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The Star
In the title story of this outstanding collection, a group of cosmonauts discovers the remains of an advanced civilization in a remote star system—destroyed when their sun went supernova. They find that the civilization was very similar to Earth’s—and that its people knew of their coming doom centuries before it occurred. What they find leads their chief astrophysicist—also a Jesuit priest—into a deep crisis of faith, sparked by a shocking revelation that has implications not just for history—but for religion.
This collection of short stories demonstrates not only Clarke’s technological imagination—but also a deep poetic sensibility that led him to ponder the philosophical and moral implications of technological advances. These stories demonstrate the range of his vision as an author—based on both our scientific potential and the deeper aspects of the human condition.
Table of contents:
Introduction
1. The Star
2. What Goes Up
3. Venture to the Moon
4. The Pacifist
5. The Reluctant Orchid
6. Moving Spirit
7. The Defenestration of Ermintrude Inch
8. The Ultimate Melody
9. The Next Tenants
10. Cold War
11. Sleeping Beauty
12. Security Check
13. The Man Who Ploughed the Sea
14. Critical Mass
15. The Other Side of the Sky
16. Let There Be Light
17. Out of the Sun
18. Cosmic Casanova
19. The Songs of Distant Earth
20. A Slight Case of Sunstroke
21. Who's There?
22. Out of the Cradle, Endlessly Orbiting...
23. I Remember Babylon
24. Trouble With Time
25. Into the Comet
26. Summertime on Icarus
27. Saturn Rising
28. Death and the Senator
This collection of short stories demonstrates not only Clarke’s technological imagination—but also a deep poetic sensibility that led him to ponder the philosophical and moral implications of technological advances. These stories demonstrate the range of his vision as an author—based on both our scientific potential and the deeper aspects of the human condition.
Table of contents:
Introduction
1. The Star
2. What Goes Up
3. Venture to the Moon
4. The Pacifist
5. The Reluctant Orchid
6. Moving Spirit
7. The Defenestration of Ermintrude Inch
8. The Ultimate Melody
9. The Next Tenants
10. Cold War
11. Sleeping Beauty
12. Security Check
13. The Man Who Ploughed the Sea
14. Critical Mass
15. The Other Side of the Sky
16. Let There Be Light
17. Out of the Sun
18. Cosmic Casanova
19. The Songs of Distant Earth
20. A Slight Case of Sunstroke
21. Who's There?
22. Out of the Cradle, Endlessly Orbiting...
23. I Remember Babylon
24. Trouble With Time
25. Into the Comet
26. Summertime on Icarus
27. Saturn Rising
28. Death and the Senator
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1955
194 people are currently reading
2460 people want to read
About the author
Arthur C. Clarke
1,654 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 263 reviews
December 9, 2017
Dear Arthur,
I appreciated your short story "The Star", but I think you will be interested to hear My side of the case. I have done My very best to create a beautiful universe where intelligent beings may evolve, flourish, and learn to become closer to Me. You would simply not believe how many aeons of work I have put in to tune the laws of physics so that it all comes together. The first quadrillion attempts were utter failures. My universes collapsed into black holes, expanded so fast that each elementary particle was isolated from every other one after a few seconds, used up all the hydrogen in the Big Bang... I could go on, but I'm sure you get the picture. Even I was about to despair, but eventually, with some capable help from Gabriel, I found a tiny area of the parameter space where the masses of the quarks were balanced exactly right. I can still remember how delighted we were when the first stars coalesced and started performing nuclear fusion! If you want to call it a miracle, I'm not going to contradict you.
And then, a few million years later, some of those stars began to turn into supernovae. Michael, who to be honest has never been the sharpest tool in the box, was rude enough to ask Me if this was perhaps a hardware bug. But Gabriel had already figured it out. "Michael," he said sternly, "take that back at once! Don't you see what a brilliant thing the Boss has done here? Those supernovae are creating heavy elements, small amounts of which are one day going to become living creatures who will eventually develop immortal souls! How did you expect to be able to create them out of nothing but hydrogen, helium and traces of lithium? Huh? Huh?"
Well, that put Michael in his place. He looked so crestfallen that I immediately felt sorry and let some of My infinite love wash over him for a millennium or two. And then we sat back and watched those gorgeous supernovae do their stuff. I hate to admit it - Pride is the worst of the sins, and it'll probably even catch up with Me in the end - but I felt proud of what we'd achieved. I couldn't help it.
Anyway, I thought you might appreciate a little background, and I look forward to giving you the full details when we meet in person. Don't worry, you're definitely coming here. I like people who aren't afraid to question My will in a creative fashion.
