Reviews (255)

Size doesn't matter
This book was a very pleasant surprise. At first I picked it up just because I was looking for an easy read. Little did I know it was one of the best sci-fi books I have ever read. It definitely takes a different slant on the end of humanity bringing a whole new meaning of the world ending not,"with a bang but with a whimper". Childhoods End will take the reader on a journey which explores the human condition and ends in the vastness of space. If one is a true sci fi fan put this on your must read list.

Written Well, Orginal Idea, But Unsatisfying Ending
I read through the first half of this book in a very short amount of time, it was very interesting and very well written.But it became evident about half-way through the book that the story wasn't really going anywhere.This created an anti-climatic, disappointing end to the story.The idea of aliens is a common thread to science fiction, but this story is like nothing I have ever read, much more philosophical than plot motivated.The problem though, is that I didn't understand what the author was trying to get at through the philosophical driven story.This could have been a deficiency in my own thinking, but either way, I didn't get much out of it.
"The Opinions Expressed ... Are Not Those of the Author"
There are at least three issues Clarke comments on: religion, sex & romance, and politics.In the novel, he discounts the major religions and their accounts of God as they're believed on Earth.Considering how sketchy their beliefs are based on, this is not a large stretch of the imagination.But Clarke then goes on to state that sexual attitudes (this published in 1953) will be drastically changed in the future by two things: effective oral contraceptives and the ability to do DNA testing.These now already exist; so has everyone's sexual situation drastically improved due to being able to determine if one's wife or girlfriend has slept with someone else since her newborn child has been determined to have been fathered by someone else.Clarke also sounds like quite a worldly person when he chastises a young male for being crestfallen for having lost a love when everyone knows humans are polygamous.So it's disheartening then after this sophisticated comment to have him write with such a naive and romantic attitude on the Soviet Union.The Soviet Union is an entity that murdered 20 million people in the 20th century.There's a statement on the copyright page that states: "The opinions expressed in this book are not those of the author." as if that justifies what he's written.If he gave such a positive slant to Nazism, would you think many people would be appeased by such a statement.He makes so many references to metaphors, that it's not clear if the final ending is supposed to be some sort of allegory or metaphor to humanity.That possibly the secrecy of the Overlords was not a problem in the final analysis so the secrecy of a totalitarian state is justified or something.He makes comments to a world statehood, scoffing at democracy as well, at the beginning as being a conduit to a new world order and then the events of the novel occur, so is Clarke trying to make some allegory?
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Science Fiction    3. Science Fiction - Space Opera    4. Fiction / Science Fiction / General    5. Science fiction   

Editorial Review

When an enigmatic monolith is found buried on the moon, scientists are amazed to discover that it's at least 3 million years old.Even more amazing, after it's unearthed the artifact releases a powerful signal aimed at Saturn.What sort of alarm has been triggered?To find out, a manned spacecraft, the Read more

Reviews (236)

The Awakening of Science Fiction
This was such an amazing story!2001 A Space Odyssey is a must to read! This science fiction novel was really exiting, sometimes even putting you on the edge of your seat with much suspense! I personally loved the way it was written. The beggining was reaally good and gave out much detail for the sory's plot. The roles of the main characters are really cool and important. The events in the story want to make you read on and on till the end of the book. This book takes you to another world of science fiction.
Fantastic and Thrilling
2001: A Space Odyssey is a captivating novel by Arthur C. Clarke that combines fictitious past and futuristic events in a mind-boggling novel. The book, which is a more enriched account than the movie, also co-written by Clarke, explores the unknown possibilities of both space and technology. Although perhaps farfetched, 2001: A Space Odyssey is a fantastically illustrious novel which should be read by all.
Truth is Stranger Than Fiction
This book was way too over-the-top, mystical, and unbelievable to really be interesting.I much prefer reading popular science books, which are infinitely more mind-blowing because they are REAL.Much of the plot was purposeless and did not really serve to advance the story in any necessary way.This book was filled with WAY too much boring, detailed description of ships, rooms, docks, pods, panels, etc. etc.It was so detailed that I could not even envision what was being descrbibed.A few words just to evoke the settings would have been so much better.The ending was just way too allegorical (and downright preposterous) to be captivating.I don't know why this book is so popular.I will say that some of the chapters were a bit suspenseful and held my interest, so for that it gets 3 starts instead of 2. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Science Fiction    4. Science Fiction    5. Science Fiction - General    6. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

