Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Jorges Luis Borges and Raymond Carver at their best. Four timeless tales from the abstract minds of four of our greatest sci-fi authors. A thrill a minute..!

I read 'The City And The Stars' at the tender age of eleven or twelve. Nearly thirty years and many thousands of books later it still ranks as perhaps the greatest science-fiction book of all time.

The story opens with a wonderful description of what could be a possible future for humanity. After spending long millenia trying to explore the solar system, the Universe, and infinately greater intellegences reach the earth, and man is forced to look at his role in the Universe, and closely at himself. having risen to this challenge, mankind perfects both himself and machines, then reaches out to the stars once more, not merely joining the races with whom he once could barely understand, but leading them to the accomplishemnt of the ultimate goal.

The city of the title is the last vestigal remnant of humanity in the solar system, so long-lived and safety concious that they no longer wish to explore the universe, or indeed, even their own small planet.

The story is that of Alvin, the first child born on Earth for many thousands of years, who finds he does not share the fears of his fellow humans and vows to explore the world. His story unfolds in beautiful detail, and leads to an exciting and unexpected conclusion.

Along the way Clarke invents such radical concepts as computers with 'eternity circuits' which are immortal and can render immortal anything in their care, Gestalt entities composed of millions of unicellular polyps, which each individually live and die, but which collectively challenge eternity with undying intellegence, and a mind completely independent of matter.

The book is an ultimate work of art from the master himself. Read and enjoy!

I have read everyones review of this book on Amazon, and its good to see I'm not the only one who thinks this is the best science fiction novel of all time (and it ranks up there with any other fiction as well). Clarke is famous for his Odyessey series and the Rama series, but this is his master work. He captures the vastness of space and time perfectly (better than any other book I have read) with this novel, and that is why even though I have read it over ten times already I still don't get tired of it.

Despite the poor second chapter and an ending that is a collection of loose ends, the book surpasses 2001 Space Odyssey in the reach of its ideas. This is vintage Science Fiction coming from an age when SF was more about intriguing ideas than the polished story telling genre it now is.The prologue transports the reader to a time a billion years hence, to Diaspar the city that was built to be perfect -- forever.

When I knew that the book was all about the construction of a 36000km high tower, I look scornfully at it. But when I started to read the strong and plausible scientific background the story has, I started to consider Clarke not only the greatest science fiction writer ever, but also one of the greatest visionaries of our time.
I only took one star out of my rate because the story developed around it is not as good as in Rendezvous with Rama and Space Odyssey, but this Clarke's vision of future compensates it by far and makes the book worthwile anyway.

Hugo & Nebula Awards for Best Novel.

Nikola Tesla has been called the man who invented the 20th century. I'm hoping that Clarke will be remembered as the man who invented the 21st. As I type this there is a TV in the room, connected to a box, in turn connected to a dish on the roof, that is pointed to a satellite over 42,000 km away in what is called a Clarke Orbit, after the astronomer who realized it would be a useful place for a communications satellite to be, Sir Arthur C. Clarke.

So what does that have to do with this novel? In this book Clarke talks about a bridge, a tether that connects the ground to Clarke orbit. A vertical railroad, allowing for a more economical method for reaching Earth-orbit than riding on a Space Shuttle with the power of sixty-five locomotives.

As in real life, the political problems far outweigh the technical ones, and those who say that Clarke is weak in characterization have not read the same book I did.

Do the math, we can build a tether, we should build it. The only thing wrong with this book is that it hasn't happened, yet.

In the two decades since THE FOUNTAINS OF PARADISE was written, the idea of an 'elevator' into space has permeated the science fiction world completely, seen as merely a fact of things to come. In part, I believe it is because Arthur C. Clarke made such an excellent case for it in this novel which builds one up 36000 km (24,000 miles)--from Sri Lanka to geostationary orbit. It combines two of the authors most popular themes, technological evolution & human quintessential development, with sparse prose and moving directness. At the time of it's original publication, it was announced to be the author's last novel, which happily is one of Clarke's predictions which did not come true! Very Highly Recommended.

