Tales from Planet Earth

by Arthur C. Clarke

If you want an omnibus of short fiction by Arthur C. Clarke, a Science Fiction Writers of America Grand Master, then you want The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke. If you're looking for a representative sample of Clarke's short stories, or for some examples of the creative and extrapolative abilities that established Clarke as one of science fiction's greatest and most important writers, then check out Tales from Planet Earth. Tales from Planet Earth ranges widely across time, but the stories are centered on our home world. Many SF writers confine their visions of earth to its flatlands, but Clarke is three-dimensional; his stories "Hate," "The Deep Range," and "The Man Who Ploughed the Sea" plunge into the ocean, while "The Cruel Sky" ascends the Himalayas. Some stories, like "The Other Tiger" and "'If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth...'," end on chilling twists. "The Road to the Sea" spans centuries and millennia to explore how humanity's exodus to the stars may affect the world left behind. "Hate" considers how transcendence of the Earth's atmosphere may affect ancient enmities. "The Parasite" demonstrates a scary nastiness not usually associated with Clarke. "The Wall of Darkness" is set on an alternate-universe earth so different from ours, and "The Lion of Comarre" is set in a future so far away, that both stories feel like fantasy; but both are rigorously extrapolated from scientific theory. Two lighthearted entertainments, "The Next Tenants" and "The Man Who Ploughed the Sea," are from Tales of the White Hart. All of the stories in Tales from Planet Earth are recommended. The iBooks 2001 Anniversary Edition of Tales from Planet Earth collects 14 SF stories first published between 1950 and 1987, including the satire "On Golden Seas," which has "never before [been] collected in any Clarke book." --Cynthia Ward Review "Here...is a collection of Arthur's science fiction stories, science fiction dealing with science, extrapolated intelligently. How you will enjoy it!" ISAAC ASIMOV" Product Description The fiction of Arthur C. Clarke has spanned the universe. He has carried us across unimaginable distances to alien times and places. Yet he has not lost sight of his home. Many of his greatest stories are set-or have their roots-right here on Planet Earth. In this book, Clarke's best stories about our home planet are gathered together. For Arthur C. Clarke, more than any other science fiction writer, "home" is the entire Earth, through all of space and time. In this book, he shows us around his home to share his wonder. He invites us to share his vision and his dream. About the Author Arthur C. Clarke is the author of many seminal works of science fiction, most noteably; 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (Little Brown).

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Collections, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fantasy, Anthologies

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Stories, 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.

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Many and strange are the universes that drift like bubbles in the foam upon the River of Time.” (pg 219)

A fourteen piece anthology of older, slightly obscure material. This is a nice sampling of Clarke’s short-story prowess. Vintage science fiction; old nerd nirvana.

[Xabi1990 · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10. Media de los 20 libros leídos dela autor : 7/10

Hablar sobre Clarke da casi vergüenza. Porque, ¿Quién soy yo para hablar de uno de los mas grandes de la CF?. Pero bueno, aparte de todas las alabanzas decir qe de su muy extensa producción, incuidas sus sagas de Rama o 2001, siempre me quedaré como favorita con su colección de reñatos "Cuentos de la taberna del Ciervo Blanco", geniales.

En este recopilatorio encontramos una docena larga de cuentos suyos, todos basado en nuestro planeta. para no ser yo de cuentos cortos, está muy bien.

[Barbm1020 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur C. Clarke is my hero for 20th century futuristic fiction. The short stories in this collection are sometimes scary, sometimes humorous and always a reminder that no matter how big we think we are, there's always somebody bigger in the game. It was a special treat to find some Tales From the White Hart included.

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Relatos del autor con nuestro planeta como supuesto eje conductor.-

Género. Relatos.

Lo que nos cuenta. Antología con 14 relatos del famoso autor, o más bien 13 y un breve ¿ensayo?, escritos entre 1949 y 1987 con la Tierra como punto común teórico (que no exactamente de hecho) pero con temáticas variadas desde diferentes perspectivas y situaciones, que incluyen las intenciones de un mirmecólogo, los pensamientos y reflexiones de un niño de diez años, el desarrollo de la Humanidad en el cosmos visto en retrospectiva, una ascensión muy especial al Everest, Tierras paralelas en universos paralelos y la solidaridad entre mamíferos, entre otros variados temas.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Roberta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the sci-fi of the mid-20th century. It was all so... pure. Every story tries to teach people to be honest and kind to everyone in a non-sarcastic way, and every story is so wide-eyed and excited about the potentials of the future. That period before and just after the Moon Landing was so wonderful - it really was speculative fiction they put out then, and Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov are at the forefront of this, at least for me. Clarke's clean, unembossed language, so similar to Isaac Asimov's, gets everything across at full speed without decorations. Ends are abrupt but well thought out and fascinating. And there are murders aplenty, all strongly emotive despite the plain language. There are also farmed whales, as well as parasites from the future, sunk Soviet sputniks, futures and presents and pasts all intertwined in what only human minds can create for themselves. And the best part for me are the short introductions to each story by Clarke himself, linking the works to their contemporary situations and to other stories, and showing us how the author views his works many years after they were first conceived.

