Our story concerns the adventures that befall Our Hero, Richard Seaton, when he discovers a metal, called X, which can, under the proper conditions, cause a copper wire to go through brick walls and accelerate out of sight. He quickly adapts this discovery to a space drive, and intends to go exploring the universe with his buddy, Millionaire Inventor M. Reynolds Crane. In doing so, he earns the enmity of Mark DuQuesne, the force behind the Evil World Steel Corporation, which wants a monopoly on X, and doesn't care how many hundreds of people have to die in the process.
When DuQuesne kidnaps the Lovely Dorothy Vaneman, Our Hero's Love Interest, he takes of after DuQuesne, and rescues DuQuesne, Dorothy, and a happily present love interest for Crane, just before they are dragged into a dark star (black hole). Then things start to happen.
As with much of Smith's work, things are continually getting bigger and more amazing as each page, chapter, or volume turns. What starts out with a copper wire in the first chapter or so of the book, turns into a pair of indestructible space ships by books end. There are also a number of interesting gadgets, and Bloodthirsty, naked, but friendly aliens. As well as Beings of Pure Intellect. This is all in capitals, because that is how much of it feels. Although it is dated, and there is a bit (ok, maybe a lot) of "White Man's Burden", it is still fun and fairly innocent, and Our Hero doesn't always know everything. Likewise, although the women usually don't have a lot to do, nobody else but Seaton, and to a lesser extent DuQuesne, does either. Also, while the women don't do much, and scream and faint occasionally, they don't do it all the time.
All in all, good clean fun.