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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
The usual deep background in theoretical physics extrapolated a century or so into the future. This one is a bit more technical and a lot less fantastic than his other books.
slow-paced
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A good start but gets bogged down by minutiae and other boring items.
The Fountains of Paradise
Author: Arthur C. Clarke
Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Published In: New York City / London
Date: 1978/1979
Pgs: #261
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
Dr. Vannevar Morgan wants to build a space elevator linking Earth below with an orbiting satelitte 22,300 miles above. The elevator when complete will be able to lift interstellar spacecraft into orbit as well as terrestrial and extraterrestrial cargo. Morgan’s opposition are the Buddhist order who live atop the mountain that is perfect for the elevator’s lower tether.
The story is juxtaposed with that of King Kalidasa who seeks to rule his kingdom while facing the same mountain with an oracle atop it who purports to see all. He faces the mountain to his south, his half-brother with treasonous intent to take the throne for his own to the north, and his own ambition and destiny as he nears the nadir of his reign. He will build his lofty Pleasure Gardens and leave his mark on the world.
Both carry lofty ambitions. Both will reach for the stars, on the same Earth, in the same country, under the same mountain, 2,000 years apart.
Genre:
Fiction
Science fiction
Space
Thrillers
UFOs
Why this book:
Arthur C. Clarke...that’s all I need to say.
______________________________________________________________________________
Favorite Character:
I would have said King Kalidasa before I got to his path to the throne, brutal. And his treatment of Firdaz the Persian architect of the Yakkagala monument city. The comparison of Kalidasa and Morgan falls apart at the brutality level.
Least Favorite Character:
The vengeful monk and world class mathematician Parakarma Dr Choam Goldberg acting to protect his brethren’s sacred place by sabotaging the filament test of the space elevator with the weather control systems of the planet. He is a cypher, but his actions are understandably human, though not very monk like. Though, on further thought, these Monks at the top of Sri Kanda have stood down kings and conquerors in their past and what is the space elevator, but one more conqueror come to take their mountain. Even though Parakarma’s actions directly lead to the prophesied action that would presage the end of the order’s time on the mountain top. And his apperance still later as a Swami Krisnamurthi rudimenting on the nature of God in a world that has discovered aliens.
The Feel:
This has an “it could happen” feel. The science is solid.
Favorite Scene:
Morgan’s closing scene in the climax...anti-climax of the novel and his vision of the future.
Pacing:
This story flows so well. I forget how smooth Clarke’s writing is until the next book I pick up and begin to flow through.
Hmm Moments:
That’s brutal, what Kalidasa did to his father. Of course, what was done to his pet in vengeance by his evil stepmother wasn’t conducive to a normal childhood.
Morgan seeing Kalidasa as a kindred spirit doesn’t bode well for Morgan considering how bloodthirsty the king was. What he did to the Persian architect of his pleasure gardens and god-king palace so that he couldn’t be made to build one for someone else between Taprobane and Isfahan was horrible. What he was planning to do vs what the architect believed he was going to do...both still horrible.
The idea that Charles Martel losing to the Islamic invaders in Europe could have led to a more civilized Europe through the Middle Ages and no need for a Renaissance since the Dark Ages never would have happened is crap. Much as I respect Mr. Clarke, he loses points with me here. The idea that Islam would have done a better job than Christianity did doesn’t wash with me. The warfare of men would have swept and reswept and reswept again across Europe and eaten itself in fire and blood whichever religion and conquerors were the authors of history.
______________________________________________________________________________
Last Page Sound:
Good book.
Author Assessment:
Love Clarke’s work. His voice in his work is so smooth. The science is understandable to the layman and meshes with the story instead of overshadowing it. It’s been long enough since the last time I read Clarke that I had forgotten how much I love his prose.
Editorial Assessment:
One of the paragraphs in the version that I am reading had lines out of place. Luckily, a previous reader had arrowed the passages so that they made a reading order sense.