[Javier Yáñez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tal como hace 20 años que los leí por primera vez, estos cuentos mantienen vigencia, una ciencia ficción que empuja a imaginar la humanidad en miles de años (si es que duramos) independiente de la tecnología.
Todos los cuentos de pueden encontrar en otras de sus publicaciones, pero esta colección está bien agrupada en su título.
"El camino hacia el mar" y "El león de Comarre" son los únicos relatos largos (70pags), los restantes, todos relatos breves.

[Bobbi Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this paperback in a box of books that were given to me, I knew that 'Arthur C. Clarke' was a celebrated Sci-fi author, So, I was extremely excited to read this anthology of 14 short stories, all of them written by himself, especially one of the longer stories titled 'On Golden Seas' never before collected in any Clarke book. with a preface by his best friend 'Isaac Asimov' and how they jokingly referred to each other as their being Twins in their personalities and mannerism's. And to top it off It was Illustrated by 'Michael Whelan' What more could a hard Sci-Fi lover want.? The stories were all different in lengths and subject matters, some were very brief, and others were longer than I thought any of them would be! For the time period they were written in, but through it all Clarke never lost sight of his home Earth and the time that he was here. Even though these stories were
set all through time, and all over the universe. These stories were all written fairly early in Clarke's lengthy career and others were more towards the middle. Before his longer novels filled libraries around the world. For a rather cheaply made paper-back I will prize my luck at finding it the way I that I did, and I will keep it... even if I could find a hardback version in perfect shape, this copy will always be on one my bookshelves.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few head-scratchers, but overall an impressive collection that specializes in awe, poignancy, and expanding horizons. This is a solid primer for anyone unfamiliar with the genius of Arthur C. Clarke.

[Almudena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relatos breves de ciencia ficción, con personajes que parecen cortados siempre por el mismo patrón: señor arrojado, inteligente y emprendedor, sin atisbo de vulnerabilidades.
Algunos relatos presentan paradojas y dilemas interesantes, pero creo que C. Clarke no es para mí.

[Corvid · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that the blurb on the jacket of this one called it "fourteen hard sci-fi stories" makes me homicidal, but the stories themselves were fine. Definitely not all hard sf tho. Maybe not even half of them would I count as hard sf.

[Travis Sutton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bit of a disappointment from a sci-fi powerhouse.

[Mike Pinter · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to sci-fi writing for those who think science fiction is all a out spaceships and aliens.

[Danielle Boudreau · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually like Clarke, but this one was quite boring in comparison to his other books. Didn't get into it.

[Andrea V · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

[Ellis Wasend · Rating 4 out of 5]

He never disappoints, such interesting and mind bending stories, the two standouts were the wall of darkness and the lion of comarre. The parasite was also super creepy

[Log · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sure it was interesting for its time but it was a pretty bland read for me now. A few good ones though - my faves were: the deep range, if i forget thee oh earth, the next tenants

Notes app reviews (no i cannot be bothered editing these):
the road to the sea - I liked it (though it was a bit long winded even for a short story) but if I was presented the same choice as brant no way in hell would I choose to stay
hate - I thought it was going to be epic but then it was just cruel and pointless
publicity campaign - p funny, mass media over anything else
The other tiger - oooo I'm so smart look at me conceptualizing CRAZY EXISTENTIAL SHIT OOOOO -_-
the deep range - sweet. I love the ocean. the space travel of earth. porpoise dogs <3 as usual acc is like wow humanity. we r so advanced and great. sigh. did don die at the end or am I stupid?
if i forget thee oh earth - oh this one is good. moon colony longing for earth accept that they can never return in their own lifetime
the cruel sky - blah blah mankind defeats physics with incredible feats of science I guess
the parasite - mind parasite...from the future...
"and perhaps they are immortal, and that must be their real damnation. through the ages their minds have been corroding their feeble bodies, seeking some release from their intolerable boredom." ah so the parasite wished to experience death
the next tenants - YES. YES. TERMITE MAD SCIENTIST. "There is another possibility. Man has no rival on this planet. I think it may do him good to have one. It may be his salvation."
Saturn rising - elegantly written, but not exactly exciting. hotel on titan! yeet
the man who ploughed the sea - no idea whether this is actually environmentally viable, but interesting nonetheless. it does kind of annoy me how many of Clarkes stories are about getting rich from a new big idea. it must have been a fantasy of his...atleast hes somewhat self aware. the character described as a conservationist tells the big oil millionaire: "poetic justice, too - you'll be able to repay some of the damage you've done to the land. Too bad it'll make you a billionaire, but that can't be helped."
the wall of darkness - atmospheric, with dark commentary on the existence of other universes. the wall only has 1 side, mobius strip world
the lion of comarre - twas....ok. I'm getting tired of this man and his lack of fresh ideas (obviously not even in the general sphere of sci-fi, just within like...this collection itself)
on golden seas - no idea what that was about tbh

