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History Lesson
In the title story of this collection, Earth has entered its final ice age—precipitated by the cooling of the sun. In this forbidding climate, a small tribe of nomadic human survivors travels toward the equator ahead of glaciers moving down from the North Pole, carrying with them a handful of relics from the 21st century—and racing against the ice to preserve them from annihilation.
This collection is a showcase of groundbreaking stories that wrestle with the moral, psychological, and ethical implications of scientific advancement—written by one of the foremost science fiction authors of our time.
This collection is a showcase of groundbreaking stories that wrestle with the moral, psychological, and ethical implications of scientific advancement—written by one of the foremost science fiction authors of our time.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2012
144 people are currently reading
708 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 43 reviews
January 19, 2018
Jedna stvar koju niko ne može da ospori gosn. Arturu Klarku je bogatsvo mašte i ova kolekcija njegovih ranih priča je odličan pokazatelj o tome. Isto tako ona je odličan pokazatelj da nije svaki pisac bio odličan pripovedač kada je započinjao sa svojim radom :)
Kao što već rekoh kolekcija odličnih pa čak i za danas puna originalnih ideja koji na kraju budu jako slabo iskorišćene. Najčešće kocept bude objašnjen, prikazan i posle toga kraj pa se kao čitalac na momente osećamo blagi iznervirano, ko kada treba da kinemo i u poslednjem momentu samo stane. Frustrirajuće. Isto tako ni sam kvalitet pisanja nije na najvišem nivou mada tu imam osećaj da su neke priče samo nabrzaka zapisane da izbaci ideju iz glave. A komičnim pričama bolje da ne pričamo. Kažimo samo da posle rtakvih priča imam osećaj da me je neko izudarao nekom motkom govoreći 'ovo je smešno'. Al probao je.
Sve u svemu kolekcija koja je interesantna za ljude koji su ljubitelji dela Artura Klarka i žele da vide njegove početke plus vide prve verzije ideja koje su kasnije mnogo bolje ukomponovane.
Meni je bilo interesantno al ne znam dal bih prepoiručio nekome ako nema slične interese kao ja.
Kao što već rekoh kolekcija odličnih pa čak i za danas puna originalnih ideja koji na kraju budu jako slabo iskorišćene. Najčešće kocept bude objašnjen, prikazan i posle toga kraj pa se kao čitalac na momente osećamo blagi iznervirano, ko kada treba da kinemo i u poslednjem momentu samo stane. Frustrirajuće. Isto tako ni sam kvalitet pisanja nije na najvišem nivou mada tu imam osećaj da su neke priče samo nabrzaka zapisane da izbaci ideju iz glave. A komičnim pričama bolje da ne pričamo. Kažimo samo da posle rtakvih priča imam osećaj da me je neko izudarao nekom motkom govoreći 'ovo je smešno'. Al probao je.
Sve u svemu kolekcija koja je interesantna za ljude koji su ljubitelji dela Artura Klarka i žele da vide njegove početke plus vide prve verzije ideja koje su kasnije mnogo bolje ukomponovane.
Meni je bilo interesantno al ne znam dal bih prepoiručio nekome ako nema slične interese kao ja.
June 12, 2017
I picked up this collection because I've become more interested in short stories lately, and there's no better way to learn than by reading one of the greats. I saw these collections on sale and picked them up without hesitation.
I've always liked Clarke, but of the great classic sci-fi authors, he's probably one I've read the least. I've read 2001 and Childhood's End and Rendezvous with Rama, but that's about it.
It's hard to rate short story collections. There were some inside I thought were very good. Others I didn't enjoy very much.
What inspired me most about all these stories was the sense of imagination that permeated throughout. I recognize that there are some very imaginative stories today, but there is a sense of childhood wonder in many of these works that seems hard to duplicate or find today.
If you're interested in Clarke's work, it might be worth a shot to read this book. I know I'm excited to read later compilations as well.
I've always liked Clarke, but of the great classic sci-fi authors, he's probably one I've read the least. I've read 2001 and Childhood's End and Rendezvous with Rama, but that's about it.
It's hard to rate short story collections. There were some inside I thought were very good. Others I didn't enjoy very much.
What inspired me most about all these stories was the sense of imagination that permeated throughout. I recognize that there are some very imaginative stories today, but there is a sense of childhood wonder in many of these works that seems hard to duplicate or find today.
If you're interested in Clarke's work, it might be worth a shot to read this book. I know I'm excited to read later compilations as well.
June 8, 2018
Classic SciFi
This collection briought me back to the days of my youth when the genre was about good writing and a meaningful story rather than monsters and gadgets. Clarke brings you back in time to show you a predicted future which is now our current time. These stories reminded me of the great TV series The Twilight Zone.