Yours very sincerely,
God
I appreciated your short story "The Star", but I think you will be interested to hear My side of the case. I have done My very best to create a beautiful universe where intelligent beings may evolve, flourish, and learn to become closer to Me. You would simply not believe how many aeons of work I have put in to tune the laws of physics so that it all comes together. The first quadrillion attempts were utter failures. My universes collapsed into black holes, expanded so fast that each elementary particle was isolated from every other one after a few seconds, used up all the hydrogen in the Big Bang... I could go on, but I'm sure you get the picture. Even I was about to despair, but eventually, with some capable help from Gabriel, I found a tiny area of the parameter space where the masses of the quarks were balanced exactly right. I can still remember how delighted we were when the first stars coalesced and started performing nuclear fusion! If you want to call it a miracle, I'm not going to contradict you.
And then, a few million years later, some of those stars began to turn into supernovae. Michael, who to be honest has never been the sharpest tool in the box, was rude enough to ask Me if this was perhaps a hardware bug. But Gabriel had already figured it out. "Michael," he said sternly, "take that back at once! Don't you see what a brilliant thing the Boss has done here? Those supernovae are creating heavy elements, small amounts of which are one day going to become living creatures who will eventually develop immortal souls! How did you expect to be able to create them out of nothing but hydrogen, helium and traces of lithium? Huh? Huh?"
Well, that put Michael in his place. He looked so crestfallen that I immediately felt sorry and let some of My infinite love wash over him for a millennium or two. And then we sat back and watched those gorgeous supernovae do their stuff. I hate to admit it - Pride is the worst of the sins, and it'll probably even catch up with Me in the end - but I felt proud of what we'd achieved. I couldn't help it.
Anyway, I thought you might appreciate a little background, and I look forward to giving you the full details when we meet in person. Don't worry, you're definitely coming here. I like people who aren't afraid to question My will in a creative fashion.
Yours very sincerely,
God
June 19, 2019
“The Star” by Arthur C. Clarke was first published in 1955 and won the Hugo in 1956. I just read another short story by Clarke (The Nine Billion Names of God), and heard about some similarities, so I had to read this one as well. It also has me wondering how many Arthur C. Clarke short stories I have missed and that I need to find a good Clarke short story collection!
This story follows a Jesuit priest on an expedition three thousand light years across the galaxy to a supernova. The voyage was conducted to perform scientific research on the supernova, but quickly changed into an archeological mission when a vault was uncovered on a far planet outside the blast radius of the exploded sun. The story is first person from the perspective of the priest with really no dialog. The fact that Clarke is still able to deliver an emotional punch without dialog is impressive. The story has a good twist at the end that helps deliver that punch (which I will not reveal – read the story!).
Central to the tale, is the impact the discovery (and the twist) has on the faith of the Jesuit priest. He has an engraving hung on the wall of the starship of the priest Loyola. Loyola is holding a book containing the words, “AD MAIOREM DEI GLORIAM” or roughly translated, “For the Greater Glory of God”. While the ending can be interpreted as morose, I think this engraving, prominent on his return trip, is the clue for a hopeful ending implied, but not revealed by Clarke. And in fact, an adaptation of the story in a 1985 Twilight Zone episode, tells this ending through a translated poem left by the ancient civilization.
Once again, Clarke shows his skill with a very impactful and lasting story told in just four pages. Like “The Nine Billion Names of God”, it’s not particularly complex or mind-blowing or intricate. It’s simple, yet subtle and very efficiently moves and instigates the reader to ask some fundamental questions. While it stands the test of time, I sure It was even more impactful in the mid-1950’s when the possibility of extraterrestrial life was novel for many - hence my 5 star rating.
This story follows a Jesuit priest on an expedition three thousand light years across the galaxy to a supernova. The voyage was conducted to perform scientific research on the supernova, but quickly changed into an archeological mission when a vault was uncovered on a far planet outside the blast radius of the exploded sun. The story is first person from the perspective of the priest with really no dialog. The fact that Clarke is still able to deliver an emotional punch without dialog is impressive. The story has a good twist at the end that helps deliver that punch (which I will not reveal – read the story!).
Central to the tale, is the impact the discovery (and the twist) has on the faith of the Jesuit priest. He has an engraving hung on the wall of the starship of the priest Loyola. Loyola is holding a book containing the words, “AD MAIOREM DEI GLORIAM” or roughly translated, “For the Greater Glory of God”. While the ending can be interpreted as morose, I think this engraving, prominent on his return trip, is the clue for a hopeful ending implied, but not revealed by Clarke. And in fact, an adaptation of the story in a 1985 Twilight Zone episode, tells this ending through a translated poem left by the ancient civilization.