Editorial Review

An all-time science fiction classic, Read more

Reviews (193)

Making sense of the unknown
An unidentified space vessel ("Rama") enters the solar system. Thehuman species has no other option than to try and figure out what it means. That is the basic datum around which Arthur C. Clarke's celebrated novel has been constructed. Clarke opens four windows on this process of sense making: an aesthetic, a scientific, a political and a religious.
Imagination at its best!
Clarke's style has always been centered around imagination. Whether introducing to us a new world or taking us into the heart of an alien culture, Clarke is without a doubt the grand master of witty imaginings.
The Splendor of Foreign Titans
The notion that an alien civilization could be prospering not far from our home and could eventually try to contact us is not a new one. Many science fiction authors have written on the subject, but none have done it with as much flair as Arthur C. Clark in Rendezvous With Rama. Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction - Science Fiction    2. Science Fiction    3. Science Fiction - General    4. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

Reviews (94)

Is there less then 1 star?
I shan't repeat what has been said so viscerally before.Book one was a good and original book, not exceptional but very good; book two was not in the same vein filled with vapid, whiney and totally unappealing characters.Book three was an extension into absurdity of book two, and book four, well I have run out of adjectives to describe it.If I want to abase myself in the lives of self-centered brats with no redeeming qualities (for good or evil) I'll watch some reality tv.After re-reading all the books in the series I'm keeping book one and the rest go into the trash, I won't burden Goodwill with them.Save your money, you'd be better off spending it on toe nail clippers.

Like being smothered in quicksand !
Why did Gentry Lee have to mess with a good thing. Nicoles flashbacks and pages of dribble........what a total SNOOZER !!
I understand!
Not!
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Subjects:  1. Fiction - Science Fiction    2. Science Fiction    3. Science Fiction - General    4. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

Reviews (72)

Rama II and Rama III are awful.
Rama II and Rama III are awful.I'm embarrassed to see Mr. Clarke's name associated with these so-called sequels.They reflect nothing of the science fiction wonder and imagination seen in Rendezvous with Rama and most of his other stories.Rama II & III are completely polluted with political, sociological & religious nonsense and modern emotionalism.Not worth reading.Certainly not worth adding to a fine collection of Clarke books.

God this is a bad book....
I have just reread the whole series, book one is a very good book but each book after is geometrically worse.Book two is bad, book three is horrible, I'm at a loss to describe book four.I recommend shoving needles under your finger nails which is less painful then this series.Read and keep book one, burn the rest.

Great finale!!
I thought this, the fourth and final book of the series, was one of the best, and perhaps THE best. All the way from beginning to end the humans are forced to deal with their humanity, and the ending shows such a deep level of emotion and feeling so rarely seen in modern science fiction. Clarke does a wonderful job of tying together science, religion, and many other facets of human comprehension to bring to a finale this, the end of the Rama series. If you haven't read the series yet, GO READ IT!! Then read this book. You will not be dissapointed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction - Science Fiction    2. Science Fiction    3. Science Fiction - General    4. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

Reviews (81)

Lost In the Void?
If there are authors for whom I have the utmost respect, Sir Arthur C. Clarke is surely one of them. Every book of his I read in the past never disappointed me and most are among my very favorite fiction works. "2001: A Space Odyssey" was particularly fascinating and "2010: Odyssey Two" is a very worthy sequel which successfully extends the mythology of its predecessor.
2061 starts off okay, but...
I love the series of stories about the monolith, and I began the story with excitement, but in the end I felt unfulfilled.At the beginning, I thought, "How cool, landing on Halley's Comet. How cool seeing some of the steps to figure out what Mt. Zeus is."
Decent book overall, worth a read.....
Being a HUGE fan of the 2001 saga I had no choice but to read this book.It was a solid overall read and did have some very cool concepts and discoveries in it.The actual mission was a little "light" and there was some definite filler material in here but I still felt that this book belongs in the series and does get to some more details regarding the elusive monoliths and the worlds around Jupiters Moons.I say this book is worth a read, just don't expect to be shocked or awestruck like the original 2001 or even 2010 which are my favorites.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction - Science Fiction    2. Science Fiction    3. Science Fiction - General    4. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

Reviews (300)

3001 : The Final Odyssey
This book was very disappointing given Clarke's other works.There was little explanation as for how Poole survived, and the book spent most of the time catching him up on the last 1000 years.I was expecting a big finale, and what I got was a few pages involving using a computer virus to trick the monolith system into giving humanity another 1000 years.When I got to the last page I thought, "that's it?"