This is a well written and easy to understand book about artificial intelligence. This book examines "2001: A Space Odyssey," from the standpoint of scientific predictions. It examines the central character of the book - HAL 9000, the highly intelligent computer that has emotions. It explores questions such as whether HAL can be built, why is HAL late for his party and how the technologies, enabling HAL, are progressing. It also examines the feature film from the view point of a scientist. It examines the making of the film and shows how faithfulness it is to science. You will gain a much greater appreciation of the book "2001: A Space Odyssey" and the epic film after you read the book

Prior to attending a lecture by Dr. David Stork at a celebration of HAL 9000's birthday in Urbana, Illinois, I had only a passing interest in the field of Artificial Intelligence. After the lecture, I was motivated to learn more and bought a copy of his book, Hal's Legacy: 2001's Computer As Dream and Reality. It turned out to be one of the most thought-provoking as well as entertaining books I have read. Through a series of expert essays, Stork explores the current state and direction of Artificial Intelligence using HAL as both backdrop and benchmark. Non-technical readers will enjoy the way that the scientists that Stork has chosen present their theories of what it would take for us to realize Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke's vision of HAL. HAL's Legacy analyzes the prospects and possibilities of computers being able to converse, understand natural language, visualize, feel emotion, and even make value judgements. It also give the reader a new appreciation of the science that went into the science fiction of the movie 2001.

There are few films that have had the influence of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is difficult to say how many A.I. researchers were inspired to go into the field by the viewing of the film, but this book is good evidence that research in A.I. has undergone a sort of "public benchmarking" via a comparison with HAL, the arch computer-villan in the movie, and whose name is now ubiquitous in debates on robotics and artificial intelligence. This excellent book is a summary of just how far A.I. has come, as compared to the abilities of HAL. All of the authors acknowledge that the present level of A.I. is not what it is in HAL, but that progress is being made, in spite of, as one author remarked, the fact that A.I. is one of the most profoundly difficult problems in science.

Marvin Minsky is interviewed in the book, and he believes it is the problem of knowledge representation that has slowed down the progress in A.I. Too much time has been spent on chess programs and character recognition, and not on fundamentals, Minsky argues. Minsky also believes that emotions are absolutely essential in intelligent problem solving, and this is interesting in light of recent work on computational models of emotion.

The large physical size of HAL is compared with present sizes of computers in the article of David Kuck. But, the author argues, the human brain is also much smaller than HAL, but such a marvelous computing machine has yet to be emulated by even the best of present-day supercomputers. Size does not matter in matters of intelligence.

The article on error correction by R. Iyer is particularly insightful, for he argues, quite correctly, that making mistakes is a characteristic of true intelligence. HAL's brag that it is "incapable of error" is a sign of stupidity, rather than intelligence. False leads, uncompleted strategies and goals, and inconsistent reasoning are all part of genuine problem-solving.

M.S. Campbell discusses the efforts in machine chess, with Deep Blue of course being the focal point. Comparisons of how HAL plays chess compared to Deep Blue illustrate Campbell's belief that a mere combinatorial approach to playing chess should not be considered an intelligent one. HAL is intelligent because it plays intelligence like a human does, but Deep Blue does not. Campbell also gives an interesting historical summary of computer chess. He cites that example of a "fortress" position as one that chess computers have severe difficulty with.

The ability of computers to speak, and not sound "machine-like" is the subject of the article by J.P. Olive. His discussion gives the reader both an historical and technical overview of the difficulties involved in computer speech. And yes, the song "Daisy, Daisy" is real, and was the first song ever sung by a computer.

R. Kurzweil gives an optimistic overview of computer speech recognition. He details the "lessons" one needs to perform speech recognition and repeats his well-known desire to "reverse-engineer" the human brain, once the computational ability becomes available.

R.C. Schank discusses why he thinks A.I. must be able to understand more than just words, if natural language processing is to become a reality. And, interestingly, he believes that intelligence and problem solving are not necessarily the same thing and gives the reader insight into the difficulties involved in language acquisition by a computer.

This book was first printed in 1997, but given the recent news of a common sense reasoning computer developed by the company that D.B. Lenat heads, his article is particularly interesting. The ability of computers to exercise common sense is considered a fundamental requirement for machine intelligence, and Lenat outlines "3 easy steps" for the building of a HAL-like computer. It remains to be seen whether Lenat has indeed achieved this.

The ability of HAL to recognize images is discussed in the article by A. Rosenfeld. In light of the recent need for face recognition software for security enhancement, this discussion is particularly interesting. Rosenfeld details just what is difficult and what is easy to do in this area.