This collection briought me back to the days of my youth when the genre was about good writing and a meaningful story rather than monsters and gadgets. Clarke brings you back in time to show you a predicted future which is now our current time. These stories reminded me of the great TV series The Twilight Zone.
July 5, 2018
Good old SF. With emphasis on the good
There's a lot of the history of science in this book. As a "Baby boomer" I grew up with the tech and the ideas of the 50s and 60 s. I remember the first manned space flights, and the moon landings. And I read a LOT of fiction about them before they happened. So this book is nostalgic for me. And I enjoyed that trip down memory lane
There's a lot of the history of science in this book. As a "Baby boomer" I grew up with the tech and the ideas of the 50s and 60 s. I remember the first manned space flights, and the moon landings. And I read a LOT of fiction about them before they happened. So this book is nostalgic for me. And I enjoyed that trip down memory lane
October 16, 2023
As the title suggests, this is a collection of short stories; each one better than the other.
Arthur C. Clarke was a master of words and thoughts about the future of the human race.
- Travel by Fire
- How we went to Mars
- Retreat from Earth
- Reverie
- The Awakening
- Whacky
- Loophole
- Rescue Party
- Technical error
- Castaway
- The fires within
- Inheritance
- Nightfall
- History lesson
- Transcience
- The wall of darkness
- The lion of Comarre
- The Forgotten Enemy
- Hide and Seek
- Breaking Strain
- Nemesis
- Guardian Angel
- Time's Arrow
- A Walk in the Dark
- Silence Please
- Trouble with the Natives
- The Road to the Sea
Arthur C. Clarke was a master of words and thoughts about the future of the human race.
- Travel by Fire
- How we went to Mars
- Retreat from Earth
- Reverie
- The Awakening
- Whacky
- Loophole
- Rescue Party
- Technical error
- Castaway
- The fires within
- Inheritance
- Nightfall
- History lesson
- Transcience
- The wall of darkness
- The lion of Comarre
- The Forgotten Enemy
- Hide and Seek
- Breaking Strain
- Nemesis
- Guardian Angel
- Time's Arrow
- A Walk in the Dark
- Silence Please
- Trouble with the Natives
- The Road to the Sea
May 28, 2021
This review refers only to this short story which however is part of a collection. A reasonable extrapolation from a 1948 perspective of an ETs analysis of Earth - after an apocalyptic event dooms humanity to be represented by the contents of a single time capsule. Suspect that the author had no idea at the time how soon mankind was going to face self inflicted extinction. ( We seem to be on track to destroy spaceship Earth within a few generations ) . The story suffered from a rather abrupt and predictable ending when viewed from over 70 years later...so only 3 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2018
Arthur C. Clarke is one of the great writers of the 20th century. This is a collection of his early science fiction work, mostly short stories easily and completely read even in a short sitting. They take me back to my early teens and early adulthood when I could and would sit for many hours and devour possibility after possibility.
December 10, 2017
Besides his reprising a series of arcs across the shorts, the work was completely engaging while I read it. Afterwards I thought the stories to be effulgent and not surprisingly familiar, particularly if you know his catalogue of work.
November 2, 2016
Imprinted on this when I was about ten and JFK was president, possibly the first unhappy ending I ever read. I just re-read it in a book group. A fun trip down memory lane.
October 19, 2017
A short story collection with quite a few stories. A lot of memorable ones from a great author.
June 2, 2018
Of a time
Reading these stories brought me back to the time I first began reading science fiction. Humid summer days, Arthur C. Clark just a wonderful feeling.
Reading these stories brought me back to the time I first began reading science fiction. Humid summer days, Arthur C. Clark just a wonderful feeling.
April 23, 2025
Arthur C. Clarke’s History Lesson is what happens when you mix the end of the world, alien archaeologists, and one of the greatest comedic sucker punches in sci-fi history.
The setup: Earth is freezing over, humanity is doomed, and the last survivors decide to preserve their culture for future intelligent life. Noble. Tragic. Very dramatic. So they pack their most important artifacts into a vault and launch them off to be discovered by some hopefully smarter, hopefully warmer species.
Cut to a few thousand years later: aliens from Venus (because sure, why not?) arrive and stumble across this time capsule. These lizardy scholars are trying so hard to understand us. They analyze the tech. They study the images. They try to piece together what humans were like based on the sacred cultural treasures we left behind.
And then comes the final line — a gut punch of cosmic hilarity that I won't spoil, but trust me, it’s the sci-fi equivalent of slipping on a banana peel at your own funeral.