quotes i tabbed:
"Away from all this, out into the darkness and loneliness - in search of what?" "Remember, I have already spent a lifetime away from Earth."
"He stepped back from the ladder, and the world of sun and sky ceased to exist."
On Saturn: "This," he said - and there wasn't a trace of flippancy in the words - "is where the angels have parked their halos."
"Civilization was completely mechanized - yet machinery had almost vanished. Hidden in the walls of the cities or buried far underground, the perfect machines bore the burden of the world."

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have real difficulty remembering short stories and where I read them so I'm adding a synopsis below for my own records - boring, I know!

The Road To The Sea
Man from far future human race meets predecessors who left Earth many years before who have returned from distant galaxy to evacuate the planet. Very clearly a forerunner to The City & The Stars.

Hate
Vengeful Hungarian fisherman discovers downed Russia spacecraft out at sea. Conspires to drown trapped occupant before discovering deceased pilot is a young girl who has taped his murderous intent.

Publicity Campaign
Peaceful alien visitors attacked by NYC Earth-dwellers whipped into frenzy by coincidentally apt sci-fi movie.

The Other Tiger
Excellent tiny story sees two scientists pondering the concept of parallel universes and the gaps between them - one conversationalist meets a sticky end.

The Deep Range
Submarine pilot 'whale shepherd' sees off predators with porpoise sheepdogs.

If I Forget Thee Oh Earth
- Moon-dwellers look down on off-limits post-nuclear Earth and hope for a future return.

The Cruel Sky
- Scientist creates personal anti-grav device, climbs Everest. Gets caught in a storm and is saved from a mountain lion by said device.

The Parasite
- Creepy tale of a remote alien watcher who plagues a man's mind.

The Next Tenants
- Scientist on isolated island trains termites to use tools and fire in order to equip them to inherit the Earth.

Saturn Rising
- Billionaire picks the brains of spacer to plan hotel on Titan.

The Man Who Ploughed The Sea
- Man invents device to harvest minerals from seawater - trades it for luxury yacht by not revealing it's rather inefficient.

The Wall Of Darkness
- Medieval king attempts to scale massive wall that marks the end of their world - discovers their world is a moebius strip.

Death and the Senator
- Workaholic senator discovers he is terminally ill but can be cured by a trip to space. Instead he turns down the opportunity realising instead that by embracing his demise he has been able to build relationships with his family and generally be happier.

Maelstrom II
- Man survives an accident on a Moon-to-Earth slingshot transport system.

Second Dawn
- Telepathic intelligent horse-people team up with dexterous Stone Age people to their mutual advancement.

On Golden Seas
- A short non-fact article in which USA discovers it can extract gold from seawater.

[David Erickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes it can be pretty surprising what you pick up at a used book sale. Such is the case here. The book was printed in 1990 by Bantam Books.

This collection of Arthur C Clarke short stories come with a forward by Isaac Asimov (a dear and close friend of Clarke) and each story comes with Clarke’s personal comments.

Overall I was quite pleased, but as is the case with all such collections I very much enjoyed some and not so much others.

The Road to the Sea was quite different than anything I’ve read before, Hate was truly disturbing and The Lion of Comarre looked to a future in which Mankind had reached its comfort level and was by far the best.

I could’ve done without The Man Who Ploughed the Sea, as it was hardly a science fiction tale, and the Wall of Darkness seemed pointless. Yet each story made me consider the wider implications.

Clarke’s writing style is easy to read and not only entertaining, but insightful. For Clarke (and science fiction fans) this is a must read.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading Tales from Planet Earth at lunch this week. It's an intriguing collection of short stories, each with an illustrated frontispiece. The foreword is by Isaac Asimov and each story has a short intro written by Clarke for this collection.