The capability of a computer to perform speechreading is the topic of D.Stork's article. Noting that speech has both auditory and visual aspects, Stork argues that HAL's ability to perform speechreading is far advanced in comparison to the real computers of today. He discusses interestingly, some of the tools used in current research on speechreading, such as hidden Markov models and neural networks.

The article of D. Norman addresses the human factors involved in living with intelligent machines. Norman contends that 2001 is too optimistic a projection of the future, and, in addition, that its technology is too large and bulky to be of much use to humans.

Computational models of emotion have been a subject of intense interest of late, and R. Picard addresses the issue of emotion and computers in his article. The discussion is fascinating, and Picard clearly believes that emotional states can be recoginized and mimicked by a computer. "Emotional" intelligence is something that must be part of any notion of artificial intelligence.

The ability of HAL to manipulate circumstances and trick the crew members is addressed in D.Wilkin's article. The ability to plan is based on common sense issues, and this is no where near being realized, he argues.

D.Stork interviews Stephen Wolfram in another article, and the reader learns of Wolfram's opinions on A.I. and related issues. Wolfram believes that its the nature of intelligence that must be understood to develop thinking machines, and not just processing power.

When thinking machines are built, legal issues of responsibility will naturally arise. D. Dennett addresses this in the last article of the book. Dennet puts HALs behavior in the context of what a human might do when faced with the mission priorities given to him. Turning off HAL was justified, but so was HALs response to it.

2001: A Space Odyssey is the quintessential science fiction book, filled with both inspired visions of the future and startling philosophical questions about humanity's place in the cosmos.

At the core of the novel is humanity's connection with an alien intelligence. The novel begins with primordial man encountering an alien intelligence--an encounter that would forever change human history. Several thousand years later, evidence of this alien intelligence (a black monolith) is discovered on the moon. The monolith, and its mysterious radio signal directed towards Saturn, compels mankind to initiate an interplanetary journey to the distant planet to uncover the monolith's origins and meanings. Unbeknownst to the human crew, only the ship's onboard computer (the HAL 9000) has full knowledge of the journey's actual mission. The final parts of the novel pit the human crew against the "self-aware" HAL 9000 computer. In a stunning conclusion, the true meaning of the monolith and man's connection to it are both exposed.

This is a fascinating book that reads surprisingly quickly. Clarke is masterful in his details and paints vivid pictures for the reader throughout the novel. Beyond the interesting and provocative story-line, 2001 constantly asks the reader to think deeply and philosophically about humanity's place in the universe. Clarke beautifully captures the scientific and intellectual spirit that has driven humanity throughout the ages (from primordial man to intergalactic man).

Most people are more familiar with the Stanley Kubrick movie "2001" than with this novel (the novel and screenplay were written at the same time). A careful reading of this book (preferably before seeing the movie) provides invaluable insight into what many perceive as a perplexing and convoluted movie. The novel more clearly explains and connects the plotlines and allows you to more fully appreciate the cinematic masterpiece that 2001 is.

This is a great book for anyone interested in science, science fiction, futurism or related subjects. I do believe that the book does hold valuable meaning for general readers as well because of its philosophical roots and because of its place in the annals of science fiction greatness. And for all those people who are confused by the movie, pick this up and read it--it will be sure to shed some light on the subject.

One might think that 2001 the book was based on the screenplay for 2001 the movie (it's written on the back of the book). However, after reading the epilogue before I read the story (oops), I found out that Clarke worked on the two projects simultaneously. The book is actually very well written, with the technical expertise of any good science fiction writer. It does not read like a screenplay at all; it keeps you interested throughout the whole book.

The two different yet related conflicts in the book are well chosen. The struggle between man vs. machine on board the Discovery is similar to the conflict of man's insatiable curiosity vs. the vastness of space. Human beings have always been longing for contact with another race of beings, and this first contact is described flawlessly by Arthur C. Clarke. Clarke also portrays the worst case scenario of modern technology: a computer that is capable of malice and has control over human lives.

All in all, this book is one of science fiction's best and a must-read, whether you've seen the movie or not.

2001: A Space Odyssey was everything a great science fiction novel should be. The day I started to read this book I found it so engrossing that I finished it the same day! The book does a magnificant job of rendering detailed images to us in mankinds' quest to reach intelligent life. The book touches on so many powerful themes, like man vs. machine, the struggle for survival, and humanity's rise to the space age that one can't help but think about these issues in a whole new light after finishing this great novel.

The addicting storyline, along with its pleasant, easy-to-read style will help make this book a favorite of everyone's who can get their hands on it!

My personal thanks to Arthur C. Clarke for creating a literary masterpiece that will stand for all of time!

This book was my first Science fiction read, and I was slightly surprised I liked it as much as I did. I didn't think I would have ever picked it to read on my own, but for my English class it was good. I thought the most interesting part of the book was the people's reactions to the Overlords. It was fascinating to see how Clarke portrayed different characters and their reactions. At the end, he did this less, and switched to more of a "scientific" mode. Yes, I know that is what science fiction is about for those of you who think I am being naive. Also, it was amazing that Clarke wrote this book in the 1950's with so much insight to technology and space travel. I won't spoil the end, but it was kind of depressing for me because all the things I personally care about were gone from Earth. Some of my classmates thought the book ended on a positive, but I just didn't see it that way. All in all, I enjoyed the book but don't think I would reread it. I would like to see a movie made about this book because it would interesting to see how a producer and director would do this movie. So I recommend this book to all that like science fiction and those of you who don't, try it, you may be surprised.

Along with Rendevouz with Rama, this is probably one of A.C. Clarke's best known works (not counting 2001). In it he paints a portrait of an Earth under the protective wing of the Overlords, but man has no explaination...nor do they really need one. Only a handful of humans question the motives of the Overloads who have abolished everything from disease to poverty to war. The book is broken into three sections: arrival, the golden age, and the last generation. Each part is populated with believable and vulnerable characters. The only constant throughout the book is Karellen the Overlord who is the Supervisor of Earth. It is his task to prepare mankind for the destiny that awaits them.

Clarke does a great job making us feel like we are insignificant in this universe, and that there are stranger and more fantastical things possibly awaiting us. The concept of the ending (whick I won't give away), or the hook, of this book is quite interesting. While not a 5 starrer in my book, this is a great read, and one of the classis that has truly earned it's label. READ MORE CLASSICS!

I pick a new theme in books to read each month, and this month was Sci-fi month. Childhood's End was the second book I chose (the first being Rendezvous with Rama -- also a great novel -- by the same author). After I finished it, I could not stop thinking about the story, I was so incredibly moved. That sounds kind of hokey, I know, but a great book should not only provide the reader with entertainment, but should have the power to move the reader as well. This book (pardon the 70s expression) blew my mind.

In his introduction, Clarke states that the TV series "V" was an "impressive variation" on Childhood's End, so I was waiting for the Overlords to start gathering up people to process them as food. Mercifully, there is nothing like that in this book. The Overlords seem to display at least a modicum of humanity as the destiny of man's future on earth unfolds in the novel. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to begin their foray into the world of science fiction.

Thalassa is a watery paradise, just a few islands in a planetwide ocean, and home to a small colony founded by robot seedships centuries before. The book tells the story of a visit by the starship MAGELLAN, carrying one million refugees in suspended animation from the final days of Earth on their journey to a harsh world light-years away. The plan is for the small crew of the MAGELLAN to rebuild the great ice shield which protects the ship on it journey. Some members of the crew, however, aren't satisfied with prospect of leaving paradise...

As Clarke explains in the Author's Note, this novel is an extensive reworking and expansion of a short story originally published decades ago. I know that I read it as a kid, but I can't say that it made any particular impression on me at the time. This version is typical Clarke -- a serviceable story, worth the time and effort to read it, but not the sort of book that penetrates to the core of your being. It's good and enjoyable, but not great. (Mike Oldfield's album of the same name, inspired by the book and approved by Clarke, is another story; I listen to it about once a week.)

In his author's foreword, Arthur C. Clarke writes that this is his vision of the "space opera" or Star Trek, and here he uses real science to give us a more realistic view of inter steller travel. No Warp Six could get you to another solar system in just a week's time. The actual travel would last several centuries. Hence this book deals with the last races of man who travel to another solar system to begin a new life, after Earth's sun goes Nova. They land for refueling and rest on a planet called Thalassa where human beings have already lived for 300 years, and this clash of cultures could alter the planet's culture in very harmful and unseen ways. Great book. Should also be made into a movie.

