targets on Radelix die?

Yes

NEXT>

Question 13 of 25

13. The events at the Ambassador's Ball had blown Kinnison's cover. What did he become next? Hint

A Posenian.

He gave up on undercover identities and operated as himself.

Wild Bill Williams.

A Radelixian policeman.

NEXT>

Question 14 of 25

14. After the brouhaha at Brominger's Bar, Kinnison started experimenting. What did this experimentation involve? Hint

Using his powers without the physical contact of his lens.

He built a new type of spy ray.

Honing his combat skills.

He designed a new space drive.

NEXT>

Question 15 of 25

15. After a visit to the Patrol Base, Kinnison made a stop at another destination. Where was this? Hint

He went to church.

The botanical gardens.

The local zoo.

A very good restaurant.

NEXT>

Question 16 of 25

16. After Radelix, Kinnison returned to Earth to report. There he saw Dr. Lacy who introduced something to him. What was it? Hint

Clarissa MacDougall.

A replacement arm.

His medical discharge.

A new medical procedure.

NEXT>

Question 17 of 25

17. While on Earth, Kinnison took the opportunity to call a Conference of Scientists. About how many people did he want in attendance? Hint

50.

100.

75.

125.

NEXT>

Question 18 of 25

18. Which two beings were in the Library's HTT intelligence grouping? Hint

Lacy and Haynes.

Van Buskirk and Kinnison.

Kinnison and Worsel.

Worsel and Haynes.

NEXT>

Question 19 of 25

19. Which member of the Council of Boskone decided he would visit Arisia? Hint

Eichamp, Eighth of Boskone.

Eichmil, Second of Boskone.

Eichlan, First of Boskone.

Eichnor, Third of Boskone.

NEXT>

Question 20 of 25

20. Why did the Council of Boskone decide that Arisia deserved a visit? Hint

To see where it was.

To surrender to Arisia.

They were planning to destroy it.

To accept Arisia's surrender.

NEXT>

Question 21 of 25

21. Why did Kinnison call the Conference of Scientists? Hint

To say hello to them.

For the manufacture of a hyperspatial tunnel.

For the construction of a negasphere.

For the development of a faster method of communication.

NEXT>

Question 22 of 25

22. When Kinnison investigated the firm of Wembleson's on Bronseca, he hoped to find his next lead. Did he manage this?

Yes

NEXT>

Question 23 of 25

23. After Bronseca, Kinnison goes into deep cover. What does he become? Hint

An accountant.

A dock walloper.

A meteor miner.

A doctor.

NEXT>

Question 24 of 25

24. While staring out on his new career, what happened to Kinnison? Hint

He discovered a massive error in the books he was auditing.

The meteor he was bringing in had been captured by another meteor miner at exactly the same time.

He was faced by a patient who he knew as Kinnison.

He discovered an ancient cache of undelivered suitcases.

NEXT>

Question 25 of 25

25. Who did Kinnison deal with after his first outing? Hint

Strongheart.

Townsend.

Benji.

Crownshield.

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. As the book opens, Kinnison is attacking the base of Helmuth, who he thinks is the head man of Boskone. Is he correct?

Answer: No

Kinnison has barely made a start on the long and tortuous route to Boskone's top council.

2. There was a ball of energy in Helmuth's office. What happened when Kinnison examined it?

Answer: It had been rigged to explode.

The resulting explosion destroyed the entire planet!

3. Surgeon-Marshal Lacy took Kinnison to the Grand Ball in honour of the fleet's victory. Whom did he leave with?

Answer: Clarissa MacDougall.

Talking with Gladys as they danced proved rather interesting as they discussed interstellar distances, but nobody else attracted his interest once he'd spotted Clarissa.

4. Where was Kinnison intending to go a couple of weeks after the Ball?

Answer: Lundmark's Nebula

It's only relatively recently that the galaxies have been recognised as separate entities.

5. What ship carried Kinnison on his epic intergalactic voyage?

Answer: The Dauntless.

The Dauntless was the most powerful vessel in Civilisation's fleet.

