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The City and the Stars and the Sands of Mars
Two classic novels are collected in this volume that includes a new introduction written by the author. In "The City and the Stars", the only man born among immortals wants to find out what lies beyond the city. And in "The Sands of Mars", a science-fiction writer visits a research colony on Mars and discovers the perils of survival on another world.
544 pages, Paperback
First published June 10, 2001
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484 people want to read
About the author
Arthur C. Clarke
1,647 books11.6k followersStories, works of noted British writer, scientist, and underwater explorer Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, include
2001: A Space Odyssey
(1968).
This most important and influential figure in 20th century fiction spent the first half of his life in England and served in World War II as a radar operator before migrating to Ceylon in 1956. He co-created his best known novel and movie with the assistance of Stanley Kubrick.
Clarke, a graduate of King's College, London, obtained first class honours in physics and mathematics. He served as past chairman of the interplanetary society and as a member of the academy of astronautics, the royal astronomical society, and many other organizations.
He authored more than fifty books and won his numerous awards: the Kalinga prize of 1961, the American association for the advancement Westinghouse prize, the Bradford Washburn award, and the John W. Campbell award for his novel Rendezvous with Rama. Clarke also won the nebula award of the fiction of America in 1972, 1974 and 1979, the Hugo award of the world fiction convention in 1974 and 1980. In 1986, he stood as grand master of the fiction of America. The queen knighted him as the commander of the British Empire in 1989.
This most important and influential figure in 20th century fiction spent the first half of his life in England and served in World War II as a radar operator before migrating to Ceylon in 1956. He co-created his best known novel and movie with the assistance of Stanley Kubrick.
Clarke, a graduate of King's College, London, obtained first class honours in physics and mathematics. He served as past chairman of the interplanetary society and as a member of the academy of astronautics, the royal astronomical society, and many other organizations.
He authored more than fifty books and won his numerous awards: the Kalinga prize of 1961, the American association for the advancement Westinghouse prize, the Bradford Washburn award, and the John W. Campbell award for his novel Rendezvous with Rama. Clarke also won the nebula award of the fiction of America in 1972, 1974 and 1979, the Hugo award of the world fiction convention in 1974 and 1980. In 1986, he stood as grand master of the fiction of America. The queen knighted him as the commander of the British Empire in 1989.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
November 23, 2020
The City and the Stars is great! Thoughtful, fantastic, profound.
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March 6, 2024Don't know what these two books have got to do with each other. Sands of Mars is 3/5 and City and the Stars is -3/5 so 0 overall I guess.
August 16, 2008
This was an excellent book (rather two unconnected novels combined into one book).
The City and the Stars was written in 1956 and is written with extraordinary vision and sight into what the future may contain. Arthur C. Clarke shows why he is considered a grand master of science fiction with this fantastic novel.
The Sands of Mars is, in my mind, not quite on par with the first novel. This is mainly due to the fact that we have no serious misconceptions about what Mars is like. At the time of writing, published in 1951, almost nothing was know about Mars. The prevailing fiction talked of Martian Princesses and the like. Clarke's view of an inhospitable world to humans, where man lives in giant bubbles and is working to tame the planet is very much in contrast to science fiction of its day. This novel inspired a generation of scientists.
I highly recommend this duo as mind opening science fiction.
The City and the Stars was written in 1956 and is written with extraordinary vision and sight into what the future may contain. Arthur C. Clarke shows why he is considered a grand master of science fiction with this fantastic novel.
The Sands of Mars is, in my mind, not quite on par with the first novel. This is mainly due to the fact that we have no serious misconceptions about what Mars is like. At the time of writing, published in 1951, almost nothing was know about Mars. The prevailing fiction talked of Martian Princesses and the like. Clarke's view of an inhospitable world to humans, where man lives in giant bubbles and is working to tame the planet is very much in contrast to science fiction of its day. This novel inspired a generation of scientists.
I highly recommend this duo as mind opening science fiction.
December 28, 2012
A decent enough pair of stories, the first with a good sense of time and history - considering the question of where could the human race go from here ? The second a little more provincial: somehow the imaginary feat of colonizing Mars is rather downplayed into a simplistic coming-of-age tale.
March 1, 2022
I read a older book with two of Arthur C. Clarke’s works from the 50's.