Arthur C. Clarke has done a fantastic job with this book. A wonderful story of the end of the world, and survival of the species, this novel has great depth and character development. We also get a taste of sociological strength, as we see two divergent social groups of humans interacting through necessity. As usual, A.C.Clarke does a masterful job of combining scifi with a great story, compelling characters, and a bit of tragedy thrown in, but not without the hopeful ending. I have read most of his work, and this book draws me back at least every couple of years. I would say that Songs of Distant Earth is one of his all-time greates works in character development and human drama. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good book.

(this review is specific to the mass-market paperback)

I finished reading this book today and I couldn't wait to review it. A friend suggested it to me. Normally I hate sci-fi but this book was the fire! It was the pertect idea. Set far enough in the future to be interesting but not so far that you can't even relate to it. A.C.C brings up all kinds of great explanations as to what the ship could be, most of which I wouldn't have thought of. Like when Boris Rodrigo wants to inform his church that he feels the second arc has come to collect Gods children. That was a great take on the situation I didn't think of. The characters are a little bland I guess but it's such a short read and there's so much information to digest there was really no room for hardcore character development. Who cares anyway, the main character, Rama, is what I wanted to know more about. A.C.C did an excellent job of not giving away to much information. Im glad that walking away I only know enough about the ship to keep me from going mad. The best mystery is one that can't be solved completly. I would suggest this book to anybody, sci-fi fan or not. It's a short, exhilerating read and worth any amount of time you take to read it. Also, from what I've heard, Arthur's collaborator butchers the soul of the Rama idea in 3 more installments. Im not going to read them. I have no interest in taking a leak in my Cylindrical Sea.

I have read several of Arthur C. Clark's novels, and once again I find myself in love with the magic he weaves with his imagination. There is a power behind his words, a power that keeps your eyes connected to the pages for hours on end. Arthur C. Clark is very knowlegeable about science and it helps to improve the realism in the boo - no space marines walking perfectly in zero gravity.

This book had an excellent plot; it is simply the best extra-terrestrial contact book I've ever read... The only book that compares to it is 'Childhood's End', also written by Arthur C. Clark. I won't discuss the plot as Amazon has already provided a beautiful description of the book.

There was only one problem with the book - It's too short and static. Each chapter has an average length of 8 pages, and the pages are rather small, so even though I loved the book, I kept wishing that there was more to read...

The Bottom Line: If you're looking for a book to relieve your mind of the stress in your life, Rendevous With Rama is an excellent book to spend your hours... Just make sure your boss doesn't catch you reading it! Heh heh... -Aragorn

As someone who considers herself a fan of "soft" science fiction (you know, the stuff you don't have to have an engineering degree or a clue about math to follow)I could only shake my head in wonderment when I was finished with Rendezvous with Rama. How does Clarke do it?

Here is a tale of mankind's first encounter with an alien spacecraft coming into our own solar system -- set in the not too distant future when we could conceivably have colonized our own local planets, but not yet explored the galaxy. The sense of awe, of discovery both delightful and terrifying comes across sharply as we follow a team that sets out to enter and explore the seemingly uninhabited interior of this gigantic environment. All the while events are unfolding in response to Rama's nearing the sun, the author manages to explain the scientific logistics of Rama in terms a lay person like me can clearly understand without being patronizing and without detracting from the characters and their story (which are, true to Clarke's tradition, interesting without being melodramatic).

I was reluctant to undertake this book at first, having received the impression that it was too technical and therefore, boring. It was neither. Now I can't wait to continue the series.

This is a very difficult review to write. Why? Well, before I get down to it, let me say that the film version of "2001" SHOULD HAVE BEEN the only story released. No books, No sequels! (One of the main reasons for this is that I prefer mystery over the always "too easy" answers. For example, I'd rather always wonder why HAL did what he did, rather than have them tell me). In spite of all that, this is actually a pretty good book. The creepy manner in which the often overrated Clarke deals with the fate of the Tsien journey is astounding, to say the least.( I wish this would have been done in the otherwise good movie version). The main part of the book, the journey to Jupiter, is made interesting by the fascinating characters and the growing animosity between them. Not to mention thenice way the tension in Dr. Floyd's family is handled. But,I have one more tiny problem with the book. Since the novel version of "2001" dealt with a mission to Saturn, shouldn't the novel version of "2010" have done the same? Instead of Europa and Io, they could have explored Japetus and Titan? It wouldn't really change the story but would have kept the continuity.(Again another minor failing by Clarke). Conclusion: yes, as far as the novels go "2010" is better than "2001." Clarke's "2001" severly "dumbed down" Kubrick's great story. In "2010: Odyssey Two," however, he puts together a decent Sci-Fi story.