Great conclusion...
The book in general is terrific, because it's funny, original and very interesting. The autor show us a "near" future that will depend's on our capacity to manage the advance technology in convination with our inner values, like faith and love, in a new worlds with new paradigms. The final it's great too, with a profund message.
Readable but could have been much better
Clarke returns to the universe of 2001: A Space Odyssey with the fourth and last novel, this time focusing on Frank Poole, the astronaut murdered by Hal in 2001.A thousand years later, Poole's frozen corpse is retrieved and revived by a society that regards him as a hero and a living national treasure. At first he's fully occupied with learning to live in an alien society and providing information to historians. But as boredom sets in, he finds himself drawn back to space and the Jupiter system... and the possibility of a meeting with David Bowman.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction - Science Fiction    2. Science Fiction    3. Science Fiction - High Tech    4. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

Reviews (128)

Not as bad as you might think
I just read Rama II. I read the first one back in college in 1990.
The Rama II & III books are awful
Rama II and Rama III are awful.I'm embarrassed to see Mr. Clarke's name associated with these so-called sequels.They reflect nothing of the science fiction wonder and imagination seen in Rendezvous with Rama and most of his other stories.Rama II & III are completely polluted with political, sociological & religious nonsense and modern emotionalism.Not worth reading.Certainly not worth adding to a fine collection of Clarke books.

Bad, bad, bad, bad ,bad
Please, do not waste your time.I love Author Clark but this book is incredibly bad and the characters are totally unbelievable.I could give you may examples but it gives me a headache just thinking about it.Read the reviews on Rama Revealed for more bad reviews. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction - Science Fiction    2. Science Fiction    3. Science Fiction - General    4. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

Reviews (94)

Did anyone notice the reference to a tsuanami in 05??
Ok this book was good and moved along nicely compared to 2001, but failed to deliver a stunning or even remotely good ending.
As good story, better characters
In the sequel to 2001: A space odyssey, we once again meet Heywood Floyd. However, all the other astronauts are new characters, and one quickly notices how original and colourful they are /while still remaining fully realistic).
Mediocre ending
After reading Childhood's End, I'm not so sure I'm as big a fan of Clarke I thought I was. Odyssey Two was interesting to say the least. I loved the description of the monolith on one of Jupiter's moons and the mind-bending dimensions of it, etc. However, I couldn't help but feel that the ending was childish. I didn't like the idea of Jupiter becoming another sun, making it constant daylight on Earth. To me, it just sounded like something a 3rd-grader would think of. All in all, I don't find the Clarke books I've read to be anything near that of Bradbury. Sorry Clarke. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Science Fiction    3. General    4. Science Fiction - General    5. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

Editorial Review

Sir Arthur C. Clarke may be the greatest science fiction writer in the world; certainly, he's the best-known, not least because he wrote the novel and coauthored the screenplay of Read more

Reviews (46)

Interesting Ideas, but bad execution.
The book Time's Eye by Author C. Clark and Stephen Baxter has some interesting ideas, but poor execution of them.The book is about time getting mixed up, where parts of the Earth from different timer periods get patched together.This creates a world where people and objects that historically never existed at the same time together, could exist and interact.Among those mixed up in the new world, are prehistoric man-apes, an ancient British army, Alexander the Great with the Macedonians, Genghis Khan with the Mongols, soldiers monitoring the Middle East, and astronauts from the future.Some of the groups join together to survive and look for a way home.
Why Can't Nobunaga Oda and Zhuge Liang Join the Mir World?
Arthur C Clarke, the archrival of Issac Asimov has been well known by the author of 2001 Time Odyssey which was made into a cult film in 1967. He wrote great many excellent science fiction books which represent what we call "hard-core sci-fi books" based upon state-of-the-art modern technology and theories.
Worth skimming to prepare for book two
Like with many excellent series, book one of this one stinks as it lays the foundation for concepts the authors will explore later.The only reason I gave this book any stars is that I fault myself for expecting this to be a Sci-Fi book instead of being what it really is -- a historical "what-if" fiction fantasy. Book two is much better and I am very much looking forward to book three eventually. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Clarke, Arthur C. - Prose & Criticism    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Science Fiction    4. Science Fiction    5. Science Fiction - Adventure    6. Science Fiction - Space Opera    7. Fiction / Science Fiction / Space Opera   

