Ahira's Hangar

originally started by danlo:

29 Jul 2002 19:23 Post subject: Arthur C. Clarke

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4 sentimental reasons, I guess The Wind From the Sun, Childhoods End, The Sands of Mars and the novella Beyond the Fall of Night would b my fav A. C. Clarke--of course many know Clarke as the author of 2001: a Space Odessy, here r some other Clarke recommendations--Fountians of Paradise, Islands in the Sky, The 9 Billion Names of God and The Deep Range I also hear the Rama books r great but haven't read them--Clarke IS obviously, 1 of the great masters of Sci-Fi!!!
Selected Reading List:
INTERPLANETARY SPACE, 1950
THE EXPLORATION OF SPACE, 1951
PRELUDE TO SPACE, 1951
THE SANDS OF MARS, 1951
ISLANDS IN THE SKY, 1952
CHILDHOOD' END, 1953
EXPEDITION TO EARTH, 1953 (includes the short story The Sentinel)
THE EXPLORATION OF MOON, 1954
THE YOUNG TRAVELLER IN SPACE,1954
EARTHLIGHT, 1955
THE COAST OF CHORAL, 1956
THE CITY AND THE STARS, 1956
THE DEEP RANGE, 1957
THE MAKING OF THE MOON, 1957
THE REEFS OF TABROBANE, 1957
TALES FROM THE WHITE HART, 1957
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SKY, 1958
BOY BENEATH THE SEA, 1958
VOICE ACROSS THE SEA, 1958
ACROSS THE SEA OF STARS, 1959
THE CHALLENGE OF THE SEA, 1960
THE CHALLENGE OF THE SPACESHIP, 1960
THE FIRST FIVE FATHOMS, 1960
A FALL OF MOONDUST, 1961
FROM THE OCEANS, FROM THE STARS, 1962
REACH FOR TOMORROW, 1962
TALES FROM TEN WORLDS, 1962
INDIAN OCEAN ADVENTURE, 1962
PROFILES OF THE FUTURE, 1962
DOLPHIN ISLAND, 1963
GLIDE PATH, 1963
THE TREASURE OF THE GREAT REEF, 1964
MAN AND SPACE, 1964
VOICES FROM THE SKY, 1965
PRELUDE TO MARS, 1965
THE NINE BILLION NAMES OF GOD, 1967
ed.: THE COMING OF THE AGE, 1967
ed.: TIME PROBE, 1967
ASECOND ARTHUR C. CLARKE OMNIBUS, 1968
THE PROMISE OF THE SKY, 1968
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, 1968 - film 1968, dir. by Stanley Kubrick
GLIDE PATH, 1969
THE LION OF COMARRE AND AGAINST THE FALL OF THE NIGHT, 1970
FIRST ON THE MOON, 1970
MEETING WITH MEDUSA, 1971
OF TIME AND STARS, 1972
THE WIND FROM THE SUN, 1972
BEYOND JUPITER, 1972
INDIAN OCEAN TREASURE, 1972
INTO SPACE, 1972
THE LOST WORLDS OF 2001, 1972
REPORT ON PLANET THREE, 1972
RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA, 1973
IMPERIAL EARTH: A FANTASY OF LOVE AND DISCORD, 1975
THE VIEW FROM SERENDIP, 1977
THE FOUNTAINS OF PARADISE, 1979
ARTHUR C. CLARKE'S MYSTERIOUS WORLD, 1980
2010: ODYSSEY TWO, 1980 - film 1984, dir. by Peter Hyams
ASCENT TO ORBIT: A SCIENTIFIC AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 1984
ARTHUR C. CLARKE'S WORLD OF STRANGE POWERS, 1985 (with Simon Welfare and John Fairley)
ODYSSEY FILE, 1985 (with Peter Hyams)
SELECTED WORKS, 1985
ed.: ARTHUS C. CLARKE'S JULY 20, 2019, 1986
THE SONGS OF DISTANT EARTH, 1986
2061: ODYSSEY THREE, 1987
ARTHUR C. CLARKE'S CHRONICLES OF THE STRANGE AND MYSTERIUS, 1987
CRADLE, 1988 (with Gentry Lee) -
RAMA II, 1989 (with Gentry Lee)
TALES FROM THE PLANET EARTH, 1989
ASTOUNDING DAYS: A SCIENCE FICTION AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 1989
THE GHOST FROM THE GRAND BANKS, 1990
PROJECT SOLAR SAIL, 1990 (ed.)
THE GARDEN OF RAMA, 1991 (with Gentry Lee)
THE GHOST FROM THE GRAND BANKS, 1991
THE FANTASTIC MUSE, 1992
HOW THE WORLD WAS ONE, 1992
BY SPACE POSSESSED, 1993
THE HAMMER OF GOD, 1993
RAMA REVEALED, 1993
ed.: First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells, 1993
ed.: War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, 1993
ARTHUR C. CLARKE'S A-Z OF MYSTERIES, 1994 (with Simon Welfare and John Fairley)
3001: THE FINAL ODYSSEY, 1996
GREETINGS, CARBON-BASED BIPEDS!, 1999 (ed. by Ian MacAuley)
THE TRIGGER, 2000 (with Michael Kube-McDowell The power of ahimsa is not just the readiness to die. It is the willingness to live. To live utterly without fear - this is a fearsome thing. Edited by: danlo60 at: 3/1/03 2:15:01 pm




mhoram6910
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Posted: 24 Nov 2002 10:30 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke

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He looks pretty good, a classic author I believe.

I see his stuff all over the place, should I read him?>
The dead pay the debts of the living.



Damelon
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Posted: 01 Mar 2003 15:51 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke

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I havn't read a lot of Clarke, but the Rama series is very good. I also liked Songs of Distant Earth, a wonderful story on the interaction of very diverse cultures.




danlo60
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Posted: 01 Mar 2003 16:13 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke

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Yes mhoram u should read him! I cn't BELIEVE I left off A Fall of Moondust in my original recs! (this is about as close as we come 4 an emoticon of 1 kicking 1s self!) And now Danlo looked in that direction, too. He remembered that snowy owls mate in the darkest part of deep winter, and so along with this beautiful white bird perched in a tree a hundred feet away, he turned to face the sea as he watched and waited.

Ahira, Ahira, he called out silently to the sky. Ahira, Ahira



Duchess of Malfi
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Posted: 01 Mar 2003 18:46 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke

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I've always liked his Rama books! Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell



taraswizard
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Posted: 04 Feb 2004 19:40 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke

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Arthur C. Clarke, ehh!! Well, for my class we read this week Nine Billion Names of God. Well, sorry this short story and Childhoods End have to be two of the most disturbing stories I have ever read, and I read both these for the first time probably over 25 yrs ago. Childhoods End is on the class reading list, too.

Furthermore, I do not think either the book or the short story give very favorable views of religion. IOW, I think if a born again Christian read Childhoods End it would disturb them profoundly and deeply, and probably offend at least a little. YMMV taraswizard
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AlphSeeker
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Posted: 14 Feb 2004 00:00 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke

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I can highly recommend Childhood's End, Rendezvous With Rama, 2001: A Space Odyssey and 2010: Odyssey Two. I've got a copy of The Fountains of Paradise, which Clarke considers his best, but haven't had a chance to read it.

Oh yeah, I recently ran across an old Clarke story from (I think) the 40's called "Dial F for Frankenstien" that was WAY ahead of it's time. Involved a world wide communications web that becomes sentient! ******************

To seek the sacred river Alph, to walk the caves of ice ...Edited by: AlphSeeker at: 2/14/04 6:12 am




taraswizard
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Posted: 03 Mar 2004 00:48 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke and Childhood's End

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Childhood's End. For this week the novel is my class assignment, and I had read it before now probably about 25 or so years ago. Has anyone really enjoyed this book? It is a good book and I suppose a Sci Fi classic, but I find the book disturbing and depressing.

Furthermore, I found reading book this time, and I do not remember this from my first reading, very preachy with Clarke's ideas about internationalism and one world government (I think A.C. Clarke has been involved with the World Federalist organization). taraswizard
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Duchess of Malfi
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Posted: 03 Mar 2004 10:55 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke and Childhood's End

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I read that book a long, long time ago, Taras...I do remember being disturbed by it...I'm not sure I could put my finger on why it disturbed me, as I read it so long ago...

I can remember thinking about the Star Trek Star Fleet Prime Directive in association with this book...
I think I'll have to pop over and read a review or two and refresh my memory on it... ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell



Duchess of Malfi
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Posted: 03 Mar 2004 11:02 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke and Childhood's End

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After reading a couple of reviews and refreshing my memory, I can see why I associate the Prime Directive with it!

Species playing God with other species... ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell




AlphSeeker
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Posted: 03 Mar 2004 13:58 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke and Childhood's End

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Huh, that's interesting, I really did enjoy reading Childhood's End, but that was in Junior High, over 20 years ago, so I don't remember the preachiness. That would almost certainly bother me now though - I've gotten pretty cranky lately about political axe-grinding in science fiction. In fact, it's ruined (or at least muted the enjoyment of) several books I've read recently: The Dispossessed, Ken Macleod's Dark Light, Brunner's Wrong End of Time, Brendan DuBois' Resurrection Day, Max Barry's Jennifer Government ... ******************

To seek the sacred river Alph, to walk the caves of ice ...Edited by: AlphSeeker at: 3/3/04 12:01 pm



Duchess of Malfi
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Posted: 03 Mar 2004 14:18 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke and Childhood's End

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It's been a similar time period since I read it...I don't remember it being particularly preachy, but I was just a youngster then, and it might have sailed right over my head...I think this one needs to go on my reread list... ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell




taraswizard
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Posted: 03 Mar 2004 16:15 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke and Childhood's End

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Alph Seeker wrote Quote:That would almost certainly bother me now though - I've gotten pretty cranky lately about political axe-grinding in science fiction. In fact, it's ruined... I will only make one further comment here, and IMO other discussion of politics in SciFi should go into Current Affairs forum and a message thread already exists there. I had the same reaction to one of Jerry Pournelle's Falken Legion books (do not remember which one and I have since been told they are all about the same). Furthermore, I have always found Larry Niven pretty polemical when he wants to be. For example, Lucifer's Hammer and Oath of Fealty, interestingly they are both collaborations with Pournelle. taraswizard
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taraswizard
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Posted: 03 Mar 2004 16:25 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke and Childhood's End

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I have another comment about Childhood's End and it does not concern politics. I went to a con last November and Jim Frenkel, sometimes writer and currently an editor for Tor, was a panelist, and his comment was that the ideal SF reader is a twelve year old, his comment was made a little satirically and with a little tongue in cheek. Well, after the panel I specifically asked if he regarded this book as falling under the heading of perfect for his 'ideal 12 fan', and he said in effect no problem. I wonder would anyone else have a comment? Because, personally, I have my doubts. I am alot older than Jim Frenkel's ideal reader and I wonder if it is suitable for my mature POV. Alph Seeker you said you read it while in HS and enjoyed it, and you were probably 13 or 14 at the time?

As one can probably tell this book has moved me lots. taraswizard
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AlphSeeker
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Posted: 03 Mar 2004 17:10 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke and Childhood's End

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Yeah, 13 or 14 sounds about right. I had read some SF at that point, but it was mostly 70's stuff (Niven and Pournelle) and a few really weird New Wave books; CE was the first 50's sci-fi book I'd ever read. So, while it covered some new conceptual ground for me (Clarke's recurring theme of grand scale transcendence), I think I was also a bit charmed by the "fiftys-ishness" of it. It seemed both familiar and yet sort of alien, old-fashioned and yet surprisingly hip, I guess. ******************

To seek the sacred river Alph, to walk the caves of ice ...

started by danlo:

06 Mar 2004 13:31 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke and Childhood's End

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taras said, "I will only make one further comment here, and IMO other discussion of politics in SciFi should go into Current Affairs forum and a message thread already exists there.

I have thought long and hard about this and, correct me if I'm wrong, the only topic I see of this kind in Current Affairs is the O. S. Card one. That topic seems to be Mr. Card's personal bent on politics. Yes I agree that "outside" of their works Current Affairs would be the place for such things. However when they raise political opinions or herald a particular political system(s) within their works it should stay in this forum. Actually a topic should be created (here) to discuss such matters-feel free to start one! *****
Before, you are wise; after, you are wise. In between you are otherwise.
Fravashi saying (from the formularies of Osho the Fool) Edited by: danlo60 at: 3/6/04 1:31 pm



AlphSeeker
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Posted: 06 Mar 2004 15:09 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke and Childhood's End

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Oh, I think taraswizard was referring to the thread called "Hope this is the right place" in the Current Affairs forum, danlo.

I definitely think it's appropriate to bring up Clarke's politics in a Clarke thread, but yeah, I probably shouldn't have mentioned the other authors here. Sorry, just too lazy to start a separate thread. ******************

To seek the sacred river Alph, to walk the caves of ice ...


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Posted: 06 Mar 2004 20:32 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke and Childhood's End

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As long as it's at least tangentially related to sci-fi lit, I think it's cool here. If it gets to a point where it isn't, though, I can always move it, leaving a shadow behind here (if I have this whole mod thing down right, anyway). Please feel free to make any suggestions to me via PM or e-mail. ________________
I wanna feel the metamorphosis and cleansing I've endured within my shadow. Change is coming. Now is my time. Listen to my muscle memory. Contemplate what I've been clinging to. -Tool, "Forty-Six & Two"



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Posted: 12 Mar 2004 15:00 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke and Childhood's End

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I'm a little late coming here...just found this board today ACC is one of my all-time favs, def. a classic author. I read _Childhood's End_ a few years ago, and I literally had tears in my eyes at the end. Yeah, it is disturbing, but very moving as well. And just a reference to the comment about it offending some religious people, I can see that, but my ex's mother (wife of a Lutheran reverend) read it and loved it

As for the Rama books, I read the first one and adored it...the series went downhill from there IMHO. I couldn't even get through the third one, it just got so dumb I couldn't finish it. JMHO, though.

Jen




danlo60
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Posted: 12 Mar 2004 17:53 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke and Childhood's End

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Welcome to the Hangar Jen X! *****
Before, you are wise; after, you are wise. In between you are otherwise.
Fravashi saying (from the formularies of Osho the Fool)




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Posted: 13 Mar 2004 11:36 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke and Childhood's End

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Indeed, welcome. ________________
I wanna feel the metamorphosis and cleansing I've endured within my shadow. Change is coming. Now is my time. Listen to my muscle memory. Contemplate what I've been clinging to. -Tool, "Forty-Six & Two"



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Posted: 15 Mar 2004 15:51 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke and Childhood's End

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Jen X welcome to the hangar and welcome to comment on Arthur C. Clarke. I got two comments to make about Childhood's End, and they are going to be seperate posts. The first one concerns this novel and religion.

The reasons I think many Christians would take offense to this story are basically two. IMO, the novel reduces God to this naturalistic phenomemna, the Overmind. To my way of thinking that is kind of a naturalistic view regarding theology, and not an orthodox Christian. And I know that Clarke has claimed several time to be an atheitist.

Secondly, the novel does not conform to the what AFAIK is the Christian viewpoint of the ultimate goal of humanity.

These are the two reasons I think many Christians might take offense to this novel. Maybe I'm just babbling incoherently here and not really knowing what I am talking about. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
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Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.htmlEdited by: taraswizard at: 3/15/04 1:52 pm




taraswizard
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Posted: 27 Mar 2004 20:19 Post subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke and Childhood's End

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This is messed up. But I have my second comment about Childhood's End, that I promised two weeks ago. However this is what I planned to write then.

Allowing that the book is largely told through the POV of the Overlords. I have never got any sense of the awfulness of what the evolved beings (the human childern that changed prior to their joining to the Overmind) do. All their actions are awe (in all senses of the word) like.

I guess that's a really parochial way to look at this book. taraswizard
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Moonwatcher
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Posted: 26 Aug 2005 12:04 Post subject: Clarke is awesome

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Not many people talk about Clarke any more these days, it seems. Has he fallen out of fashion? Hopefully, this will change if and when the Rama movie gets made (I'm assuming director David Fincher and actor Morgan Freeman are still developing the project).

I love Clarke's writing. Ever since I first read 2001: A Space Odyssey years ago, I've admired his concise style. Even though the novel 2001 was a hybrid creation of sorts (both an adaptation of the movie screenplay and a re-working of his own original short story that inspired the movie), it stood well on its own as a literary work, in my view. My username is the name given by Clarke in the novel to the man-ape who rises to greatness, as it were.

I've read only a meagre selection of Clarke's entire output, but so far my favorite single novel of his remains Rendezvous With Rama. I love the sense of awe and mystery about alien technology that is represented by Rama, and the way Clarke portrays human beings' reactions to it. Clarke puts us in our place in the cosmic scheme of things: humbled, but capable of wonder, which inspires us to surpass ourselves.

I also liked the "sequel" Rama novels in general, though I found the writing to be uncharacteristically turgid (and even inchoherent in places) for a Clarke work. This inconsistency I blame (mostly) on Clarke's collaborator for the sequels, Gentry Lee. However, both redeem themselves in the final book, Rama Revealed, which I think is an amazing, mind-blowing conclusion to the whole saga.

Edited by: Moonwatcher at: 8/26/05 11:11 am




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Posted: 29 Jul 2007 23:56 Post subject:

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bump for Moonwatcher
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Moonwatcher
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Posted: 22 Nov 2007 14:57 Post subject:

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Four months after reading Childhood's End, I finally post my thoughts on it...

I read CE in the space of a day and an evening, which is insanely fast for me. It helped that it was a short book. It may be short compared to more verbose novels, but then Clarke's precise prose doesn't need padding.

CE is the most provocative story by Clarke that I've read (so far), in terms of its radical vision of humanity's future - the devastating finality of it. On the surface anyway, it's a depressing story, since it is essentially about the end of the human race. The entity that mankind has become is so far removed from what we would deem "human" that I personally can't take joy in the transformation. I'd be celebrating something that I can't relate to at the most fundamental level. Or maybe it's the manner of the transformation that really disturbs me - children losing their sense of individual self to become "cells" of a much larger whole, the cosmic "organism" called the Overmind. You don't have to be a parent to be unnerved by the thought of children turning into automatons. It's downright frightening. The loss of individual identity offends my basic sense of what it means to be human. A communal "beehive" mind is utterly alien to me (and that, of course, made the Borg of Star Trek so sinister...well, that and their cybernetic physiology.) Anyway, it strikes at a core belief that there is a human "soul." Without that, we're not better than a microbe.



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Posted: 22 Nov 2007 22:57 Post subject:

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Damn, that sounds horrifying. Losing their sense of self. I thought I'd read this one, but it seems I was mistaken.

--A
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Moonwatcher
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Posted: 23 Nov 2007 02:17 Post subject:

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Yeah, you gave the impression that you'd read it. Sorry for spoiling the ending. I thought it would be safe to talk about the ending of a 50-year old novel, heh. Anyway, I haven't really given away the nitty-gritty details of how it all ends.

But yes, in a nutshell, all the last children of humankind get to join a higher consciousness, leaving behind all the adults to cope with the extinction of the human species. Yep, that's pretty horrifying.

It's a very humanly selfish thought, but it's sad to think that all the hard-won progress achieved by mankind means nothing in the end. All our great artistic, scientific and intellectual accomplishments amount to nothing. Of course, one might ask: of what use is Beethoven, Shakespeare and Einstein to a cosmic intelligence far older than humanity? It's one of the "main thesis" statements of Childhood's End (maybe the primary one) as expressed by the Overlords: "The stars are not meant for Man." Humanity's final offspring may have a place and purpose among the stars, but not humanity itself. That's a very awful thought. It would seem to make a mockery of, say, the optimistic vision of Star Trek in which human beings very much have a place in the cosmic scheme of things, even if it may be a small place we occupy.

See, I can more readily accept Dave Bowman's transformation in 2001: A Space Odyssey, because even as he is "reborn" as a cosmic being, the part of him that was Dave Bowman was never "lost."



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Posted: 23 Nov 2007 05:22 Post subject:

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Oh, I don't worry about spoilers usually. I read the story for the story, not for the ending. Don't worry about having given anything away.

Personally, I think our hard-won progress is for nonthing, in the greater scheme of things. I think our world, our lives, our humanity, are pretty insignificant on a universal scale.

Agree with that last though...If there's still a me that I recognise as such, then it's me. Life without awareness of myself is the same as if I'd died.

(I think we've discussed this importance of self before and agree. If what survives doesn't know its you, then you didn't survive. )

--A
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--from "Collected Sayings of Muad'Dib" by the Princess Irulan