The City and the Stars is an amazing adventure; it is both utopian and dystopian. It is a dying earth and a new beginning. It is both the end of humanity and the start of a new Dawn for humanity. The fact that this was written in the 50’s is astonishing. I feel that so many other books have been written on just one of the dozen themes in this short novel.
The start of the book the main character is living in a “Zardoz 1974” style utopia where a select number of humans live in isolation for eternity. All of the inhabitants are immoral and only go into Digital (crystal) storage when they are bored or disruptive to society. All they do is art and poetry. There are machines that keep the city going, clean and safe. Every once in a while there is a personality that pops up and has new freedom though. These people are disruptive to the society and are expelled outside of the City. This is where the adventure begins a galaxy wide search for life and meaning.
This is a must read for Science fiction lovers.
The book Sands of Mars (1951) is very similar to the later work Arthur C. Clarke worked with Stanley Kubrick for the ionic movie “2001: A Space Odyssey '' and later with the sequel movie 2010.
The book is self aware and is about a Science Fiction writer what he has written in the past has come true in the space ready future of the 1970’s. The protagonist Martin Gibson is taking a space journey to Mars and is there as a journalist writing about the trip to Mars. During the adventure the main character gets stranded and finds aliens and plants that are native to Mars. this is a missed opportunity for an environmental message, which I do not think Arthur C. Clarke ever really takes in his fictional work.
I don't think that this is interesting or inventive, but as a precursor to the 2001 movie.
The City and the Stars is an amazing adventure; it is both utopian and dystopian. It is a dying earth and a new beginning. It is both the end of humanity and the start of a new Dawn for humanity. The fact that this was written in the 50’s is astonishing. I feel that so many other books have been written on just one of the dozen themes in this short novel.
The start of the book the main character is living in a “Zardoz 1974” style utopia where a select number of humans live in isolation for eternity. All of the inhabitants are immoral and only go into Digital (crystal) storage when they are bored or disruptive to society. All they do is art and poetry. There are machines that keep the city going, clean and safe. Every once in a while there is a personality that pops up and has new freedom though. These people are disruptive to the society and are expelled outside of the City. This is where the adventure begins a galaxy wide search for life and meaning.
This is a must read for Science fiction lovers.
The book Sands of Mars (1951) is very similar to the later work Arthur C. Clarke worked with Stanley Kubrick for the ionic movie “2001: A Space Odyssey '' and later with the sequel movie 2010.
The book is self aware and is about a Science Fiction writer what he has written in the past has come true in the space ready future of the 1970’s. The protagonist Martin Gibson is taking a space journey to Mars and is there as a journalist writing about the trip to Mars. During the adventure the main character gets stranded and finds aliens and plants that are native to Mars. this is a missed opportunity for an environmental message, which I do not think Arthur C. Clarke ever really takes in his fictional work.
I don't think that this is interesting or inventive, but as a precursor to the 2001 movie.
February 7, 2019
I really liked both stories in this book.
I took me a bit longer to read The City and the Stars, since it started off much slower than The Sands of Mars, but it contained far more depth. Clarke really fleshed out the world of Diaspar and the main character. About mid-way through The City and the Stars it did feel as though he began to meander, but he quickly caught his place in the story and it took off again. Sadly, the book ended in an almost anti-climatic manner, which was a little disappointing, but it did not ruin the story as a whole.
The Sands of Mars, in contrast was much quicker paced. As Clarke often does, he started out strong with a lot of development of the main character, but nearing the end he tended to quicken the pace to wrap things up. It seems Clarke is fond of this method of storytelling, but it does still not come off as crude. Clarke was prolific in his own right, and my statement should not stand to diminish that fact.
Overall, I could not recommend this book any higher than I already do. If you enjoy hard, old-timey science fiction, this is a great book that provides double the value.
Side note: I took me close to three months to get through The City and the Stars, but only about three weeks to get through The Sands of Mars.
I took me a bit longer to read The City and the Stars, since it started off much slower than The Sands of Mars, but it contained far more depth. Clarke really fleshed out the world of Diaspar and the main character. About mid-way through The City and the Stars it did feel as though he began to meander, but he quickly caught his place in the story and it took off again. Sadly, the book ended in an almost anti-climatic manner, which was a little disappointing, but it did not ruin the story as a whole.
The Sands of Mars, in contrast was much quicker paced. As Clarke often does, he started out strong with a lot of development of the main character, but nearing the end he tended to quicken the pace to wrap things up. It seems Clarke is fond of this method of storytelling, but it does still not come off as crude. Clarke was prolific in his own right, and my statement should not stand to diminish that fact.
