The Fountains of Paradise (Arthur C. Clarke Collection)

The Clark novel is well worth reading. I found it only because I was researching Haruki Murakamis influences as a writer and this novel had the best reviews of the less-than-epic Arthur C Clark novels. This is a novel that could be given to teenagers interested in science if they were grounded enough not to be defensive about Clark's invective's against religion and specifically Jesus.

Those that look for more human characterization should consider novel forms that excel at that; like standard fiction. As Asimov said in so many words, Science Fiction excels as a format for ideas not development of character. This novel is about an engineer and his project. It tells the story of his grand scheme to build his space elevator; if he can just get his way. It doesn't talk about the food he likes or what he drinks or the quality of his hotels. It skips over who he dates and is vague about who he once lost. Morgan doesn't have a complicated or messy life. Its about the project. There is something refreshing in that level of careerism. Maybe not for every book on your list this month or year, but for a single novel.

The beginning is slow with unpronounceable words decorating the story to the point of absurdity. Less of Ceylon or a better job at expressing the country with brevity would have yielded 5 stars but that is the novels only weakness. How Clark can keep a reader interested for 240 pages in a tech magazine-like story that could be told in ten-fifteen pages is fascinating. Clark has his failings in the sensory details of touch, smell, taste but his visual delight can fill pages and allows him to mix something else with his comprehensive technical writing and essays on space. His format is kind to the reader and approachable. Its hard science without being difficult. Clark's interest in Ceylon at least gives him something else to write about. All Space Elevator would not work, so its a fair trade off.

In the margins, the author repeatedly disavows traditional theistic beliefs in way that is healthy Buddhist thought but seems at odds with today's careful, respectful secularism or conservative Christianity. It is hard to see an editor permitting so many atheist comments in a novel that is about engineering. But those were the post-Apollo heydays of expensive, big government funded science and adventure spending when engineers like the fictional Morgan had massive budgets and grand ambitions. Apparently the conflict between religion and science was more relevant than it is today. Christians have adapted and made peace with technology or pedantic pro-science atheism has lost it's vigor. Atheism seems best left to targeted essays by Christopher Hitchens against a clear enemy so that a SF novel of this quality could reach a wider audience. Clark mentioned Jesus in a list of non-notables so obscure that it seemed quite tactless given Clark's real subject matter. Perhaps that atheism drove him, but his lack of respect seems naive in its own way.

The novel is a good gift idea too. Who would think to buy it on their own? It doesn't seem to have a the reputation as a classic that it arguably deserves. I think if Clark had kept his head, and not been so enthralled with own achievements (ego)he could have written a better novel, a novel that approached standard fiction in its own terms, but really, could he be that good at so many things? Better that he was brilliant at science and less so at humanism. (Yet there is 2001; A Space Odyssey) He gets five stars for science fiction and three stars for standard fiction for four stars on the store. It's not 600 or 1000 pages. That is one of the delights of this novel. You get Arthur C. Clark's vision, but don't have to endure three Rama books and all those burdensome pages unless you welcome the slog.

Coming in to this one I knew nothing about it. The only reason why I picked it up was because it won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards and thus had to be a good read. I was not disappointed, although it was a little slow at times.

Clarke certainly took his time developing his characters and plot. It was very slow going. The science fiction is very low key and not always present. In the peripheral you know you are in the future, that planets have been colonized and that genetic defects and disease have been fixed and cured. But other than that you don't really get too much science fiction. Eventually the plot begins to thicken and form, molding itself around the novel concept of a space/rail station attached to earth to facilitate space travel. Add to that other concepts such as harvesting asteroids and... well lets leave the rest for the reader to find out.

Ultimately I have read better sci fis, but what makes this book stand out, and why he won both prestigious awards, is the actual science behind the story, the stuff that could quite possibly work in the future. Clarke is an amazingly insightful writer and I look forward to reading more of his. I would recommend.

4 stars.

I like space elevators.
I am fine with stories that skip through time.

Facile stories of visiting aliens are pretty annoying.

Overall the Red Mars series by Kim Stanley Robinson does a better job.

Or not. But close enough. The sad thing about reading this book and reading the later Clarke books is the contrasting quality, this appears to be the last time he had his act completely together, later books have had little sparks of ideas here and there, but mostly lack that roar of inspiration. Not here. Clarke goes for broke, first putting forward an idea that was totally new at the time: a space elevator. For those of you not scientifically inclined, it's basically a long tether connecting a station orbiting the planet, and people could run up and down the cable in cars. Basically it would make spaceflight easier because ships could launch and refuel up there and not have to worry about gravity and escape velocity and it just opens the entire solar system up. These days it's been more commonplace, writers don't even bother centering entire books around it (though Kim Stanley Robinson probably had this book in mind when he had the Martians install an elevator in his Red/Green/Blue Mars book), but back then it was a fairly new idea. And a great one, it's out there but enough so the reader can envision it, the problem with the Ringworld is that I have trouble picturing it within the realms of reality, I just can't, I know it's possible but I just can't do it. Here, it's gloriously real and Clarke takes you every step of the way. He sets the novel in a renamed Sri Lanka and then proceeds to play with the history, framing the story about a king who built a series of gardens to reach the gods two thousand years before. Also there's this alien spacecraft that happens to pass through years before and laughs at the thought of God, which I thought had little relevance (I thought Clarke was just making sly references to Rendevous with Rama at first) and that makes perfect sense as well. It's a quick read, but not a light one, the science concepts are presented so that those without engineer's degrees can follow. Alas it's also out of print (cue rant: WHY?) but well worth your time to find, used book stores should have a copy if you try and look. But if you ever thought that we're reached the limits of our technical achievements, go read this and see just how far we can go.

As a satellite engineer, I was impressed with the level of technical detail in this novel. Clarke definitely did his homework. My biggest complaint with the novel is in the cover where it says "An epic novel of two daring men, two daring dreams - 20 centuries apart". I would have given the story 5 stories expect for the following issues:
1)I wish he had spent more time on the story that was 20 centuries behind to provide more of a back story.
2)The main character was fleshed out pretty well, but the secondary characters needed to be fully developed instead of simply a means to move the plot forward.

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.

Space Elevator in alternate Sri Lanka.

The main story in this novel is the construction of a space elevator, and all the engineering problems and dangers for those working on the project.

Not everyone thinks this is a great idea, particularly the head of the religious orders near where this is to be built.

To make the whole story more interesting and complicated, an alien artifact arrives at Earth earlier in the novel, communicating information and the fact that yes, there are races that are way beyond you in maturity, in all senses.

Religion, aliens and monumental work, all tied in together.

Certainly one of Clarke's best books.

Arthur C. Clarke novels often have some of the following elements: mankind progresses and invents new things, the inevitable clash with religion, the start of a new history of mankind and a meeting with alien life, most always more intelligent than us.

And still, every novel is a joy to read as is "The Fountains of Paradise". An ambitious man wants to build an elevator from here to the geostationary orbit. The book follows the initial difficulties (economical, political and religious) to get the project started and then the building itself.

There is a meeting with alien life, a little like in Rama and it teaches mankind a lot, though the link with the general story is hard to get sometimes.

As always, this Clarke book is a great story about what mankind is able to do in a few centuries.

When people talk about ACC's best books The Fountains of Paradise is rarely mentioned. And although it's not quite as good as 2001, Rendezvous With Rama, The City and The Stars, or Childhood's End, it is certainly just a step below them. The book is an interesting mix of SF and historical fiction. It's not the same type of story that Clarke usually delivers, but equally good. The mentions of the space elevator (though not original) are fascinating, not to mention many of the other things in the book.
It's a crying shame that they let this book go out of print, it needs to be reissued. Try to find a "mom and pop" used bookstore somewhere (or use the auctions or Z-Shops here at the store) and pick you up a copy of this book.

I have just finished reading this book and the notes at the end. Do not pass up reading the post scripts. You will need to know more of the man who penned this fantastic story. He was a scientist in his own right.
He will be missed!

As always, Clarke's eloquence and descriptive abilities take you to a world that is entirely feasible, and yet currently just out if our grasp. His visionary capabilities have already left their mark on the world. There's no reason why his influence won't continue to be felt in the future.

This is the story of an engineer using diamond cable to build a space elevator. Along the way we have visions of the Gibraltar bridge and the argument of putting rails on the side or not, since the vehicles on the bridge will be controlled not by occupants but by the road. Here is Clarke writing about stuff that is now in development. Intelligent roads. When will we seriously look at the Space elevator? The book is set in Clarke's favourite place on earth Sri-Lanka, although admittedly he conveniently shifts it to a more favourable latitude for scientific reasons. This book is beautifully written but has a backbone of hard science behind it. Today's writers could learn so much from this man.

I admire Arthur C Clarke, because in most of his books he manages to rattle my perceptions, to push me through a conceptual breakthrough. Fountains of Paradise is no exception to that. In the midsection of the book the alien computers observations on man's religions had me baffled, laughing out loud (having just studied Thomas Aquinas, and Ockham) and pondering.
Unfortunatedly the book is unballanced. It starts as an historical antropological novel. The midsection deals with alien visitors and filosofical conceptions, the end has the plot of an action movie, featuring a disaster and rescue mission. On the whole not a pleasant read. But the reactions of the alien computer made it more then worth while.

There is hardly any character development in this entire book. The story line is somewhat awkward. There are too many chapters (57) which only makes the story choppy.