The whole story reads like a straight-faced eulogy to humanity, but then Clarke hits you with a twist so gloriously absurd you can't help but laugh and wince at the same time. It’s the literary version of leaving your entire life’s work behind, only for future generations to remember you as that species that worshipped cartoons.
Short, sharp, and savagely funny. Read it. You’ll never look at time capsules — or Mickey Mouse — the same way again.
The setup: Earth is freezing over, humanity is doomed, and the last survivors decide to preserve their culture for future intelligent life. Noble. Tragic. Very dramatic. So they pack their most important artifacts into a vault and launch them off to be discovered by some hopefully smarter, hopefully warmer species.
Cut to a few thousand years later: aliens from Venus (because sure, why not?) arrive and stumble across this time capsule. These lizardy scholars are trying so hard to understand us. They analyze the tech. They study the images. They try to piece together what humans were like based on the sacred cultural treasures we left behind.
And then comes the final line — a gut punch of cosmic hilarity that I won't spoil, but trust me, it’s the sci-fi equivalent of slipping on a banana peel at your own funeral.
The whole story reads like a straight-faced eulogy to humanity, but then Clarke hits you with a twist so gloriously absurd you can't help but laugh and wince at the same time. It’s the literary version of leaving your entire life’s work behind, only for future generations to remember you as that species that worshipped cartoons.
Short, sharp, and savagely funny. Read it. You’ll never look at time capsules — or Mickey Mouse — the same way again.
May 4, 2021
This short story is an early work of Clarke's, and it shows. The premise isn't terrible, and the ending is a good combination of cute, surprising, and thought-provoking, but as a story, it's rough.
The plot is divided into two big chunks: the end days of humanity as a global ice age sets in and the discovery of humanity's remaining artifacts by aliens from Venus. The continuity between the two sections is thin and the transition is abrupt, so the pacing doesn't flow well. It ends up being more of a sketch than a compelling plot. The story is also told in a very impersonal, antiseptic third-person voice. Characters are there, but not developed. They're barely described in any sense whatsoever. Clarke simply gives bullet points on their actions in the face of impending doom before moving along to bullet points on the aliens' actions in the post-humanity era. Likewise, there's little aesthetic description.
In combination, all these elements mean there's no emotional connection to anything that's happening. It's the end of the world, and I, the reader, couldn't possibly care less.
The ending is interesting though. At least, it's interesting that in 1949 Clarke was thinking about how humanity would be viewed by outside observers, about how the things we leave behind will shape (or misshape) our legacy, and about some of the challenges of interpreting artifacts from lost cultures in general. It's also a little tounge-in-cheek poke at popular culture, one that has held up very, very well over time.
I don't know that I'd recommend this to casual readers, but if you're a fan of Clarke's, or of science fiction in general, it's worth a quick read.
The plot is divided into two big chunks: the end days of humanity as a global ice age sets in and the discovery of humanity's remaining artifacts by aliens from Venus. The continuity between the two sections is thin and the transition is abrupt, so the pacing doesn't flow well. It ends up being more of a sketch than a compelling plot. The story is also told in a very impersonal, antiseptic third-person voice. Characters are there, but not developed. They're barely described in any sense whatsoever. Clarke simply gives bullet points on their actions in the face of impending doom before moving along to bullet points on the aliens' actions in the post-humanity era. Likewise, there's little aesthetic description.
In combination, all these elements mean there's no emotional connection to anything that's happening. It's the end of the world, and I, the reader, couldn't possibly care less.
The ending is interesting though. At least, it's interesting that in 1949 Clarke was thinking about how humanity would be viewed by outside observers, about how the things we leave behind will shape (or misshape) our legacy, and about some of the challenges of interpreting artifacts from lost cultures in general. It's also a little tounge-in-cheek poke at popular culture, one that has held up very, very well over time.
I don't know that I'd recommend this to casual readers, but if you're a fan of Clarke's, or of science fiction in general, it's worth a quick read.
March 12, 2018
A collection of early stories, though some of the science is dated because of the very nature of scientific progress, HISTORY LESSON is a great introduction to the works of a man whom most people know only through the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Like Bradbury, Clarke's tales hold up well when he focuses more on the characters than science, though some of the stories seemed to go on longer than they needed to, and recurring themes bordered on being redundant when brought together under one roof.
There are some rough edges here, as is common with a new author learning their craft, but anyone interested in science fiction would find it worth their time to read the early works of most speculative fiction masters, if for no other reason than to see how different authors evolved from similar times and histories. Asimov, Heinlein, Bradbury, Clarke...these should be your initial guides to a greater world, or more accurately, a greater universe.
Like Bradbury, Clarke's tales hold up well when he focuses more on the characters than science, though some of the stories seemed to go on longer than they needed to, and recurring themes bordered on being redundant when brought together under one roof.
There are some rough edges here, as is common with a new author learning their craft, but anyone interested in science fiction would find it worth their time to read the early works of most speculative fiction masters, if for no other reason than to see how different authors evolved from similar times and histories. Asimov, Heinlein, Bradbury, Clarke...these should be your initial guides to a greater world, or more accurately, a greater universe.
October 22, 2017
What I love about Clarke is how deftly he turns a predictable plot into a memorable piece of literature. Commonplace artifacts and ideas for science fiction acting as if they're revolutionizing the genre, with such an ironically defying attitude you can't do wrong.
Madmen scientists putting humanity at risk with their carelessness? Anticlimax "first contact"? Done thousands of time before. The plot ideas do have their originality, plenty of it actually, I'll give him that, where he becomes predictable is in the unfolding of the story. And this is where his great talent resides, for he's a magician, as he transforms that obvious roadmap of his into the most unexpected delight.
If a story from here bores you give it a bit more time, there are a couple of stories here that only the finale puts them in their right light.
Madmen scientists putting humanity at risk with their carelessness? Anticlimax "first contact"? Done thousands of time before. The plot ideas do have their originality, plenty of it actually, I'll give him that, where he becomes predictable is in the unfolding of the story. And this is where his great talent resides, for he's a magician, as he transforms that obvious roadmap of his into the most unexpected delight.
If a story from here bores you give it a bit more time, there are a couple of stories here that only the finale puts them in their right light.
September 5, 2019
It's entertaining, but I would only recommend it for readers who are already fans of Clarke's work.
This is all early stuff by him, when Clarke was still developing his own style, and most stories are a tad overwritten for the simple punchline they are supposed to deliver.
Most notable from this collection are, in my humble opinion, his "Travel by Wire!", Clarke's first published story (1937), a satirical tale which is worth to compare to King's later written "The Jaunt" for some overlapping ideas.
"Technical Error" (1946) which first shows the marks of the writer Clarke would later become.
And the titel giving "History Lesson" (1949), whose idea has been loosely adapted into a song by Ludwig Hirsch under the title "1928"
This is all early stuff by him, when Clarke was still developing his own style, and most stories are a tad overwritten for the simple punchline they are supposed to deliver.
Most notable from this collection are, in my humble opinion, his "Travel by Wire!", Clarke's first published story (1937), a satirical tale which is worth to compare to King's later written "The Jaunt" for some overlapping ideas.
"Technical Error" (1946) which first shows the marks of the writer Clarke would later become.
And the titel giving "History Lesson" (1949), whose idea has been loosely adapted into a song by Ludwig Hirsch under the title "1928"
November 14, 2017
This collection of short (and early fiction) by Arthur C Clarke was largely boring and tedious. Had a difficult time finishing it, and I usually can struggle through the most tedious of books. Granted, I read it through the lens of his later work, but compared to Isaac Asimov’s earlier work, this was just plain bad.
July 21, 2024
V1 of 3 volumes collecting his stories in chronological order. The first part was definitely a learning experience, but then they get smoother. The times they were written in were also telegraphed, including smoking in a space suit. I remembered a number, but enough were fresh for me. Overall a fun collection.
November 25, 2022
Read the title story (#14) 'History Lesson', 7 pages. available for free:
https://siliconshelf.files.wordpress....
https://siliconshelf.files.wordpress....
October 27, 2023
What remains as representations of the past isn't necessarily the past. What we find from history doesn't necessarily dictate reality. We perceive the past through our own subjective natures no matter how hard we try to analyze.
September 29, 2024
A Walt Disney Production :) Nice!
Listened to it as part of "The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4..."
Listened to it as part of "The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4..."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2017
Remember many of the stories when I was growing up - good to read again.
September 4, 2022
THE TWIST IN THIS OMG
August 14, 2023
I thought I had read all of these stories but most of them were new to me. They were dated and mostly over-full of details that have disproven over the years. I found I did not like many of them.
November 8, 2023
A great collection with a few of my favorite stories in. Rescue Party, The Forgotten Enemy and The Road to the Sea are some of the great stories in this collection.
February 15, 2025
Venusian history lesson of the third planet? Fascinating.
June 7, 2025
Кларк любив іронізувати на ниві НФ. Це оповідання є чудовим прикладом цієї самої іронії. P.S. 2008 рік.
October 9, 2016
Five thousand years too late, explorers from Venus arrive on a frozen snowball Earth. They manage to retrieve some preserved relics. Back on Venus, reptilian scientists visualize and seek to analyze a short animated clip from Earth, one which may amuse modern readers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews