Earthlight & Other Stories

The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke #2

by Arthur C. Clarke

Arthur C Clarke is without question the world’s best-known and most celebrated science-fiction writer. His career, spanning more than 60 years, is one of unequalled success. Clarke has always been celebrated for his clear prophetic vision, which is fully on display in this audiobook, but there are also many stories which show his imagination in full flight, to the distant future and to far-flung star systems. The second volume in a collection of five.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Audiobook, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

Audible Audio

First published August 2, 2001

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

[Conan McCann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mix of ancient Clarke stories from about 1950. Some better than others (I liked "Nemesis," "Hide and Seek," and "Earthlight" in particular, along with others I forget the titles to). Very dated, but the better ones hold up. I skimmed over "Holiday on the Moon," as dull space travel propaganda. "The Road to the Sea" for awhile seems to be a soap opera romance story, but is sci-fi at the end, with an ambiguous ending. Like any anthology, it won't please everyone, but it won't displease everyone either. (Listened to audio version while on a road trip.)

[Kimberlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read: all of Clarke's short stories over the course of his career (sometimes brtilliant, sometimes, not so much....). By reading the whole series one after another, the change and growth of his inimitable style through the decades can be truly appreciated.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just as with the first collection, we get small nuggets and ideas that later on influenced some of the bigger novels. I am glad I came across this 5-part collection of stories, it provides an easy read while also entertaining my curiosity and keeping boredom at bay.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was yet another listen to the audiobook. A lot of the stories I've read in the original book, but it was nice to hear it read. It provided the entertainment for most of a trip from Maine to Washington, DC and back again.

Some of the stories were written well before space travel started. Clarke was amazing in his ability to predict future technologies. This listen was appropriate since I was in Washington attending IEDM, an engineering conference where bleeding edge electronics technologies are discussed.

[Clare S-B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories, some I liked better than others, but as far as I remember none of them had any bad content in them. Although there were a few that were full of evolution and most were rather depressing. Some had really good insights into humanity though even if the characters were not human. They were occasionally predictable.... in most of them I expected people to die or most or all of a race to be destroyed..... because nearly all of Arthur C. Clarke's stories I have listened to end this way.

[Mitch PITEO · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the short story titled Earthlight - it was great old school sci-fi where two astronomers on the moon eye-witness the first Earth vs. the Federation of Outer Planets war -featuring energy-beam weapons....

[Stephen Robertson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the stories were good some not so good. I didn't find any that stood out and grabbed my attention maybe its because I've already heard the best of them over and over. Maybe not. Worth the read but I think most of these stories survive on Clark's reputation and not on his talent.

[Todd Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clarke was writing some nice fiction in the early 1950s. Some of his predictions, such as a base on the moon by 1996, or moon flowers, are amusingly quaint. While others, such as a small, portable music player that holds many hours music, were eerily prescient.

[Olof · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good, not as fresh as the first. Many moon stories, and about the faaaar future.