Reviews (4)

Expecting more and receiving less.
That's pretty much how I felt after finishing the final installment of the Rama series.Sure, there were a lot of interesting ideas brought up in the end, but I was very disappointed with the theological aspect of the novel.As the character of Michael O'Toole had mentioned earlier, mankind cannot put restrictions on God, and yet that's exactly what happens.One would think that God doesn't need to experiment and tinker around before getting creation right.And why would nodes be required to collect his data?I was hoping the novel wouldn't end with the explanation being as it was.I was hoping for an alien face behind Rama, not the fantastical idea that stewed in Clarke's brain and seemed a little out of his grasp.I just believe that with such an emphasis on religion in the books, including the character of St. Michael, the theology aspect could have been handled better in the end.
A very poor conclusion to an otherwise magnificient series
In the foreword for Rama II, Clarke explains that-in spite of what clearly appeared to be a lead-in to a sequel ("the Ramans always do things in threes", suggesting that there would be two similar craft to follow)-he never intended for the story to go beyond "Rendezvous with Rama." That allowed Clarke to do what he does best, to conjure fantastic worlds, and present compelling questions-without ever having to answer them. As I discovered with "2061" and "3001", the mysteries Clarke weaves and the questions his stories pose, are far more compelling than any answers he can present for them. Like 3001, the conclusion to the Odyssey series, this ending is simply abysmal. I'd have been better off letting my own imagination fill in the gaps, and ponder the unanswerable questions. Instead, characters that I had come to truly know and care about-having followed their entire adult lives-are led through situations that are both tedious and implausible. It left me feeling that the lives of the characters had been an absolute waste, that the hardships, struggles, even the joys of their unique odyssey were utterly pointless. That, for me, was even harder to swallow than the absolutely ludicrous suggestion that God would need spacecraft to shuttle people around. If you were captivated by the Rama universe as I was, do yourself a favor and stop with the third book ("Garden of Rama"). Discovering what happens to Nicole is not worth it (and her fate is quite possibly worse than you might imagine).

A very telling tale about the human race
With messages of duty, responsibility and the value of family, it's likely that this book will apeal to a more mature reader.While this last installment of the RAMA tales holds all the magic of the past 3 books, it also holds some very real, if disapointing truths about mankind.We are not the creators chosen race, indeed, we are simply an eliment in one universe of many by which the creator seeks a simplicity only a god may aspire to.Some refreshing ideas on the origins, purpose and existance of the universe and our place in it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Clarke, Arthur C. - Prose & Criticism    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Science Fiction    4. New York (N.Y.)    5. Science Fiction    6. Science Fiction - General    7. Women astronauts    8. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (6)

Some gems, overall great
Several stories stood out in this charitable collection. First and foremost was David Gerrold's opening piece. In fact, I call this one a tour-de-force and hopefully it will gain some notice during award season. It's a fictional recounting of a day (in the near-future?) when the insane Los Angeles traffic becomes completely grid-locked. Gerrold does a masterful job of showing the trickle-down effects of such an occurrence, showing the potential of a full-blown disaster.
An outstanding collection of stories
I went into this anthology with one false assumption:I thought all the stories would be disaster stories.The book opens with an unusual disaster tale, "Report from the Near Future: Crystallization" by David Gerrold.The doom he imagines--the highways in LA becoming so congested they simply crytalize into an immobile object that can never be chipped away--is imaginative, but I was a little worried I might find the book a downer if I was going to be reading a score of stories about how the world might kill me.
Great anthology good cause
Carey's story in this anthology "In the Matter of Fallen Angels" isone of the greatest things I've read all year and worth the price of the anthology alone. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fantasy - Anthologies    2. Fantasy - General    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Fantasy    5. Fiction - Science Fiction    6. Science Fiction    7. Science Fiction - Anthologies    8. Science Fiction - General    9. Fantasy    10. Fiction anthologies & collections   

Reviews (35)

