ens man ▁and ▁Tri plan et ary . ▁The ▁first ▁of ▁these ▁was ▁designed ▁by ▁Philip ▁N . ▁P rit ch ard . ▁ ▁G UR PS ▁L ens man : ▁St ark ly ▁Ast ounding ▁Space - Oper a ▁Advent ure ▁for ▁the ▁G UR PS ▁role play ing ▁system ▁was ▁produced ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁by ▁Steve ▁Jackson ▁Games . ▁ ▁Hom ages ▁and ▁par od ies ▁With ▁Smith ' s ▁knowledge , ▁the ▁par ody ▁" Back stage ▁L ens man " ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁Rand all ▁Gar rett ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁Gar rett ▁also ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁L enses ▁in ▁his ▁Lord ▁Dar cy ▁stories , ▁in ▁which ▁similar ▁l enses ▁are ▁the ▁bad ges ▁of ▁the ▁King ' s ▁Mess engers , ▁invent ed ▁by ▁the ▁w izard ▁" S ir ▁Edward ▁El mer ". ▁ ▁Harry ▁Harrison ▁wrote ▁the ▁hum orous ▁and ▁compreh ensive ▁par ody ▁Star ▁Sm ash ers ▁of ▁the ▁Gal axy ▁R angers ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁DC ▁Comics ▁universe , ▁the ▁Green ▁Lan tern ▁Corps ▁be ars ▁many ▁par alle ls ▁to ▁the ▁L ens men , ▁though ▁the ▁original ▁editor ▁( Jul ius ▁Schw art z ) ▁denied ▁any ▁connection . ▁Later ▁writers ▁would ▁add ▁characters ▁that ▁directly ▁referenced ▁the ▁L ens man ▁series , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁extr ater rest rial ▁Green ▁Lan tern s ▁Ar is ia ▁and ▁Edd ore . ▁ ▁In ▁Robert ▁Hein lein ' s