Once again, Clarke shows his skill with a very impactful and lasting story told in just four pages. Like “The Nine Billion Names of God”, it’s not particularly complex or mind-blowing or intricate. It’s simple, yet subtle and very efficiently moves and instigates the reader to ask some fundamental questions. While it stands the test of time, I sure It was even more impactful in the mid-1950’s when the possibility of extraterrestrial life was novel for many - hence my 5 star rating.
July 28, 2024
I read it here https://sites.uni.edu/morgans/astro/c...
What a gift Clarke had. This (very short) story in four pages packs in so much intensity, thought, concept & beautiful writing.
Come to your own conclusion!
What a gift Clarke had. This (very short) story in four pages packs in so much intensity, thought, concept & beautiful writing.
Come to your own conclusion!
December 7, 2017
A Jesuit priest, the astrophysicist on a space crew voyaging to explore the Phoenix Nebula, is having a crisis of faith. He has always been able to blend religious faith and scientific knowledge in his life, but what he finds out at the destination of their voyage shakes him to the core.
"It is three thousand light-years to the Vatican. Once, I believed that space could have no power over faith, just as I believed the heavens declared the glory of God’s handwork. Now I have seen that handiwork, and my faith is sorely troubled.""The Star" is a somber, poignant, and beautifully-told story. It deals with questions of belief, as well as the magnificent and wonderful things in our universe. I feel like Arthur C. Clarke loaded the dice a little to make his story more dramatic , but that's a minor quibble.
This story raises the fundamental question of, how can a loving God allow (or perhaps even cause) terrible things to happen? I don't believe Clarke tries to answer that question, and probably the story is stronger because he didn't try. On one level it may be viewed as anti-religious, but after reading it again I don't think it's that simple or straightforward.
Clarke has a quite different take on religion in another equally well-known and much anthologized short story, The Nine Billion Names of God. It makes for an interesting contrast with this one.
Read "The Star" online here: https://sites.uni.edu/morgans/astro/c...
December 22, 2015
Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid;
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.*
Or . . . maybe it meant something else.
This story is all about the stars - the ones in the sky and the ones in our eyes.
The priest who serves as a ship's astrophysicist experiences a crisis of faith when the crew makes a grim and sobering discovery. This is a profoundly sad, yet beautiful tale. I read it last week, and still haven't stopped thinking about it.
We will always stare at the heavens in wonder. That star . . . is it an omen in the sky or the last gasp of a civilization beyond our imagining?
http://www.uni.edu/morgans/astro/cour...
*by Reginald Heber, 1783-1826
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid;
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.*
Or . . . maybe it meant something else.
This story is all about the stars - the ones in the sky and the ones in our eyes.
The priest who serves as a ship's astrophysicist experiences a crisis of faith when the crew makes a grim and sobering discovery. This is a profoundly sad, yet beautiful tale. I read it last week, and still haven't stopped thinking about it.
We will always stare at the heavens in wonder. That star . . . is it an omen in the sky or the last gasp of a civilization beyond our imagining?
http://www.uni.edu/morgans/astro/cour...
*by Reginald Heber, 1783-1826
February 8, 2016
❓Do you know?
▶ The dinner you ate doesn't matter.
▶ The iPhone you own doesn't matter.
▶ The books you read don't matter.
▶ The reviews you write don't matter.
▶ Your indulgence in goodreads doesn't matter.
▶ You don't matter. You. Don't. Matter.
Because, you are going to blow up just like the distant civilization did. No matter what you do. That's what He exists for!
⭐One day, we are going to shine brilliantly over a distant Bethlehem.
⭐Who knows, we might be the Polaris of a distant civilization.
⭐Because, we are stars!
What people are like-
What Atheists are like-
What I am like-
Dear Atheists and Chauvinists,
You can't hang in there forever. You are just another star after all, waiting to explode....
God:
You did well, child!
But, boom!
Is it a book or not a book?
This few minutes of brilliant incandescence is for
✅ true believers.
✅ those who talk science with the deity ceremoniously kept in the sanctum of their beliefs.
✅ those who seek solace in the confluence of the extremes of human knowledge- science and religion.
Short. Succint. Sumptuous delight!
Are we the tenants of the prodigal son of the Milky way Galaxy?
✔ It's absolutely okay to know all these things already, but once in a while we all need a good reminding of who we really are- insignificant entities adrift in the unbridled exuding of vast nothingness that is the Universe!
Oh, on that note, let's raise three cheers for YOLO, Carpe friggin' Diem!
▶ The dinner you ate doesn't matter.
▶ The iPhone you own doesn't matter.
▶ The books you read don't matter.
▶ The reviews you write don't matter.
▶ Your indulgence in goodreads doesn't matter.
▶ You don't matter. You. Don't. Matter.
Because, you are going to blow up just like the distant civilization did. No matter what you do. That's what He exists for!
⭐One day, we are going to shine brilliantly over a distant Bethlehem.
⭐Who knows, we might be the Polaris of a distant civilization.
⭐Because, we are stars!
What people are like-
Somebody created the Universe!!
What Atheists are like-
Nobody created the Universe!!
What I am like-
Dear Atheists and Chauvinists,
You can't hang in there forever. You are just another star after all, waiting to explode....
God:
You did well, child!
But, boom!
Is it a book or not a book?
This few minutes of brilliant incandescence is for
✅ true believers.
✅ those who talk science with the deity ceremoniously kept in the sanctum of their beliefs.
✅ those who seek solace in the confluence of the extremes of human knowledge- science and religion.
Short. Succint. Sumptuous delight!
Now it was a shrunken miser, hoarding its resources as if trying to make amends for its prodigal youth.
Are we the tenants of the prodigal son of the Milky way Galaxy?
✔ It's absolutely okay to know all these things already, but once in a while we all need a good reminding of who we really are- insignificant entities adrift in the unbridled exuding of vast nothingness that is the Universe!
Oh, on that note, let's raise three cheers for YOLO, Carpe friggin' Diem!
December 7, 2017
One part science fiction mystery and one part moody rumination on faith and the nature of God. A dash of nastily sharp irony. Clarke makes his point and he makes it hard.
Read this short story for free! Right here:
http://web.archive.org/web/2008071808...
spoiler: He's about to smash that egg, and then shrug.
Read this short story for free! Right here:
http://web.archive.org/web/2008071808...
spoiler: He's about to smash that egg, and then shrug.
December 8, 2020
Clarke at his best. A remarkable short story that makes one stop and think about subjects as vast as the universe itself.
December 19, 2022
“‘Well, Father,’ he would say at last, ‘it goes on forever and forever, and perhaps Something made it. But how you can believe that Something has a special interest in us and our miserable little world — that just beats me.’ Then the argument would start, while the stars and nebulae would swing around us in silent, endless arcs beyond the flawlessly clear plastic of the observation port.”
This story focuses on the internal struggle of a Jesuit priest, as he questions our role in the universe and God’s work. His crisis of faith comes to him after an expedition, for which he is the chief astrophysicist, to a star system that went supernova, forming a planetary nebula and leaving behind a remnant white dwarf. The discoveries made during the expedition are the reason for his rumination.
The Star is very short, being only a few pages long, but Arthur C. Clarke is able to convey a strong message, while also making some fundamental questions. Published in 1955, I’d say this story has aged very well. I was left with a memorable image of an expedition to the stars, accompanied by a sense of sadness and despair from this compelling story.
You can read The Star here: https://sites.uni.edu/morgans/astro/c...
This story focuses on the internal struggle of a Jesuit priest, as he questions our role in the universe and God’s work. His crisis of faith comes to him after an expedition, for which he is the chief astrophysicist, to a star system that went supernova, forming a planetary nebula and leaving behind a remnant white dwarf. The discoveries made during the expedition are the reason for his rumination.
The Star is very short, being only a few pages long, but Arthur C. Clarke is able to convey a strong message, while also making some fundamental questions. Published in 1955, I’d say this story has aged very well. I was left with a memorable image of an expedition to the stars, accompanied by a sense of sadness and despair from this compelling story.
You can read The Star here: https://sites.uni.edu/morgans/astro/c...
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August 11, 2025
When science meets faith, prepare for a supernova of existential dread
🚀 Plot in a Nutshell
A Jesuit astrophysicist aboard a deep-space expedition discovers the remnants of a long-extinct alien civilization. Their demise? Timed perfectly with a celestial event that, back on Earth, became the Star of Bethlehem. Yes, that star.
🚀 Plot in a Nutshell
A Jesuit astrophysicist aboard a deep-space expedition discovers the remnants of a long-extinct alien civilization. Their demise? Timed perfectly with a celestial event that, back on Earth, became the Star of Bethlehem. Yes, that star.
March 24, 2016
Once in a while, I come across on an incredible work. This short story is nothing else but a Masterpiece. It reminds me of Saramago’s “The Gospel According to Jesus Christ” through the message it carries.
On the way to a white dwarf, the chief astrophysicist, which is a Jesuit, struggles to keep his authority on an atheist crew, until they made a discovery that will shatter his beliefs entirely:
“It is three thousand light-years to the Vatican. Once, I believed that space could have no power over faith, just as I believed the heavens declared the glory of God’s handiwork. Now I have seen that handiwork, and my faith is sorely troubled. I stare at the crucifix that hangs on the cabin wall above the Mark VI Computer, and for the first time in my life I wonder if it is no more than an empty symbol.”