The whole plot revolves around the building and operation of an orbital tower or space elevator. The tower doesn't really play a big part of the story until almost half way through the book however. The author explains the technical problems in building the tower fairly well but I thought he could have done a better job in explaining exactly how the tower was built, what it looked like and exactly how it worked. The part of the book that was meant to be suspenseful wasn't to me because it was hard for me to visualize exactly what was happening and the physical surroundings.

Also, I think it was way too easy to build that tower.

The story here is seems really long and drawn-out, filled with characters that have little or no purpose at all. The main character, Vannemar, is the only one that seems to have any definition. The others are kinda meaningless. It's as if Clarke thought up the ending, then wrote a bunch of "bla bla bla" to lead up to it.

The only thing that kept me interested was the Starglider side story. The Starglider was an unmanned alien craft that traveled to our solar system and used it's on-board computer to communicate with us.

The ending is one of the best that Clarke has written. Which I thought made the entire book worth reading. Although I thought the characters and the rest of the story only served one purpose: filler.

The technology of the space elevator is interesting, but Clarke failed to build a compelling story around it. Plot elements, such as the sojourning spacecraft and the king who wanted to build a stairway to the stars, come and go without amounting to a unified whole. Character does not seem to be a major concern for Clarke, which is fine if you have as strong a plot as he did in, for example, "Rendezvous with Rama," but I did not find the struggle to build the space elevator sufficiently interesting in and of itself to satisfy me.

I love Arthur C. Clarke and decided to read this book because of the consistently glowing reviews. I just finished the book, and I have no idea why people like it so much. Most of the novel is about the planning and implementation of a futuristic construction project and it felt like reading a textbook. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen but hardly anything ever did. The only interesting parts were about Starglider, but this aspect of the book was barely touched upon and not cultivated in a satisfying way. Highly disappointing, and I strongly prefer other Arthur C. Clarke novels such as Childhood's End, The City & the Stars, and Rendezvous With Rama.

One of Clarke's greastest novels. A rather more optimistic future than today's SF novels, but in no way utopian or naive. He may not have invented the idea if the space elevator, but he certainly makes it a realizable goal.

This was a good to great book. I've been a big fan of the 2001 line of stories over the years, and this book, while not a sequel, takes some of the same plot points off in very interesting directions.

Clarke owns science fiction and if you're interested in the genre you owe it to yourself to check out his incredible body of work.

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.

This is a must-read for Clarke fans. The space-elevator he wrote about has a real basis in science and some scientists still consider it a legitimate and leading candidate for mass transportation off earth in the next phase of space exploration. The writing and characters are classic Clarke. You won't be disappointed.

A classic that gets SO much of current tech correct and explores the human ego in timeless fashion. As good as Clarke was in his early years, The Fountains of Paradise shows the marks of a master's maturity.

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.

This story is dated. The long winded explanations about the amazing tower and the politics it takes to make it happen grind on and on. Lastly the gotcha ending is a bit much. Good for a teenager or even younger.

I was given this book and a lot of others by a friend who was doing some spring cleaning and remembered my love for reading. I had it for a long time before reading it. I can't believe how long I owned this incredible book before I "discovered it". Some of the ideas Clark comes up with are simply astounding. If you can find this book, grab it!! You won't regret it.

The problem is an endemic one for sci-fi: the non-hardcore reader often doesn't feel drawn to the characters or the plotlines. That reader, such as myself, often feels that the characters are at the service of some "hard science" idea: they are useful gadgets to help bring life to Mars, peer into alien ships, or--in this case--get going a space elevator. The who and why of the novel become rather forgettable. Of course, the best sci-fi says so very much more, but this book, I'm afraid, is typical of swaths of the genre that serve only to explore a futuristic idea.

This is the most ADD story I have ever read. I only made it through the first 30% of the story and in that time frame there are like 4 stories. Story one takes place every other or so chapter, same for story two, and three and four. Basically this book is a bunch of short stories that have nothing to do with each other but their chapters are put randomly throughout the book so the author could call this a novel instead of a collection of short stories.

I found Clarke irritating in this book. He is like a nerd trying to cover all the bases of multiculturalism in one setting. This distracts terribly from any action or story line especially if that kind of stuff annoys you. All the gimmicks of parallel stories you jump between do nothing but annoy you more. Figures it won the Hugo etc... all the PC multiculturalism and parallel plot gimmicks must have wowed them.

Warning this guy burned out after the movie 2001. Warning do not ever try and read his later books supposedly co written by others (I think wholly written by others). Jerry Springer comes to Science Fiction---am not joking.
Especially the Rama sequences.... you have to try to read them to believe me.

I read an interview the New Yorker magazine did with Clarke in the 90s. They describe someone irritatingly
boring and full of himself. Too bad some of his early stuff is good. A lot of authors are like this they
simply burn out especially after some fame. Authors need to know when to retire.

DO NOT RECOMMEND