This very engrossing sequel to 2001 once again brings us to the distant planet of Jupiter (now the second sun in our solar system). Although most sequels do not measure up to their predecessors, 2010 exceeded all my expectations for a follow up. I was taken to the outer reaches once again through the wonderful prose of Arthur C. Clarke. I felt like a child again full of wonder and imagination as I read this book! After a while, the printed words became a blur and it felt as though I was actually there experiencing the thrills along with the explorers! Thanks Mr. Clarke for giving me my imagination I thought was lost after I "grew up". I guess youre never too old to imagine! To all who have enjoyed 2001 or any other SF work, you will definately enjoy 2010: Odyssey Two!

I hesitate between 5 and 4 stars for this book, but for the epilogue alone I have to give it 5. 2001 is one of my favorite books of all time, but I've never even made it through the entire movie, and I would have preferred it had Clarke chosen to make this book a sequel to the novel 2001 rather than the film. Still, the inconsitencies between the two novels can be forgiven, and there's a lot about this book I truly love.

There's much more room here for interaction between various characters than in 2001, and the American/Russian dynamic is both intriguing and entertaining -- and surprisingly optimistic from a Cold War writer. If the sweeping, universal themes of 2001 by far outmatch the climax of 2010, the simpler theme of life coming of age on another world hits a little closer to home. Clarke's surest move is in not attempting to duplicate the lonley and mysterious atmosphere of 2001, which is what really made that book for me -- instead he maintains a clearer, more obvious tone, but one that works better for this novel.

The book only falters seriously in the fourth part, when the author becomes seriously sidetracked by the chemical composition of Jupiter. No offense to Carl Sagan, but I DON'T CARE! Still, it doesn't go on long enough to drive the reader away from the book forever, so it's forgivable.

There's no question that Arthur C. Clarke is one of the great intellects of the past 100 years, or that his contributions to science and science fiction are immense, or that he can really write. So a book of this sort is completely welcome, and the range of topics this work covers, from the visions of the future past writers offered to the role of technology in the world, is notable by itself.

For the most part, the essays live up to the promise of the premise. Clarke is sharp, funny and generally optimistic. I could have done without the handful of instances where he dismisses religion - why do all sci-fi writers seems to have it in for those of us who still believe in a kind and active God? - but he's not intemperant or intolerant of the differences that make up the world. If all the critics of this world were like Clarke, we'd e in much happier shape.

Two things hurt this book, though. One is the numerous essays about Clarke's adventurues as a deep-sea diver in Sri Lanka. I know that he's proud of his days doing this, but I found such essays both dull and out of place next to the rest of the book. Never mind that I am disappointed that none of his essays address the ongoing cilvil wars in his adopted homeland.

The other trouble is the redundancy of the essays. One essay about computers includes the entire body of another essay in this book. Several observations are repeated, such as the quip about the Apollo 8 astronauts and the monolith (it's funny once, but not three times). If the book could include new intros and closings to the essays, certainly they could have been edited for the package.

In any case, though, this is a worthwhile work to read and enjoy if you're a fan of Clarke's works, or a fan of sci-fi, or a space buff, a technology watcher, or just want to see how some of the great ideas of the past century were born. Clarke gave us the communications satellite, HAL, and an unqiue view of what is and what might be.