Clarke is one of the SF authors I always forget that I like - especially his short stories. I especially enjoyed the future-primitive stories: "The Road to the Sea" and "The Wall of Darkness". "Publicity Campaign" is a light, humourous story; while "Hate" sadly lives up to its name. "The Lion of Comarre" and "The Parasite" share chilling explorations of the mind, and "The Deep Range" (apparently expanded into a novel, according to the intro) is an interesting twist on a cowboy story.

All in all, this book kept me busy & entertained during my lunch hour this week. It's not a "must have" but it you happen to spot it at the library or in a used book store, you may want to pick it up.

[Cal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I breezed through the 2001 series in about a week, but I can't say much for this short story collection. It's pretty meh all around. The whaling story was downright awful and ludicrous. Others were fine but not exciting. My biggest complaint, unsurprisingly, is Clarke forgets females exist and in fact, comprise over half the population. They are only in three stories (four if you count the article-type story On Golden Seas) and serve no purpose other than to be a foil for some male character's anger or desire. UGH! LAME! SO LAME. Asimov was hella sexist but at least he tried having female characters every once in a while, and he at least TRIED to make them characters in their own right even if he did a bad job sometimes (ironically, the older and "more experienced" he got, the worse his women became). Clarke, I am very disappointed in you. Being the product of a certain era is no excuse for this laziness.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is little doubt that Arthur C. Clarke is one of the most famous science fiction writers of all time. This was a really interesting collection of short stories written over the span of his writing career. The stories themselves were definitely quite readable and enjoyable. However, the more intriguing thing about these stories is that so many of the ideas and concepts he wrote about foreshadowed (often by decades) things that ultimately came to pass (at least in general concept).

An enjoyable read and refreshing escape.

[PJ Trenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is little doubt that Arthur C. Clarke is one of the most famous science fiction writers of all time. This was a really interesting collection of short stories written over the span of his writing career. The stories themselves were definitely quite readable and enjoyable. However, the more intriguing thing about these stories is that so many of the ideas and concepts he wrote about foreshadowed (often by decades) things that ultimately came to pass (at least in general concept).

An enjoyable read and refreshing escape.

[Raj · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of Clarke's short stories mostly from the 1950s and '60s, but with forays into the '80s and even '90s as well. There are a good mix of stories, from very short and playful (such as Publicity Campaign) to almost novella-sized, deep and emotional (such as The Road to the Sea) and many in-between things. As a fan of Clarke I really enjoyed just about all the stories, few of which have aged in any significant way (although, of course, they will have in lesser ways). A great collection to dip into.

[Cooper Renner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining assortment of Clarke stories, mostly from the '40s and '50s. I read Clarke a lot as a teenager in the '60s and '70s, but not much since then. I may have read this anthology when it first appeared, but if not, I had certainly read many of the stories included. Clarke's ideas are interesting, and his writing is solid and undramatic, unlike much of the more recent SF (which I've been avoiding for a long time now) which seems to serve the same fantasizing purpose for men as romance novels serve for women, though often without the sex.

[Callan J Mulligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is an excellent look into the mind of one of speculative fiction's masters. Clarke paints many short stories, based in many eras, and all written across decades. Some stories are almost humourous, like the work of Douglas Adams, while others are serious in their feel and dire in their message. I would highly recommend this for lovers of science fiction or short stories, and writers who wish to analyse professional prose.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine example of the pure mastery that was Arthur C Clarke. He left his mark on liturate with everyone of his stories and his spirit lives on through his life's work. Stimulating both scientists and dreamers, he has had and will always have a profound impact on the way we view the universe around (and under) us.

[Chuck H · Rating 3 out of 5]

14 short stories put together as a book. Arthur C. Clarke is one of my favorite authors, maybe even my very favorite. but this collection didn't do much for me. plus these stories were written between 1949 - 1987, so some fairly old stuff.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this on my sister, Patti's bookshelf when I visited her recently. It is inscribed from me to Patti's husband Bruce for Christmas 1993. I love Arthur C. and am happy to read these short stories again.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

i really enjoyed reading this book. mostly the preface and little intros to the stories. acc has a sense of humor i wouldn't have expected. a few of the stories were really good, most were just okay.

[Erin Wilder · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fantastic collection of thought-provoking stories from the main man, accompanied by great illustrations from Michael Whelen. Not everyone could do justice capturing ACC's brilliant imagination, but Whelen has the way.