6. Was the first planet that Kinnison and his people found in the Lundmark Nebula part of Boskone's empire?

Answer: Yes

We aren't told its name but it's so firmly part of the Boskonian empire that there's virtually no military there.

7. Which planet did the Dauntless come upon which still resisted the encroachment of Boskone?

Answer: Medon.

The inhabitants of Medon were techno wizards whose skills were almost, but not quite, up to keeping the massed ranks of Boskone at bay.

8. What happened to the invested planet after the Dauntless's arrival?

Answer: The whole planet moved to our galaxy.

The scientists on Medon had developed bergenholms capable of letting the whole planet become a huge starship.

9. As whom does Kinnison arrive on Radelix as?

Answer: Chester Q. Fordyce.

Chester Q. Fordyce is a well-known man of leisure and dilettante scientist.
Charles Forte created a newspaper of strange events back in the twentieth century.
Gerrond and Lacy are other characters from this book.

10. Who gave Kinnison his initial lead to the drug runners?

Answer: The Countess Avondvin.

The Countess proved not to be a big fish, however.

Answer: Dessa Desplaines.

Dessa had met Kinnison on an earlier mission and through a misguided sense of chivalry, Kinnison had let her get away.

12. Did either of Kinnison's first two targets on Radelix die?

Answer: No

Kinnison had steeled himself to do whatever was necessary but Dr. Smith ensured that it was unnecessary...
Kinnison is able to impose an aversion to any future Boskonian intervention in her life on the first target. His second target took a drug that zapped her memory way back to her teenage years.

13. The events at the Ambassador's Ball had blown Kinnison's cover. What did he become next?

Answer: A Posenian.

A Posenian was roughly man shaped but generally wore solid armour against a Terran-like atmosphere.

14. After the brouhaha at Brominger's Bar, Kinnison started experimenting. What did this experimentation involve?

Answer: Using his powers without the physical contact of his lens.

Up until now, all the lensmen believed they had to be in physical contact with their lenses for them to work.

15. After a visit to the Patrol Base, Kinnison made a stop at another destination. Where was this?

Answer: The local zoo.

Kinnison asked the zoo to supply a number of unusual weapons.

16. After Radelix, Kinnison returned to Earth to report. There he saw Dr. Lacy who introduced something to him. What was it?

Answer: A new medical procedure.

A Posenian doctor was working on a technique to stimulate the regrowth of bits of his body.

17. While on Earth, Kinnison took the opportunity to call a Conference of Scientists. About how many people did he want in attendance?

Answer: 50.

He reckoned that any more than 50 would be too large a number to handle.

18. Which two beings were in the Library's HTT intelligence grouping?

Answer: Kinnison and Worsel.

The librarian was mortally embarrassed to be found out when Kinnison looked at the names...
HTT is High Tension Thinker - very, very intelligent, but very, very stable as well...

19. Which member of the Council of Boskone decided he would visit Arisia?

Answer: Eichamp, Eighth of Boskone.

There are nine members of the Council of Boskone.

20. Why did the Council of Boskone decide that Arisia deserved a visit?

Answer: They were planning to destroy it.

The Eich had established that Arisia was the mainspring of Civilisation.

21. Why did Kinnison call the Conference of Scientists?

Answer: For the construction of a negasphere.

The conference would prove to be a very touchy thing, with various scientists storming off.

22. When Kinnison investigated the firm of Wembleson's on Bronseca, he hoped to find his next lead. Did he manage this?

Answer: No

Everything appeared to be completely legitimate so Kinnison had to try a different tack.

23. After Bronseca, Kinnison goes into deep cover. What does he become?

Answer: A meteor miner.

Kinnison was going to have to make sure that his cover was impeccable on this stage of his investigations.

24. While staring out on his new career, what happened to Kinnison?

Answer: The meteor he was bringing in had been captured by another meteor miner at exactly the same time.

What were the odds of two mining boats picking up the same piece of rock? Too high for co-incidence!

25. Who did Kinnison deal with after his first outing?

Answer: Strongheart.

Strongheart appeared to be a relatively honest, for flexible values of 'honest', barkeep and station manager.

Source: Author johnfair

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