Product Description

All of Arthur C. Clarke's short stories collected in one volume, beginning with 'Travel by Wire! ', Clarke's first ever published short story. A volume which showcases his range and variety, each story a classic example of the unique mixture of speculation and fiction which has made Clarke a household name. This edition is being published in 2001, the year that is synonymous with Clarke's visions of the future.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16089 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10-11
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 976 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Here is a book that does exactly what it says, presents completely and in chronological order The Collected Stories of Arthur C Clarke. From Travel By Wire (1937) to Improving the Neighbourhood (1999), 104 stories fill this 966 page monolith of great science fiction. There is a forward by Clarke, first publication and collection details are noted, and most of the stories have a short introduction by their author.

Previously uncollected tales range from How We Went to Mars (1938) to The Wire Continuum (1997), cowritten by Stephen Baxter with whom Clarke collaborated on The Light of Other Days (2000). There are ingenious jokes such as Quarantine, displaying a sense of humour which will surprise those who think of Clarke only as the sober visionary behind 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Here too are The Sentinel and Breaking Strain, both of which provided inspiration for that film, together with such unforgettably haunting classics as The Nine Billion Names of God, Transience and The Star. Indeed, for a man considered the prophet of the modern technological age, coupled with all the scientific ingenuity and adventure there is a deep thread of essentially English melancholy, a love of nature and a lucid sense of cosmic sadness to Clarke's finest interplanetary tales. This is not just a perfect companion to the author's massive collection of non-fiction, Greetings, Carbon-Based Bipeds!, but an essential addition to every reader's library. Clarke's best stories are among the finest ever written in any genre, now collected in an anthology as definitive as it is possible to get.--Gary S Dalkin

Synopsis
All of Arthur C. Clarke's short stories collected in one volume, beginning with 'Travel by Wire! ', Clarke's first ever published short story. A volume which showcases his range and variety, each story a classic example of the unique mixture of speculation and fiction which has made Clarke a household name. This edition is being published in 2001, the year that is synonymous with Clarke's visions of the future.

About the Author
SALES POINTS The definitive collection of short stories by the most popular science fiction writer in the world Arthur C Clarke is the world's foremost writer of SF and accessible science; his predictions have been coming true since he invented the idea of communications satellites in the 1940s 'It almost goes without saying that this is an essential addition to any enthusiast's library' Time Out

Customer Reviews

A display of pure genius.
THE STORY:
Well, there's 104 actually. Ranging from Clarke's first ever published story, 1937's 'Travel By Wire!', right up to 'Improving The Neighbourhood', published in 1999.

WHAT'S GOOD:
Clarke's genius is clearly shown here as we read stories about various things that actually came true years later. For instance, in reading 'The Sentinel' (upon which '2001: A Space Odyssey' was based) his description of the moon's surface is so good that it's hard to believe it was written more that two decades before Armstrong actually got there. In this collection we also see Clarke's creation of what are now common, essential and taken for granted, commercial communications satellites. There's also a great many Harry Purvis stories, in which that colourful character tells stories of his own to argue a point, educate his friends or simply for entertainment. Fans of Clarke's works will also be interested in reading the short stories which went on to become some of the best loved full-length science fiction novels of all time; as I say above 'The Sentinel', 'The Songs Of Distant Earth' and 'The Hammer Of God' among a few others. There's also quite a few brief editorial notes by the man himself, giving anecdotes and the like, which adds a personal touch to the book.

WHAT'S BAD:
In an anthology of more than one hundred stories, there are bound to be some bad ones. On occasion the stories here are either boring or outdated, but I'd say they're still worth reading.

An enjoyable read
This book is a nice little collection of stories, although not quite as good as I expected from Clarke's reputation. This is partly personal preference: I'm not terribly interested in space travel, which is the subject of the majority of stories, I prefer sociologically/philosophically based science fiction, and it's very difficult to write science fiction that doesn't date somewhat (aliens sporting tentacles and names consisting only of consonants, bless them).

His style slightly reminded me of John Wyndham (whom I find both rather sweet and extraordinarily oblivious of feminism), and Clarke shared Wyndham's concern that we're going to do a great job of sending ourselves to a variety of hells if we don't watch out, satirising human prejudices and wars. The humourous stories were a lovely surprise and frequently had a clever sting in the tail, for instance the one about the man who tries to train a giant carnivorous orchid to munch up his irritating aunt, or the chap who designs the sets and equipment for a trashy space opera and ends up being picked up by aliens for accidentally revealing their state secrets. He also provided a new take on old cliches, such as suggesting that if aliens were to try to contact us, it wouldn't be all that straightforward: we'd either not take them seriously, or get the planet demolished by the rudeness of our reception, or they'd take one look and not believe their eyes. Well, he could have a point.

An enjoyable read
This book is a nice little collection of stories, although not quite as good as I expected from Clarke's reputation. This is partly personal preference: I'm not terribly interested in space travel, which is the subject of the majority of stories, I prefer sociologically/philosophically based science fiction, and it's very difficult to write science fiction that doesn't date somewhat (aliens sporting tentacles and names consisting only of consonants, bless them).

His style slightly reminded me of John Wyndham (whom I find both rather sweet and extraordinarily oblivious of feminism), and Clarke shared Wyndham's concern that we're going to do a great job of sending ourselves to a variety of hells if we don't watch out, satirising human prejudices and wars. The humourous stories were a lovely surprise and frequently had a clever sting in the tail, for instance the one about the man who tries to train a giant carnivorous orchid to munch up his irritating aunt, or the chap who designs the sets and equipment for a trashy space opera and ends up being picked up by aliens for accidentally revealing their state secrets. He also provided a new take on old cliches, such as suggesting that if aliens were to try to contact us, it wouldn't be all that straightforward: we'd either not take them seriously, or get the planet demolished by the rudeness of our reception, or they'd take one look and not believe their eyes. Well, he could have a point.