Ancient Rome had its famed Five Good Emperors--Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius, for those keeping track. And while science fiction might not have Edward Gibbons around to dole out similar, agreed-upon honors, everyone pretty much accepts the canonization of a few founding fathers: Asimov, Heinlein, Wells, and Bradbury all make the short list, as does--always--the venerable and venerated Sir Arthur C. Clarke, a Science Fiction Writers of America Grand Master and the winner of just about every SF award you care to mention.

So whether you're already familiar with his works or not (most notably Childhood's End and the Rama series), you certainly can't go wrong picking up this veritable brick of a collection--912 pages in all--as either primer or essential reference. Within you'll find virtually every short piece of fiction that Clarke has ever published, from 1937's endearingly twee (in retrospect) "Travel by Wire" to 1999's "Improving the Neighbourhood," the first sci-fi Nature ever published.

The Collected Stories is all short works (as short as 31 words in one case) and includes some of Clarke's best stories, including the lighthearted "Tales of the White Hart" and the momentous "The Star" and "The Nine Billion Names of God." --Paul Hughes

From Library Journal
Bringing together more than six decades of sf short stories that have helped to mold the genre, this collection of short fiction by Grandmaster Clarke serves as a definitive example of sf at its best. From such classic tales as "The Nine Billion Names of God" and "The Hammer of God" to lesser-known early tales and everything in between, this collection displays the author's fertile imagination and irrepressible enthusiasm for both good storytelling and impeccable science. With over 100 stories and nearly 1000 pages, this volume by the award-winning author of 2001: A Space Odyssey makes a fine addition to any library's short story or sf collection. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
This may be the single-author sf collection of the decade, even though the decade has barely begun, for it contains all the shorter fiction by Sir Arthur C. Clarke that he wishes to preserve, and he is one of the authentic pioneers and shapers of sf in English. Although most of these stories date from between 1946 and 1970, seven earlier tales, rescued from what would now be called fanzines, extend coverage back to 1937, and a few snippets stretch it toward the present. At least two dozen stories bear titles that are household words among sf readers--"The Sentinel" (progenitor of the 2001 saga), "The Nine Billion Names of God," "The Songs of Distant Earth," etc., not to mention all of the whimsical Tales from the White Hart. The stories demonstrate Clarke's dazzling and unique combination of command of the language, scientific and other kinds of erudition, and inimitable wit. Add early-twentieth-century English philosopher-novelist Olaf Stapledon's influence, which Clarke freely acknowledges, and it is possible to feel that if the term sense of wonder didn't exist, it would have to be now to describe what Clarke's majestic narratives evoke. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"This may be the single-author collection of the decade, even though the decade has barely begun . . . If the term 'sense of wonder' didn't exist, it would now have to be invented to describe what Clarke's majestic narratives evoke."—Booklist (Starred Review)

"With his awesome inventiveness, sure grasp of scientific principle, readability, openness, and utter lack of viciousness or meanness, it's easy to understand why Clarke became the single most famous and influential non-American SF writer of the post-WWII period. If you are unacquainted with Clarke—possible, though barely—begin here at once. If you're old friends: Browse. Enjoy. Wonder."—Kirkus Reviews

"Arthur C. Clarke is one of the truly prophetic figures of the space age . . . the colossus of science fiction."—The New Yorker

"He is the prophet of the space age."—Times of London

"Nobody has done more in the way of enlightened prediction than Arthur C. Clarke."—Isaac Asimov

"Arthur C. Clarke is one of the true geniuses of our time."—Ray Bradbury

"One of the most astounding imaginations ever encountered in print."—The New York Times


Book Description
Author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Childhood's End, The City and the Stars, and the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke is the most celebrated science fiction author alive. He is—with H. G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, and Robert A. Heinlein—one of the writers who define science fiction in our time. Now Clarke has cooperated in the preparation of a massive, definitive edition of his collected shorter works. From early work like "Rescue Party" and "The Lion of Comarre," through classics like "The Star," "Earthlight," "The Nine Billion Names of God," and "The Sentinel" (kernel of the later novel, and movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey), all the way to later work like "A Meeting with Medusa" and "The Hammer of God," this immense volume encapsulates one of the great SF careers of all time.


About the Author
Born in Minehead, Somerset in 1917, Arthur C. Clarke is perhaps the most celebrated science fiction author alive today. He is the author of more than sixty books with more than 50 million copies in print, and the winner of all the field's highest honors. He was named Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America in 1986.

In 1945 he published the technical paper "Extra-terrestrial Relays", which in essence invented the principle of worldwide communication via geosynchronous satellite.

His well-known novels include Childhood's End; Against the Fall of Knight; 2001:A Space Odyssey; Rendezvous with Rama; Imperial Earth; The Fountains of Paradise; 2010: Odyssey Two; 2061: Odyssey Three, and 3001. In 1968, he collaborated with director Stanley Kubrick on the screenplay for the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, which was derived from his story "The Sentinel."

He has lived in Colombo, Sri Lanka since 1956. He was awarded the CBE in 1989 and knighted in 1998.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
With the possible exception of George Orwell -- who will always be best known as the author of 1984 -- no writer has been as exclusively associated with a single calendar year as Arthur C. Clarke, the secular patron saint of 2001. In the years following the first appearance of 2001: A Space Odyssey, both the Clarke/Kubrick film and the Clarke novel that accompanied it, have become both cultural icons and defining works in the development of modern science fiction. Inevitably, then, 2001 -- also the 50th anniversary of the publication of Clarke's first novel, Prelude to Space -- could be called, in a very real sense, the year of Arthur C. Clarke.

Of the many honors that have come Clarke's way -- a knighthood, the inevitable designation as Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers Association -- none is more impressive than the present volume, a massive retrospective entitled The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke. Weighing in at more than 900 pages and 400,000 words, this is one of the seminal publishing events of 2001 and a fitting companion to Clarke's recent volume of collected nonfiction, Greetings, Carbon-Based Bipeds!

The Collected Stories contains literally dozens of tales, the earliest of which, "Travel by Wire," first appeared in Amateur Science Fiction Stories in 1937. The most recent story, "Improving the Neighborhood," was first published in Nature magazine in 1999. In the years between, Clarke created more memorable stories than any single review or article could possibly address. Highlights include the Nebula Award-winning novella "A Meeting with Medusa"; "Songs of Distant Earth," which would eventually inspire a full-length novel of the same name; and, of course, "The Sentinel." A classic account of the discovery of an alien artifact in the mountains of the moon, "The Sentinel" was first published in 1951 and provided the initial inspiration for 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Two of my own personal favorites are included here and are well worth revisiting. In "The Nine Billion Names of God," a supercomputer finally succeeds in cataloging the names of God, with apocalyptic results reflected in the famous closing sentence: "Overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out." In the Hugo Award-winning "The Star," scientists explore the remains of a complex civilization destroyed by a supernova thousands of years earlier. The nova, we discover, was the very same star that lit up the night sky over Bethlehem, heralding the birth of Christ. A poignant, beautifully composed story, "The Star" remains one of Clarke's most memorable achievements.

And, of course, the list goes on. The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke is a monument to a major career. At $29.95, it is an absolute bargain, and it deserves a place on every serious science fiction fan's permanent shelf.(Bill Sheehan)

Bill Sheehan reviews horror, suspense, and science fiction for Cemetery Dance, The New York Review of Science Fiction, and other publications. His book-length critical study of the fiction of Peter Straub, At the Foot of the Story Tree, has been published by Subterranean Press (www.subterraneanpress.com).

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Childhood's End, The City and the Stars, and the Hugo- and Nebula-winning Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke is one of the greatest science fiction writers of the century and surely the most celebrated science fictionauthor alive. He is—with H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, and Robert A. Heinlein—one of the writers who define science fiction in our time.

Now, Clarke has cooperated in th epreparation of a massive definitive edition of his collected shorter works. From early stories like "Rescue Party" and "The Lion of Comarre," through classics like "The Star," "Earthlight," "The Nine Billion Names of God," and "The Sentinel" (kernel of the novel and movie 2001: A Space Odyssey), all the way to later works like "A Meeting with Medusa" and "The Hammer of God," this immense volume encapsulates one of the great SF careers of all time.

FROM THE CRITICS

New York Times

Arthur C. Clarke is awesomely informed about physics and astronomy and blessed with one of the most astounding imaginations ever encountered in print.

New Yorker

Arthur C. Clarke is one of the truly prophetic figures of the space age...the colossus of science fiction.

London Times

[Clarke] is the prophet of the space age.

Times Literary Supplement

No one does it better than Arthur C. Clarke.

Library Journal

Bringing together more than six decades of sf short stories that have helped to mold the genre, this collection of short fiction by Grandmaster Clarke serves as a definitive example of sf at its best. From such classic tales as "The Nine Billion Names of God" and "The Hammer of God" to lesser-known early tales and everything in between, this collection displays the author's fertile imagination and irrepressible enthusiasm for both good storytelling and impeccable science. With over 100 stories and nearly 1000 pages, this volume by the award-winning author of 2001: A Space Odyssey makes a fine addition to any library's short story or sf collection. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information. Read all 6 "From The Critics" >

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Nobody has done more in the way of enlightened prediction than Arthur C. Clarke. — Isaac Asimov