Sniffen Packets

With a name like Sniffen, it's got to smell good.

Triplanetary, by E.E. Smith

I think I can give my review in the form of a (very slightly edited to remove a spoiler) quote:

“Atomic bombs literally volatilized most of the pirate vessel; vials of pure corrosion began to dissolve the solid fragments of her substance into dripping corruption. Reeking gases filled every cranny of circumambient space as what was left of [the] battle cruiser began the long plunge to the ground”

Any book that doesn’t just blow up the pirates but “volatilizes” them is good by me. The whole book—all 287 pages of it—is written in this over-the-top style. It’s a really fast read anyway, since the plot is pretty light (though with a lot of details if you care to look into them.)

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