It's not for nothing that Arthur C. Clarke is "the Prophet of the Space Age" (although he dislikes being called a prophet). Indeed, there's only one prophet, and it sure ain't Mohammed. Hardly no other person in modern times have had such an enormous effect on his contemporary world as Arthur C. Clarke. He invented the concept of the geosynchronous communications satellite, he co-wrote the script for the single most influential science-fiction movie ever (that's 2001: A Space Odyssey, in case you didn't know), and he has written several of the classics of modern science-fiction (Rendezvous with Rama, to name but one). And at the venerable age of 85, he's still showing little sign of slowing down, although he is mostly confined to a wheel-chair these days.
This collection of articles, essays, and other short pieces of writing, spans Clarke's entire career from the 1930s until the end of the 1990s. The material is divided into seven parts according to which decade it was originally written in, and each part begins with an introduction. Several of the individual articles and essays are also prefaced with new introductions by Clarke. Part I, entitled "Rockets and Radar," spans the 1930s and -40s, and contains 13 of Clarke's writings. Among them are such gems as "Extraterrestrial Relays," which is the famous essay in which Clarke first described his ideas about geosynchronous satellites; and "The Challenge of the Spaceship," an essay, originally delivered as a lecture, which, among other things, caused George Bernard Shaw to apply for membership in the British Interplanetary Society at the age of 91.
Part II, "Beneath the Seas of Ceylon," spans the 1950s and contains 23 pieces of writing, among them the concluding paragraphs from the book Interplanetary Flight: An Introduction to Astronautics (1950). Of this book, the late Carl Sagan, the world's most famous astronomer, later said that it had been "a turning point in my scientific development." Sagan was just one among the many great men and women to have been inspired by Clarke's writings. To me, Part II was the least interesting section of Greetings, however, since the last 9 essays describe that other great passion of Clarke's, diving. It was during the 1950s that Clarke moved to Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), which would remain his home for the rest of his life, and he spent a lot of time there diving and running an "underwater safari" enterprise. Not being a diver myself, I didn't find these stories quite as interesting as Clarke's other writings.
Part III, "Kubrick and Cape Kennedy," spans the 1960s. Like Part I, it contains 13 pieces of writing. Especially worth mentioning is "Space and the Spirit of Man," and the very short "God and Einstein," which is an absolute must-read. Here can also be found the speech that Clarke gave when he received the Kalinga Prize in 1962. Part IV, "Tomorrow's World," spanning the 1970s, is very short, containing as it does only six pieces. Noteworthy is the speech Clarke gave at the ceremony when the final agreements setting up the world satellite communications system (Intelsat) were signed at the State Department in Washington, on August 20, 1971.
Part V, "Stay of Execution," brings us to the 1980s, with 15 writings by Clarke. The outstanding piece here is "Credo," containing some of Clarke's views on religion and the great questions. Clarke doesn't pull his punches, which makes this essay a very enjoyable read indeed. Part VI, "Countdown to 2000," contains no less than 37 different writings by Clarke, written during the 1990s. Several pieces here are previously unpublished. A lot of the material is very brief, and a bit repetitive in places. But overall, it's still great stuff. The last part, "2000 and Beyond," is the postscript, containing two articles and also the speech Clarke delivered at the 1997 Emmy Awards (although this speech consists mostly of stuff that already appeared in stories from Part VI).
All in all, this is a great collection of very inspirational writings from the master, and it is well worth delving into. It is perhaps not a book you read from cover to cover, but a book you can return to regularly over a long period of time. You will always find something new to enjoy beyond the next page. Highly recommended.

The fiction of Arthur C. Clarke has educated and enlightened multiple generations of readers with works that brought the future to us at an accessible, understandable level. Some of my favorites include Imperial Earth, The Fall of Moondust, and The Fountains of Paradise. And in this year, one must honor the classic "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Neil McAleer's biography of Sir Arthur C. Clarke is perhaps one of the best books to give a full understanding of this most versatile and visionary thinker of the twentieth century; but it is only through reading the non-fiction writings that one truly gets to know what a brilliant visionary that Arthur C. Clarke truly is. He has put out numerous papers, articles and books--but they generally have been out of print for many years--which is what makes this collection of essays so wonderful. Here is a logically organized anthology that brings together diverse areas of thought including science, science fiction, politics and more. It does not strive to be a complete collection, but more an essential sampler serving as a tribute to this most knowledgeable and witty intellect.

If you have not had the joy of reading Arthur C. Clarke's non-fiction, this is a wonderful place to start. If you have not read any in the last decade, this is a nice rememberance. And if you grew up reading his fiction and non-fiction as I have, it makes for a wonderful tribute to a truly phenomenal man.

Perhaps there is hope for the future of mankind?