This is how the story begins. I won’t go into more details, because this is no story to summarize. There are four pages with an ending that weigh as much as the white dwarf encountered.
I listened to it (here) and then I read it (here) and then did both simultaneously :)
Brilliant piece of art…
On the way to a white dwarf, the chief astrophysicist, which is a Jesuit, struggles to keep his authority on an atheist crew, until they made a discovery that will shatter his beliefs entirely:
“It is three thousand light-years to the Vatican. Once, I believed that space could have no power over faith, just as I believed the heavens declared the glory of God’s handiwork. Now I have seen that handiwork, and my faith is sorely troubled. I stare at the crucifix that hangs on the cabin wall above the Mark VI Computer, and for the first time in my life I wonder if it is no more than an empty symbol.”
This is how the story begins. I won’t go into more details, because this is no story to summarize. There are four pages with an ending that weigh as much as the white dwarf encountered.
I listened to it (here) and then I read it (here) and then did both simultaneously :)
Brilliant piece of art…
December 27, 2024
Romanian review: ,,Steaua'' de Arthur C. Clarke este o povestire foarte scurtă, dar interesantă și profundă. Un astrofizician foarte credincios este liderul unei expediții spațiale care descoperă rămășițele unei civilizații extraterestre foarte avansate și ajunge să se îndoiască de credința lui. Descoperirea îl face să se îndoiască de existența unui Dumnezeu iubitor și moral. Ultima frază a povestirii m-a impresionat și m-a făcut să-i ofer cele 4 stele.
English review: "The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke is a very short yet intriguing and profound story. A deeply religious astrophysicist leads a space expedition that discovers the remnants of a highly advanced extraterrestrial civilization, causing him to question his faith. The discovery makes him doubt the existence of a loving and moral God. The final sentence of the story left a strong impression on me and compelled me to give it 4 stars.
English review: "The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke is a very short yet intriguing and profound story. A deeply religious astrophysicist leads a space expedition that discovers the remnants of a highly advanced extraterrestrial civilization, causing him to question his faith. The discovery makes him doubt the existence of a loving and moral God. The final sentence of the story left a strong impression on me and compelled me to give it 4 stars.
October 16, 2024
An excellent collection of some of Clarke's best works. The Nine Billion Names of God is a particular favourite of mine. A great palate cleanser of a collection.
August 3, 2023
19 December 2022
Before rereading the story, a note about what comes to mind about it now. And the answer is "nothing except the awful discovery."
***
21 December 2022
I mean, the Jesuit astrophysicist was kind of a dick, since he only cared about this civilization because they made graceful stuff. God slaughters innocents all the time in the Old Testament, including his son, in the New, but that's cool because....? He doesn't mention other civilizations
that people interact with, but notes that remains of other extinct races have been discovered, and those don't bother him. Pretty clear who is the asshole in this story.
In looking for a copy to read I came across "Rebbutal" by Betsy Curtis, which is available from Project Gutenburg. It ran in the same magazine, sometime in the year after Clarke's. It has a unique point to make, but fair warning, it is even less a story, although presented as a diologue.
To my mind, both of these stories suffer the same deficiency: they both are based on the same premise: that the god of a culture of a certain place and time, one who implies the existence of others in his insistence on primacy, and one who seemingly did not reveal himself to any other culture at the same or earlier time, that god and no other is indeed the Supreme Ruler of the universe, and that humans cannot go on without him despite ample evidence that a great many humans have managed to go on no better or worse without that god.
Review cross-posted with Rebuttal.
Personal copies
Before rereading the story, a note about what comes to mind about it now. And the answer is "nothing except the awful discovery."
***
21 December 2022
I mean, the Jesuit astrophysicist was kind of a dick, since he only cared about this civilization because they made graceful stuff. God slaughters innocents all the time in the Old Testament, including his son, in the New, but that's cool because....? He doesn't mention other civilizations
that people interact with, but notes that remains of other extinct races have been discovered, and those don't bother him. Pretty clear who is the asshole in this story.
In looking for a copy to read I came across "Rebbutal" by Betsy Curtis, which is available from Project Gutenburg. It ran in the same magazine, sometime in the year after Clarke's. It has a unique point to make, but fair warning, it is even less a story, although presented as a diologue.
To my mind, both of these stories suffer the same deficiency: they both are based on the same premise: that the god of a culture of a certain place and time, one who implies the existence of others in his insistence on primacy, and one who seemingly did not reveal himself to any other culture at the same or earlier time, that god and no other is indeed the Supreme Ruler of the universe, and that humans cannot go on without him despite ample evidence that a great many humans have managed to go on no better or worse without that god.
Review cross-posted with Rebuttal.
Personal copies
May 30, 2017
A struggle with keeping faith in the face of unprecedented truths. Truly remarkable.
Read
May 26, 2025Arthur C. Clarke must easily rank among the greatest of the, for lack of a better term, "theological science fiction" authors. That is, the writers who utilize the genre to explore religious themes. There are many examples of the sort, and most fittingly so. Science fiction can be seen in some ways as a successor to religion. It's often motivated by the same eternal questions about the nature of reality and the potential for human transcendence; by the same concern for the ultimate future; by the same appetite for awe. Along with "The Nine Billion Names of God" and Childhood's End, "The Star" represents one of Clarke's best efforts in this vein, a masterpiece of concept and compression that builds to staggering denouement in just a few graceful pages. It just knocked me down the first time I read it in my teens, and even now thinking about it still gives me shivers. No collection of the greatest science fiction short stories ever written would be complete without "The Star."
March 21, 2013
Beautiful religious and scientific story ...
"The Star" is the story of a group of space explorers from Earth returning from an expedition to a remote star system, where they discovered the remnants of an advanced civilization destroyed when their sun went supernova. Their chief astrophysicist, a Jesuit priest, is suffering from a deep crisis of faith, triggered by some undisclosed event during the journey.
As the story unfolds, the reader learns that the destroyed planet's culture was very similar to Earth's. Recognizing several generations in advance that their sun would soon explode, and with no means of interstellar travel to save themselves, the doomed people spent their final years building a vault on the outermost planet in their solar system, whose Pluto-like orbit was distant enough to survive the supernova. In the vault, they placed a complete record of their history, culture, achievements, and philosophy, hoping that it would someday be found so that their existence would not have been in vain. The Earth explorers, particularly the astrophysicist-priest, were deeply moved by these artifacts, and they found themselves identifying closely with the dead race's peaceful, human-like culture and the profound grace they exhibited in the face of their cruel fate.
The final paragraph of "The Star" reveals the source of the priest's pain. Determining the exact year of the long-ago supernova and the star system's distance from Earth, he calculated the date the emitted light from the explosion reached Earth, proving that the cataclysm that destroyed the peaceful planet was the same star that heralded the birth of Jesus. The scientist's faith is shaken because of the apparent capriciousness of God:
[O]h God, there were so many stars you could have used. What was the need to give these people to the fire, that the symbol of their passing might shine above Bethlehem?
"The Star" is the story of a group of space explorers from Earth returning from an expedition to a remote star system, where they discovered the remnants of an advanced civilization destroyed when their sun went supernova. Their chief astrophysicist, a Jesuit priest, is suffering from a deep crisis of faith, triggered by some undisclosed event during the journey.
As the story unfolds, the reader learns that the destroyed planet's culture was very similar to Earth's. Recognizing several generations in advance that their sun would soon explode, and with no means of interstellar travel to save themselves, the doomed people spent their final years building a vault on the outermost planet in their solar system, whose Pluto-like orbit was distant enough to survive the supernova. In the vault, they placed a complete record of their history, culture, achievements, and philosophy, hoping that it would someday be found so that their existence would not have been in vain. The Earth explorers, particularly the astrophysicist-priest, were deeply moved by these artifacts, and they found themselves identifying closely with the dead race's peaceful, human-like culture and the profound grace they exhibited in the face of their cruel fate.
The final paragraph of "The Star" reveals the source of the priest's pain. Determining the exact year of the long-ago supernova and the star system's distance from Earth, he calculated the date the emitted light from the explosion reached Earth, proving that the cataclysm that destroyed the peaceful planet was the same star that heralded the birth of Jesus. The scientist's faith is shaken because of the apparent capriciousness of God:
[O]h God, there were so many stars you could have used. What was the need to give these people to the fire, that the symbol of their passing might shine above Bethlehem?
December 19, 2017
An oldy, but a goody. Clarke's short stories were his strongest writing, IMO. This one is no exception as it quickly sets the stage & then delivers a powerful message with an almost sadistic twist at the end.
It's short, only a few pages, & free here:
https://sites.uni.edu/morgans/astro/c...
Highly recommended.
It's short, only a few pages, & free here:
https://sites.uni.edu/morgans/astro/c...
Highly recommended.
January 28, 2023
Пожалуй, мое любимое произведение Кларка so far. В короткой форме его слабые стороны (например, отсутствие ярких персонажей) не мешают — и получается коротко и осмысленно.
Детали:
* В отличие от другого рассказа Кларка Девять миллиардов имен бога тут панчлайн поинтереснее. Он красиво связан тематически с личностью рассказчика и историей Земли. Так держать, Кларк!
* Цитата про иезуитов тоже в тему:
Например, иезуит Жорж Леметр придумал теорию расширяющей Вселенной (и вообще был годный астрофизик).
* Вообще, иезуиты были прикольные ребята. Например, при посвящении в орден они самоизолировались на 30 дней, молились и размышляли. Ну прям Випассана почти.
Я прочитал эту книгу для обсуждения на эпизоде подкаста про научную фантастику «Худо Не Было». Подкаст можно послушать тут: https://share.transistor.fm/s/3d6d6d35
Детали:
* В отличие от другого рассказа Кларка Девять миллиардов имен бога тут панчлайн поинтереснее. Он красиво связан тематически с личностью рассказчика и историей Земли. Так держать, Кларк!
* Цитата про иезуитов тоже в тему:
I would remind them that our order has long been famous for its scientific works.
Например, иезуит Жорж Леметр придумал теорию расширяющей Вселенной (и вообще был годный астрофизик).
* Вообще, иезуиты были прикольные ребята. Например, при посвящении в орден они самоизолировались на 30 дней, молились и размышляли. Ну прям Випассана почти.
Я прочитал эту книгу для обсуждения на эпизоде подкаста про научную фантастику «Худо Не Было». Подкаст можно послушать тут: https://share.transistor.fm/s/3d6d6d35
December 17, 2015
I listened to The Star here, narrated by Arthur C. Clarke himself. This short story won the Hugo Award in 1956.
The Star follows a group of space explorers set to investigate the death of a star. On their way to it, they find a small planet on a Pluto-like orbit to the dead star. There, they uncover the remains of the civilization that perished with its sun. Apparently, it was advance enough to travel through its solar system, but not enough to escape it. Thus, they built a vault to place their creations and knowledge, so as to not be obliterated.
Having calculated the estimate time of the supernova, the crew is faced with shocking information. And this is how the story ends.
I will let you find out that piece of information. It's sad, yet symbolic.
The Star follows a group of space explorers set to investigate the death of a star. On their way to it, they find a small planet on a Pluto-like orbit to the dead star. There, they uncover the remains of the civilization that perished with its sun. Apparently, it was advance enough to travel through its solar system, but not enough to escape it. Thus, they built a vault to place their creations and knowledge, so as to not be obliterated.
Having calculated the estimate time of the supernova, the crew is faced with shocking information. And this is how the story ends.
I will let you find out that piece of information. It's sad, yet symbolic.
January 3, 2017
...The Star is a story that packs a good punch. It is easy to see why someone who wrote such elegant stories in a time when a lot of science fiction was barely past the pulp stage, would have been considered one of the big writers in the genre. It is worth reading, not just because it aged gracefully, but also because it shows the darker side of the writing of a man known for his optimistic work.
Full Random Comments review
Full Random Comments review
December 26, 2024
Arthur C. Clarke's "The Star" can be seen from a few different angles: Is God benevolent, or does He simply do as He pleases? Or, considering the vastness of the Universe and the multitude of cosmic events, are we merely byproducts of its workings, without divine intervention? Clarke's really playing with us with the ending, leaving it open to both religious and anti-religious interpretations. It's a very interesting and thought-provoking short story that I highly recommend. And, the writing is also engaging.
August 10, 2016
Don't remember the last time a book made me feel like this.
An astrophysicist on a mission to explore a distant supernova is on the verge of losing his religious faith; a struggle with keeping faith in the face of unprecedented truths.
Then, he makes a very dark discovery that shakes each and every of his fundamental beliefs o_o
An astrophysicist on a mission to explore a distant supernova is on the verge of losing his religious faith; a struggle with keeping faith in the face of unprecedented truths.
Then, he makes a very dark discovery that shakes each and every of his fundamental beliefs o_o
February 3, 2017
In a near future a starship exploring the remains of a supernova finds tha the explosion has destroyed a kind ,happy civilization,a terrible genocide.The astounding fact is that the supernova is the Belen star that herald the Jesus birth,giving way to a montruous moral paradox;as a consecuence a scientific Jesuit lose his faith.
A deep reflection on the meaning of the universe and our role in it
A deep reflection on the meaning of the universe and our role in it
May 14, 2022
«غایت و مقصود جهان جمله از هیچ بر هیچ است»
November 29, 2019
Beautiful.
Poetic.
Poetic.
January 4, 2017
This is an interesting counterweight to "The Nine Billion Names of God". In that story religion wins out over science, in this one science wins out over religion. Yet the star seems "deeper". There is a difference in motivation. In "The Nine Billion Names of God" the scientists are cynical and the Tibetan monks seem naive. Here there are superficial scientists questioning naive superstitious faith, but the narrator is more complex than they think. He points out that the "incongruity" of his position is only "apparent":
"It was, I think, the apparent incongruity of my position that caused most amusement to the crew. In vain I would point to my three papers in the Astrophysical Journal, my five in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. I would remind them that my order has long been famous for its scientific works. We may be few now, but ever since the eighteenth century we have made contributions to astronomy and geophysics out of all proportion to our numbers".
The narrator's motivation, both religious and scientific, is deep. "The Nine Billion Names of God" incarnates the two cultures in separate individuals, whereas in "The Star" the narrator incarnates both sides, and lives out their conflict as an inner struggle. "The Star" combines a speculative element, the cold equations, and a religious element, the problem of suffering.
But is it really pessimistic? We are all mortal, civilisations included, but we must not forget the wonder and beauty of the alien civilisation, and the glory of interstellar travel. The wonder, the beauty, and the glory are all real and the cruel coincidence poses a problem only for the Christian theodicy. Yet with the failure of theodicy and the abandonment of faith something is lost.
Full review here: https://xenoswarm.wordpress.com/2017/...
"It was, I think, the apparent incongruity of my position that caused most amusement to the crew. In vain I would point to my three papers in the Astrophysical Journal, my five in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. I would remind them that my order has long been famous for its scientific works. We may be few now, but ever since the eighteenth century we have made contributions to astronomy and geophysics out of all proportion to our numbers".
The narrator's motivation, both religious and scientific, is deep. "The Nine Billion Names of God" incarnates the two cultures in separate individuals, whereas in "The Star" the narrator incarnates both sides, and lives out their conflict as an inner struggle. "The Star" combines a speculative element, the cold equations, and a religious element, the problem of suffering.
But is it really pessimistic? We are all mortal, civilisations included, but we must not forget the wonder and beauty of the alien civilisation, and the glory of interstellar travel. The wonder, the beauty, and the glory are all real and the cruel coincidence poses a problem only for the Christian theodicy. Yet with the failure of theodicy and the abandonment of faith something is lost.
Full review here: https://xenoswarm.wordpress.com/2017/...
April 23, 2017
Buddy-read with my sci-fi friend Qönçə!
Firstly, it is so good to read classic science fiction again. I love A.Clarke and I have to say , his writing style is smooth and poetry-like. Loved the story too. The ending was confusing at first, but then after reading reviews I got it.
The astrophysicist explores a dying star and learns that there was a civilization like humans who were wiped out by explosion. When he calculates the explosion time and when the light of this explosion reaches the earth, he sees the shocking truth: the time was the same as the time when Jesus was born. (I am not a Christian so I had no idea about it) While also being a priest, his faith staggers. So why God was so cruel? The philosophical message has not got its answer yet.
I love Arthur Clarke's philosophical stories, sci-fi goes so well with philosophy. Hope to read more of his interesting and thought-provoking books.
Firstly, it is so good to read classic science fiction again. I love A.Clarke and I have to say , his writing style is smooth and poetry-like. Loved the story too. The ending was confusing at first, but then after reading reviews I got it.
The astrophysicist explores a dying star and learns that there was a civilization like humans who were wiped out by explosion. When he calculates the explosion time and when the light of this explosion reaches the earth, he sees the shocking truth: the time was the same as the time when Jesus was born. (I am not a Christian so I had no idea about it) While also being a priest, his faith staggers. So why God was so cruel? The philosophical message has not got its answer yet.
I love Arthur Clarke's philosophical stories, sci-fi goes so well with philosophy. Hope to read more of his interesting and thought-provoking books.
January 29, 2022
No solo como ejemplo de ciencia ficción, La Estrella es un molde para el formato cuento que todo escritor debe tener en su registro. Creatividad,corto, trama definida, argumento e idea central desafiante, propone pensar no solo dejarse llevar, y un final que cierra la historia pero que abre posibilidades en la mente del lector
El eterno debate entre ciencia y religión puede dar resultados como este ¿Qué parte no cuestiona a la otra? pero en especial ¿Qué parte no se cuestiona a si misma en algún momento?
El eterno debate entre ciencia y religión puede dar resultados como este ¿Qué parte no cuestiona a la otra? pero en especial ¿Qué parte no se cuestiona a si misma en algún momento?
January 1, 2021
I thought this story was beautifully written with a lot of interesting facts about astronomy. Perhaps I would've even enjoyed it more if I shared the same religious beliefs as the protagonist. Not being religious, I wasn't quite able to grasp the whole 'crisis of faith' angle, although I did appreciate the irony. I enjoyed the sci-fi theme and writing style, however, which makes me want to read more stories that Clarke has written.
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