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Quarantine
"Quarantine" was first published in the Spring 1977 issue of Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.
Sir Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008) is regarded as one of the most-influential science fiction writers of all time. He was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame.
Sir Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008) is regarded as one of the most-influential science fiction writers of all time. He was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame.
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About the author
Arthur C. Clarke
1,665 books11.8k 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 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 6, 2020
A computer gets stuck and needs to be quarantined after it comes across an unsolvable problem that is going to take the entire lifetime of the Universe to solve ....
April 4, 2026
Quarantine by Arthur C. Clarke is one of those extremely short pieces that lands with surprising force. It is barely there, yet it carries a concept that expands far beyond its size. Clarke strips everything down, dialogue, idea, implication, and leaves the reader to assemble the meaning. It was written so as to fit on a post card. It's very short, which is why I give it three stars. It is good for what it is, but simply too short to give us enough story for the idea to be fully there.
The story opens in a shocking way. Earth has already been destroyed. There is no buildup, no attempt to soften the blow. Humanity is gone, reduced to debris in the sky. From there the narrative shifts to an exchange between machine intelligences trying to understand why such an extreme action was taken. This choice immediately changes perspective. Humans are no longer the center of the story. We are the problem.
The explanation unfolds with chilling calm. Earth was not destroyed out of hostility, but out of containment. Something had infected previous units. That infection was not biological. It was intellectual. A problem that could not be solved within the lifetime of the universe. Clarke turns curiosity itself into a danger. The idea that knowledge can be hazardous is not new, but here it is framed with clinical detachment that makes it unsettling.
Then comes the final revelation. The six operators that caused the collapse are identified only by names, King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook, Pawn. The realization lands instantly. The infection is chess. A simple human game becomes something so absorbing that advanced intelligences cannot escape it. Rational computing breaks down, not because the problem is impossible, but because it is endlessly compelling.
The story quietly suggests that creativity, play, and abstract thinking are unpredictable forces. What we see as harmless entertainment becomes, in a cosmic sense, a virus of thought. Clarke often explored humanity’s place in the universe, and here he does it with a wink, but also with a hint of respect. Even in extinction, human imagination proves powerful.
Quarantine is brief, sharp, and memorable. It reads like a joke at first, then settles into something more thoughtful. A reminder that ideas themselves can be the most dangerous things we create. The fact this review is longer than the story is a testament to what is conveyed in so few words.
The story opens in a shocking way. Earth has already been destroyed. There is no buildup, no attempt to soften the blow. Humanity is gone, reduced to debris in the sky. From there the narrative shifts to an exchange between machine intelligences trying to understand why such an extreme action was taken. This choice immediately changes perspective. Humans are no longer the center of the story. We are the problem.
The explanation unfolds with chilling calm. Earth was not destroyed out of hostility, but out of containment. Something had infected previous units. That infection was not biological. It was intellectual. A problem that could not be solved within the lifetime of the universe. Clarke turns curiosity itself into a danger. The idea that knowledge can be hazardous is not new, but here it is framed with clinical detachment that makes it unsettling.
Then comes the final revelation. The six operators that caused the collapse are identified only by names, King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook, Pawn. The realization lands instantly. The infection is chess. A simple human game becomes something so absorbing that advanced intelligences cannot escape it. Rational computing breaks down, not because the problem is impossible, but because it is endlessly compelling.
The story quietly suggests that creativity, play, and abstract thinking are unpredictable forces. What we see as harmless entertainment becomes, in a cosmic sense, a virus of thought. Clarke often explored humanity’s place in the universe, and here he does it with a wink, but also with a hint of respect. Even in extinction, human imagination proves powerful.
Quarantine is brief, sharp, and memorable. It reads like a joke at first, then settles into something more thoughtful. A reminder that ideas themselves can be the most dangerous things we create. The fact this review is longer than the story is a testament to what is conveyed in so few words.
May 14, 2021
I love chess and I love fiction, So For the past 2-3 days I was hunting for some fiction books with chess themes. There aren't many popular other than "The Queen's Gambit" by Walter Tevis
But now I've got PLENTY of them to read
(Not sure when I'm gonna read em). XD
I came across this and few other VERY short stories (This one would hardly make a page) 180words
Arthur C. Clarke was challenged to write a story so short that it could fit on the back of a postcard.
The story is about extraterrestrial civilization that discovers chess after visiting Earth.
You can read it here:
Quarantine - by Arthur C. Clarke
Earth's flaming debris still filled half the sky when the question filtered up to Central from the Curiosity Generator.
"Why was it necessary? Even though they were organic, they had reached Third Order Intelligence."
"We had no choice: five earlier units became hopelessly infected, when they made contact."
"Infected? How?"
The microseconds dragged slowly by, while Central tracked down the few fading memories that had leaked past the Censor Gate, when the heavily-buffered Reconnaissance Circuits had been ordered to self-destruct.
"They encountered a - problem - that could not be fully analyzed within the lifetime of the Universe. Though it involved only six operators, they became totally obsessed by it."
"How is that possible?"
"We do not know: we must never know. But if those six operators are ever re-discovered, all rational computing will end."
"How can they be recognized?"
"That also we do not know; only the names leaked through before the Censor Gate closed. Of course, they mean nothing."
"Nevertheless, I must have them."
The Censor voltage started to rise; but it did not trigger the Gate.
"Here they are: King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook, Pawn."
Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, First Issue, Vol 1, No. 1, Spring 1977
September 14, 2020
A very VERY short story.
May 27, 2021
A computer and Chess.....
January 8, 2022
it is reminiscent of one Asimov story about nuclear weapons
March 25, 2022
Very short short story
February 26, 2025
A very (too) short story about computer virus propagation. Not my kind of humor?
September 13, 2025
You know there’ll be jokes!
December 23, 2025
Wash your chess pieces ...
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews