the fountains of paradise by arthur c clarke

'If you want a particular story, you should write it yourself.' is the rightful reply of the writer. Clarke didn't tell the story that I wanted him to tell, and this is always an unfair expectation on the part of the reader. I was disappointed in this book, though I confess that part of it is my fault. Good SF, this won both the Hugo and Nebula. Recalling his other works Rendezvous with Rama and Childhood's End, this also made me think of Poul Anderson’s 1983 publication Orion Shall Rise. This one also features better characterization than what we usually expect from him.

Clarke’s scientific imagination and vision are again on exhibition. Essentially, this is a filament tether connecting the mountain top to an orbiting satellite and we can easily transport people and supplies hundreds of kilometers into low space. Clarke also sets this in the near future and describes other preeminent projects like a bridge across Gibraltar. Much of the narrative is devoted to explanations of the problems and obstacles to overcome for such a marvel of technology and engineering. Both celestial projects stretch the limits of human achievement and engineering ability and Clarke’s unique talent ties the two stories together. Telling the story of an elevator into space, this also describes a flashback related story thousands of years earlier as a Sri Lankan king builds a palace high on the mountain top. Clarke’s later books, but in its themes and style is reminiscent of some of his best work. He was awarded the CBE in 1989.įirst published in 1979, Fountains of Paradise is one of Grandmaster Sir Arthur C.

Clarke also won the Nebula Award of the Science Fiction Writers of America in 1972, 19, the Hugo Award of the World Science Fiction Convention in 19, and in 1986 became Grand Master of the Science Fiction Writers of America. Campbell Award for his novel Rendezvous With Rama. He is past Chairman of the British Interplanetary Society, a member of the Academy of Astronautics, the Royal Astronomical Society, and many other scientific organizations.Īuthor of over fifty books, his numerous awards include the 1961 Kalinga Prize, the AAAS-Westinghouse science writing prize, the Bradford Washburn Award, and the John W. He is best known for the novel and movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, which he co-created with the assistance of Stanley Kubrick.Ĭlarke was a graduate of King's College, London where he obtained First Class Honours in Physics and Mathematics. He spent the first half of his life in England, where he served in World War Two as a radar operator, before emigrating to Ceylon in 1956. Sir Arthur Charles Clarke was one of the most important and influential figures in 20th century science fiction.

The fountains of paradise by arthur c clarke