Overall, I could not recommend this book any higher than I already do. If you enjoy hard, old-timey science fiction, this is a great book that provides double the value.
Side note: I took me close to three months to get through The City and the Stars, but only about three weeks to get through The Sands of Mars.
March 18, 2020
Like most classic sci fi, it has a very dated feel. It’s a rewrite of an earlier Arthur C Clarke book, but even with a refresh it feels old. (To make the point: The only female character with dialogue is just a potential romantic interest that the main character doesn’t care much for. It feels like she’s about to play a big role in a subplot, but then she’s never mentioned again... and that’s the end of the female characters at about the 25% mark in the story.)
Not that that’s bad. It’s classic sci fi, so I knew what I was getting in to. I don’t think I’ll be reading it again, but I’m glad I picked it up.
Not that that’s bad. It’s classic sci fi, so I knew what I was getting in to. I don’t think I’ll be reading it again, but I’m glad I picked it up.
July 20, 2017
It's hard to judge the book that contains two very distinct stories. The first story, The City and the Stars, was by far my favorite. It felt much closer to having the feeling of wonder that Clark's other stories are known for.
December 21, 2017
The City and the Stars and The Sands of Mars are two of Clarke's earliest novels. They contain some interesting ideas and mild adventures. The books are a good example of "hopeful" science fiction, exploring possibilities of human flourishing.
October 6, 2017
Need to do 2d half
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
January 31, 2021
Quality read, always interesting to see how old science fiction stands up to time.
October 24, 2021
Just read the city and the stars. Great book! The characters were a bit weak but the world more than made up for it. Always a good sign when you're still thinking about a book weeks after reading it.
December 4, 2010
This book is one of the very best Sci-Fi books I've ever read. It ranks with Orson Scott Card's Enders Series. Perhaps in many ways it's better. Clark's imagination takes us from the dawn of our Galaxy to its twilight and imagines possible futures beyond. It reads like a prophesy of new heavens and a new earth. Indeed Clarke writes from his home in Sri Lanka in his preface notes that there is a 'prophesy' on the very last page of the book, the truth of which no one living will ever know.
The story is set billions of years in the future. I thought that Clarke did an admirable job creating technologies needed for his novel's future not in existence today and artfully skirting the details of what and how they work so that the story was not interrupted. Some futuristic novels are made just silly by the author's attempt at too much detail about time travel and the like. Some things that support life in The City could not be known by the characters- a fact entirely consonant with the story.
Somewhat predictable for Clarke are predictions about the future disappearance of all cults and religions. And yet science comes not to be the sum and meaning of existence. There arises a person who is Unique and who questions things. Now this was what for me made the book great. Clarke doesn't fall to pat answers about the absolute supremacy of science but has us consider what it is to be human by contrasting life in the last two cities left on planet Earth. With the actuality of eternal life, free from all ills and cares and worries for the comforts of life, free from the will to adventure and exploration, emotion and passion, would Man be human? What should a new heaven and a new earth be like? Perhaps the beginning will be the meeting of the two cities, two very different ways of life, integrating the best of each into both.
There is a shadow, of course. Pure Mind or Minds. You'll have to decide how it is possible that races could create such a thing far, far superior to all. Clarke, of course, is not going to resort to any higher supernatural power. Will Good and Evil meet? What will be the result?
The story is set billions of years in the future. I thought that Clarke did an admirable job creating technologies needed for his novel's future not in existence today and artfully skirting the details of what and how they work so that the story was not interrupted. Some futuristic novels are made just silly by the author's attempt at too much detail about time travel and the like. Some things that support life in The City could not be known by the characters- a fact entirely consonant with the story.
Somewhat predictable for Clarke are predictions about the future disappearance of all cults and religions. And yet science comes not to be the sum and meaning of existence. There arises a person who is Unique and who questions things. Now this was what for me made the book great. Clarke doesn't fall to pat answers about the absolute supremacy of science but has us consider what it is to be human by contrasting life in the last two cities left on planet Earth. With the actuality of eternal life, free from all ills and cares and worries for the comforts of life, free from the will to adventure and exploration, emotion and passion, would Man be human? What should a new heaven and a new earth be like? Perhaps the beginning will be the meeting of the two cities, two very different ways of life, integrating the best of each into both.
There is a shadow, of course. Pure Mind or Minds. You'll have to decide how it is possible that races could create such a thing far, far superior to all. Clarke, of course, is not going to resort to any higher supernatural power. Will Good and Evil meet? What will be the result?
July 24, 2016
I listened to the audiobook whilst driving to and from work over a month or so. 'The City and the Stars', is a science fiction classic, and one I enjoyed when I first read it as a teenager. It has stood the test of time quite well, and I could imaging a young Iain Banks perhaps finding the first glimmerings of the 'Culture' in its pages. The story of the eternal, static city of Diaspar, and how it is changed by the restless curiosity of 'unique' Alvin, the misfit who changes everything, and challenges the comfortable age-old myths of the majority, makes for a very satisfying read.
The accompanying 'Sands of Mars' is rather slighter in scope, dealing merely with the colonisation of Mars. Much of the planetology is of course very dated, and wrong, but this does not really detract from the romance of the adventure of discovery and exploration the author describes. The life aboard a transfer spacecraft between Earth and Mars seems believable enough (if one ignores the cigarettes and whisky!). Clarke is confident enough to give his characters some detailed backstory and development, at least in the case of his author protagonist Matthew Gibson.
Both stories are 'of their time', being both relentlessly male and anglo saxon in their cultural milleau. The one female character in 'Sands of Mars', is but a cipher, romantic interst for a spaceman, whilst in 'City and the Stars', the leader of Diaspar's sister city Lys is a woman who indeed exerts some power and influence.
The pair of stories is a good retrospective of Clarke's many strengths, most particularly his sense of the mythic and of deep time and the universe.
The accompanying 'Sands of Mars' is rather slighter in scope, dealing merely with the colonisation of Mars. Much of the planetology is of course very dated, and wrong, but this does not really detract from the romance of the adventure of discovery and exploration the author describes. The life aboard a transfer spacecraft between Earth and Mars seems believable enough (if one ignores the cigarettes and whisky!). Clarke is confident enough to give his characters some detailed backstory and development, at least in the case of his author protagonist Matthew Gibson.
Both stories are 'of their time', being both relentlessly male and anglo saxon in their cultural milleau. The one female character in 'Sands of Mars', is but a cipher, romantic interst for a spaceman, whilst in 'City and the Stars', the leader of Diaspar's sister city Lys is a woman who indeed exerts some power and influence.
The pair of stories is a good retrospective of Clarke's many strengths, most particularly his sense of the mythic and of deep time and the universe.
July 29, 2013
This is a collection of two unrelated novels. The City and the Stars is one of my favorite Clarke novels. It centers on Alvin, the first child born in ten million years in Diaspar, the city of the title, the last city on Earth. He's a "unique" rather than someone reborn from the Hall of Creation, and unique in wanting to go beyond the bounds of the city. Diaspar is a completely enclosed and stagnant culture, on an Earth so old the oceans are gone and there's no longer a moon. In paperback this is a slim, fast reading book of 196 pages. It’s well-written, thought-provoking and makes a good introduction to Clarke. It deals with a lot of his trademark themes of transcendence, immortality and exploration and is interesting and unusual in treating of a far future Earth. I actually prefer this book to more famous Clarke novels such as Childhood's End and Rendezvous with Rama.
The Sands of Mars centers on Martin Gibson, a science fiction writer who visits the Martian colony. Published in 1951 naturally a lot of the scientific details are dated--we know much more about Mars today, on which we currently have a robotic presence. And I don't think this book excels in memorable characters or plot. But Clarke is good at making you feel a sense of awe and enthusiasm at the exploration of space. So it's a readable book, but not comparable to The City and the Stars, Childhood's End or a collection of his short fiction as an introduction to him.
The Sands of Mars centers on Martin Gibson, a science fiction writer who visits the Martian colony. Published in 1951 naturally a lot of the scientific details are dated--we know much more about Mars today, on which we currently have a robotic presence. And I don't think this book excels in memorable characters or plot. But Clarke is good at making you feel a sense of awe and enthusiasm at the exploration of space. So it's a readable book, but not comparable to The City and the Stars, Childhood's End or a collection of his short fiction as an introduction to him.
May 2, 2015
The City and the Stars is brilliant. Prime example of why I love Arthur C. Clarke. A lot of writers just tell you about the universe they created, but Clarke makes you feel like you're discovering the answers alongside the characters. I kept thinking I'd be fine with the story having ended in numerous places, but he'd keep pushing my imagination further. Just like any human being ever, his character wants to know how everything came to be and what his lot is in life. We don't get all the answers, but Clarke's protagonist doesn't stop until he's discovered the forgotten histories of their entire universe, and the whole thing is fascinating. This is probably in my top 5 of Arthur C. Clarke novels now. Maybe top 3.
Sands of Mars is a bit hurt by its dated subject matter and by following The City and the Stars, but it's quite interesting nonetheless. It's Clarke's first novel and already showed plenty of themes he'd carry on to his very last ones. One of my favorite of his frequently-used ideas is future humans manipulating our solar system to make life on other planets or moons possible. That stuff always draws me into Clarke's books, and kept my attention here as well.
Sands of Mars is a bit hurt by its dated subject matter and by following The City and the Stars, but it's quite interesting nonetheless. It's Clarke's first novel and already showed plenty of themes he'd carry on to his very last ones. One of my favorite of his frequently-used ideas is future humans manipulating our solar system to make life on other planets or moons possible. That stuff always draws me into Clarke's books, and kept my attention here as well.
April 18, 2010
While I found _The City and the Stars_ to be overlong and predictable, _The Sands of Mars_, Clarke's first novel, was interesting. It's almost not a science ficiton novel, in that commonplace, everyday situations tend to eclipse the scientific subject matter much of the time. What I found most interesting was the tacit inclusion (and therefore grounding assumption) that colonizing Mars would be an extension of the British Empire, complete with colonial bureaucratic structures and attitudes. Worthy of a colonial discourse analysis, which I might pursue one of these days.
June 29, 2008
The part in The Sands of Mars where they talked about old science fiction and whether or not it had value was particularly amusing (I suspect Clarke was being as forward-looking in this as he was in other things). Although the stories were good, and the characters were drawn well, if sparingly, somehow it didn't hold my attention as much as I'd hoped it would have. I am certainly willing to incorporate the fact that I was traveling and tired to this, as well.
December 18, 2014
All through the reading of this book, I felt like I was watching a 1950s Sci Fi movie, with scientists in white lab coats. Not to be as one translates to the habits of people 50+ years later. Clarke has envisioned a future that is not yet here...but may be some day. Once man gets into interplanetary travel and its institutional. Point taken, Mr Clarke. But, finding Martian life after a "plane" crash--not so fast!
December 18, 2014
Good Sci Fi
All through the reading of this book, I felt like I was watching a 1950s Sci Fi movie, with scientists in white lab coats. Not to be as one translates to the habits of people 50+ years later. Clarke has envisioned a future that is not yet here...but may be some day. Once man gets into interplanetary travel and its institutional. Point taken, Mr Clarke. But, finding Martian life after a "plane" crash--not so fast!
All through the reading of this book, I felt like I was watching a 1950s Sci Fi movie, with scientists in white lab coats. Not to be as one translates to the habits of people 50+ years later. Clarke has envisioned a future that is not yet here...but may be some day. Once man gets into interplanetary travel and its institutional. Point taken, Mr Clarke. But, finding Martian life after a "plane" crash--not so fast!
November 19, 2009
Pretty good. A little dry in parts but it picks up nicely and the 'scientific' explanations for Mars' blue sky, hardy vegetation and bovine-like inhabitants make for a few chuckles. Antiquated sure, but still fun.
July 15, 2012
A delightful couple of Science Fiction stories that demonstrate a work can be captivating even absent a brisk tempo. Worth reading for the atmosphere the stories create (one of discovery, journey, and self-actualising) as well as for the author's incredible prescience and vision.
January 29, 2008
Early clarke work, obviously written in a different era. City and the Stars is good if you like 2001/Rama/Ringworld BDO style sci-fi. Sands of Mars is for everyone else.
May 7, 2013
This is an early example of Arthur C Clarkes large expansive universe spanning SF mystery. Not much in the way of action or excitement. Mediocre.
October 12, 2010
B Dad's favorite book. A sci-fi novel about what happens when a human is born - and how he questions life, to the point of pushing past what is accepted. Interesting.
April 19, 2011
loved it, read it in one sitting..I have this vague feeling I read this book once before a very long time ago.. I still enjoyed every page.
January 12, 2012
(This review is for The City and the Stars only)
March 3, 2013
This two novels shouldn't be together. The first one is brilliant and the second one is really boring.
April 12, 2013
A good read but not great; did not feel dated
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews