Arthur C. Clarke was a visionary whose work delved into the vastness of space and the future of humanity. As a prolific author, he became renowned for his prescient insights into scientific and technological possibilities, often exploring the ethical and philosophical implications of advancement. His writing style was characterized by clarity, scientific accuracy, and a sense of awe-inspiring imagination that captivated readers worldwide. Clarke's legacy lies in his ability to inspire wonder and foster curiosity about the cosmos and our place within it.
The November 1961 issue of WORLDS OF IF SCIENCE FICTION features a collection of captivating science fiction stories. Highlights include "MASTERS OF SPACE" by Edward E. Smith & E. E. Evans, and Arthur C. Clarke's "AT THE END OF THE ORBIT." Other notable contributions are "GAMBLER'S WORLD" by Keith Laumer, "SWEET THEIR BLOOD AND STICKY" by Albert Teichner, and "THE MIGHTIEST MAN" by Patrick Fahy. The issue also includes intriguing tales like "QUIET, PLEASE" by Kevin Scott and "PENNY WISE AND FASHION FOOLISH" by Theodore Sturgeon, showcasing a rich variety of themes and narratives.
This replica of the February 1957 SATELLITE SCIENCE FICTION digest magazine includes a collection of stories from renowned authors. Hal Clement and Sam Merwin Jr. present "PLANET FOR PLUNDER," while Damon Knight contributes "THE LAST WORD." Arthur C. Clarke's "THE NEXT TENANTS" is featured alongside John Victor Peterson's "FOOD FOR THE VISITOR." Algis Budrys offers "THE ATTIC VOICE," and Sam Moskowitz rounds out the issue with "THE SCIENCE FICTION COLLECTOR." Each piece showcases the imaginative storytelling characteristic of the era.
Al Qaeda detonates a nuclear weapon in Times Square during rush hour, wiping out half of Manhattan and killing 500,000 people. A virulent strain of bird flu jumps to humans in Thailand, sweeps across Asia, and claims more than fifty million lives. A single freight car of chlorine derails on the outskirts of Los Angeles, spilling its contents and killing seven million. An asteroid ten kilometers wide slams into the Atlantic Ocean, unleashing a tsunami that renders life on the planet as we know it extinct. We consider the few who live in fear of such scenarios to be alarmist or even paranoid. But Worst Cases shows that such individuals—like Cassandra foreseeing the fall of Troy—are more reasonable and prescient than you might think. In this book, Lee Clarke surveys the full range of possible catastrophes that animate and dominate the popular imagination, from toxic spills and terrorism to plane crashes and pandemics. Along the way, he explores how the ubiquity of worst cases in everyday life has rendered them ordinary and mundane. Fear and dread, Clarke argues, have actually become too rare: only when the public has more substantial information and more credible warnings will it take worst cases as seriously as it should. A timely and necessary look into how we think about the unthinkable, Worst Cases will be must reading for anyone attuned to our current climate of threat and fear.
Eine Reise in die Unendlichkeit Zu Beginn des 21. Jahrhunderts entdecken Wissenschaftler auf dem Mond einen Monolithen, der ein Signal in Richtung Saturn sendet. An Bord der Discovery macht sich eine Forschungsexpedition auf den Weg zum Mond, um das Geheimnis des außerirdischen Objektes zu lüften. Zur Besatzung gehört auch der intelligente Supercomputer HAL 9000. Doch als es zwischen HAL und der menschlichen Crew zum offenen Kampf kommt, ist das erst der Beginn einer Kette von Ereignissen, die die Geschichte der Menschheit für immer verändern werden …
The inspiration for the Syfy miniseries. Childhood’s End is one of the defining legacies of Arthur C. Clarke, the author of 2001: A Space Odyssey and many other groundbreaking works. Since its publication in 1953, this prescient novel about first contact gone wrong has come to be regarded not only as a science fiction classic but as a literary thriller of the highest order. Spaceships have suddenly appeared in the skies above every city on the planet. Inside is an intellectually, technologically, and militarily superior alien race known as the Overlords. At first, their demands seem benevolent: unify Earth, eliminate poverty, end war. But at what cost? To those who resist, it’s clear that the Overlords have an agenda of their own. Has their arrival marked the end of humankind . . . or the beginning? Praise for Childhood’s End “A first-rate tour de force.”—The New York Times “Frighteningly logical, believable, and grimly prophetic . . . Clarke is a master.”—Los Angeles Times “There has been nothing like it for years; partly for the actual invention, but partly because here we meet a modern author who understands that there may be things that have a higher claim on humanity than its own ‘survival.’ ”—C. S. Lewis “As a science fiction writer, Clarke has all the essentials.”—Jeremy Bernstein, The New Yorker
Features sixteen stories inspired by the 20th century's great master of
horror, H P Lovecraft, and his acknowledged masterpiece, At the Mountains of
Madness.
If you love space adventure stories such as Larry Niven's RINGWORLD or Arthur C. Clarke's 2001, this is the perfect collection. Rama is a huge cylindrical object, weighing more than ten trillion tons. And it is hurtling through the solar system at inconceivable speed. Then a space probe confirms the unthinkable: Rama is no natural object. It is, incredibly, an interstellar spacecraft. Space explorers and planet-bound scientists alike prepare for mankind's first encounter with alien intelligence. It will kindle their wildest dreams . . . and fan their darkest fears. For no one knows who the Ramans are or why they have come. And now the moment of rendezvous awaits - just behind a Raman airlock door.
The Firstborn–the mysterious race of aliens who first became known to science fiction fans as the builders of the iconic black monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey – have inhabited legendary master of science fiction Sir Arthur C. Clarke’s writing for decades. With Time’s Eye and Sunstorm, the first two books in their acclaimed Time Odyssey series, Clarke and his brilliant co-author Stephen Baxter imagined a near-future in which the Firstborn seek to stop the advance of human civilization by employing a technology indistinguishable from magic. Their first act was the Discontinuity, in which Earth was carved into sections from different eras of history, restitched into a patchwork world, and renamed Mir. Mir’s inhabitants included such notables as Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and United Nations peacekeeper Bisesa Dutt. For reasons unknown to her, Bisesa entered into communication with an alien artifact of inscrutable purpose and godlike power–a power that eventually returned her to Earth. There, she played an instrumental role in humanity’s race against time to stop a doomsday event: a massive solar storm triggered by the alien Firstborn designed to eradicate all life from the planet. That fate was averted at an inconceivable price. Now, twenty-seven years later, the Firstborn are back. This time, they are pulling no punches: They have sent a “quantum bomb.” Speeding toward Earth, it is a device that human scientists can barely comprehend, that cannot be stopped or destroyed–and one that will obliterate Earth. Bisesa’s desperate quest for answers sends her first to Mars and then to Mir, which is itself threatened with extinction. The end seems inevitable. But as shocking new insights emerge into the nature of the Firstborn and their chilling plans for mankind, an unexpected ally appears from light-years away. From the Hardcover edition.
The final work from the brightest star in science fiction's galaxy. Arthur C Clarke, who predicted the advent of communication satellites and author of 2001: A Space Odyssey completes a lifetime career in science fiction with a masterwork
Kouzlo této klasické sbírky, která poprvé vyšla 1958, spočívá zejména v tom, že se v ní čtenář znovu setká s těmi nejlepšími autorovými povídkami. Je zde Hvězda (The Star), jež byla vyhlášena nejlepší SF povídkou roku 1956, neobvyklá, smutná povídka Pomíjivost (Transience) a další proslulé Devět miliónů božích jmen a Zpěv vzdálené země. A dalších více než dvacet mistrovsky podaných příběhů - kniha jež určitě nezklame žádného milovníka SF.