Weak for Clarke & Baxter, but still readable
I had noticed the relatively low rating this book had received, but still, couldn't resist the temptation of reading another book from these two great authors.
OK as a standalone novel, sucks rocks as a sequel
This book is supposed to be a sequel to Time's Eye.This book is flat out NOT a sequel to anything.However, I do recommend this book for those who enjoy a good hard science novel, but don't start reading it expecting resolutions to those problems left dangling at the end of Time's Eye.
Much better than Time's Eye
I was drawn to reading these two books after having loved Baxter's short story "In the Abyss of Time" published in Asimov's Science Fiction magazine.I thought Time's Eye, book one of this series, was just terrible.It was certainly not science fiction but rather historical what-if fantasy.Book 2, this Sunstorm, I thought was much much much better, very enjoyable, good sci-fi with a few nice twists.I am very much looking forward to book 3 though I agree with the reviewer who said that the dust jacket of this book was misleading in that it did not explain those issues. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Science Fiction    3. Science Fiction    4. Science Fiction - Adventure    5. Science Fiction - Space Opera    6. Space and time    7. Fiction / Science Fiction / Space Opera   

Reviews (76)

Skim-Worthy
As in the equal of the the film on top of milk.
the songs of distant earth
clarke imagines a splendid future for the human race in this novel.thousands of years in the future, the final ship from doomed earth makes a stop at an old earth colony, now a culture in its own right, on its way into the unknown.the inhabitants of the world and the passengers on the ship intermix, making a fascinating blend of the old and the new.
Future utopia
Earth is about to be destroyed by our Sun that is going nova and humanity must explore the outreaches of the galaxy and reseed alien planets with test tube babies and their robotic handmaidens.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction - Science Fiction    2. Science Fiction - General    3. Science fiction    4. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography And Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. European - French    6. French Literature    7. Literary    8. Personal Memoirs    9. Science Fiction & Fantasy    10. Biography & Autobiography / Literary    11. French   

Reviews (31)

A good story which would have deserved better characters and social analysis
This is a good execution of a theme which has by now become a classic: that of an asteroid menacing the existence of planet Earth. Clarke is as usual a precursor and treats the subject with his typical style and insight, but the book is not without weaknesses. The character of captain Singh, for example, while developed at length during the first part of the book, seems to lose its definition at the end of the story.
Major disappointment from a Master
There's no doubt Arthur C. Clarke is a master of the sci-fi genre, especially when it comes to 'hard' sci-fi. I rank '2001,' the Rama series and even 'Fountains' among the true classics of modern literature. That said, Clarke fell far short of his own high standard in 'Hammer'. The plot consists of a re-hash of the doomsday asteroid scenario popular today (although he conceived it in the 1970s). There is minimal character development. The writing style (brief, 1-page snipets resembling news bulletins) produces boredom, as I kept waiting for some real action. Finally, the end is simply atrocious, and utterly predictable. Some commenters have stated they enjoyed "learning some science" from this book. I would respond that even the scientific background is lacking, and there are much 'harder' comet stories out there.
Arthur C. Clarke always has his finger on sci-fi's pulse!
And this book proves it again when early in humanity's twenty-second century, after all "ills" have been more or less taken care of, including starvation, an astronomer learns that the death of this "perfect" human civilization is hurtling toward it. A fascinating read, even if it is much shorter than other Clarke novels. Add it to such books as: "Stranger in a Strange Land", "Puppet Masters", "2001", "2010", "Rendezvous with Rama", "Ringworld", all the "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" books, as well as books as new to the genre as "Advent of the Corps" and others. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Science Fiction    3. Science Fiction    4. Science Fiction - General    5. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Science Fiction    3. Science Fiction    4. Science Fiction - General    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Fiction / Science Fiction / General    7. Literature: Texts   

Reviews (18)

Not bad, worth a read....
I read this book after reading mostly positive reviews and enjoying many of Clark's other works.Overall, I liked it but would of rather had a little mroe interaction with the space elevator/tower. The subplots were OK and held together but the main concept I felt received too little "airtime" so to speak.
One of Clarke's best
If you like Clarke's style (shallow characters who are either ignorable or clones of himself, but very solid and interesting scientific concepts) then this book is a must read.Aside from advancing the idea of the space elevator (which he credits to a Russian scientist) he goes into the little design details and problems such a monumental project would face.This may sound boring, but at least something happened, unlike in Rama, and both are truly interesting if you're into his style.This is Clarke at his best.Take him or leave him.

Surprisingly Good
I was expecting this novel to be a dry, Ben Bova style novel, but was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.The story is about building an orbital space elevator and what one man does to see it through.There are three major sections to the book, and each oscilates between the main story and an interesting subplot.Overall, it was a quick, fun read that had more depth than I expected. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Design and construction    2. Elevators    3. Fiction    4.&nb