Knee Jerk Reaction:
real classic
Dewey Decimal System:
F
CLA
Would recommend to:
everyone
______________________________________________________________________________
Errata:
Author: Arthur C. Clarke
Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Published In: New York City / London
Date: 1978/1979
Pgs: #261
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
Dr. Vannevar Morgan wants to build a space elevator linking Earth below with an orbiting satelitte 22,300 miles above. The elevator when complete will be able to lift interstellar spacecraft into orbit as well as terrestrial and extraterrestrial cargo. Morgan’s opposition are the Buddhist order who live atop the mountain that is perfect for the elevator’s lower tether.
The story is juxtaposed with that of King Kalidasa who seeks to rule his kingdom while facing the same mountain with an oracle atop it who purports to see all. He faces the mountain to his south, his half-brother with treasonous intent to take the throne for his own to the north, and his own ambition and destiny as he nears the nadir of his reign. He will build his lofty Pleasure Gardens and leave his mark on the world.
Both carry lofty ambitions. Both will reach for the stars, on the same Earth, in the same country, under the same mountain, 2,000 years apart.
Genre:
Fiction
Science fiction
Space
Thrillers
UFOs
Why this book:
Arthur C. Clarke...that’s all I need to say.
______________________________________________________________________________
Favorite Character:
I would have said King Kalidasa before I got to his path to the throne, brutal. And his treatment of Firdaz the Persian architect of the Yakkagala monument city. The comparison of Kalidasa and Morgan falls apart at the brutality level.
Least Favorite Character:
The vengeful monk and world class mathematician Parakarma Dr Choam Goldberg acting to protect his brethren’s sacred place by sabotaging the filament test of the space elevator with the weather control systems of the planet. He is a cypher, but his actions are understandably human, though not very monk like. Though, on further thought, these Monks at the top of Sri Kanda have stood down kings and conquerors in their past and what is the space elevator, but one more conqueror come to take their mountain. Even though Parakarma’s actions directly lead to the prophesied action that would presage the end of the order’s time on the mountain top. And his apperance still later as a Swami Krisnamurthi rudimenting on the nature of God in a world that has discovered aliens.
The Feel:
This has an “it could happen” feel. The science is solid.
Favorite Scene:
Morgan’s closing scene in the climax...anti-climax of the novel and his vision of the future.
Pacing:
This story flows so well. I forget how smooth Clarke’s writing is until the next book I pick up and begin to flow through.
Hmm Moments:
That’s brutal, what Kalidasa did to his father. Of course, what was done to his pet in vengeance by his evil stepmother wasn’t conducive to a normal childhood.
Morgan seeing Kalidasa as a kindred spirit doesn’t bode well for Morgan considering how bloodthirsty the king was. What he did to the Persian architect of his pleasure gardens and god-king palace so that he couldn’t be made to build one for someone else between Taprobane and Isfahan was horrible. What he was planning to do vs what the architect believed he was going to do...both still horrible.
The idea that Charles Martel losing to the Islamic invaders in Europe could have led to a more civilized Europe through the Middle Ages and no need for a Renaissance since the Dark Ages never would have happened is crap. Much as I respect Mr. Clarke, he loses points with me here. The idea that Islam would have done a better job than Christianity did doesn’t wash with me. The warfare of men would have swept and reswept and reswept again across Europe and eaten itself in fire and blood whichever religion and conquerors were the authors of history.
______________________________________________________________________________
Last Page Sound:
Good book.
Author Assessment:
Love Clarke’s work. His voice in his work is so smooth. The science is understandable to the layman and meshes with the story instead of overshadowing it. It’s been long enough since the last time I read Clarke that I had forgotten how much I love his prose.
Editorial Assessment:
One of the paragraphs in the version that I am reading had lines out of place. Luckily, a previous reader had arrowed the passages so that they made a reading order sense.
Knee Jerk Reaction:
real classic
Dewey Decimal System:
F
CLA
Would recommend to:
everyone
______________________________________________________________________________
Errata:
Quick read. One of those fascinating, retro Clarke novels with engaging characterization, and set in a location he clearly cared about and has given much thought to.
At one point, incredibly, he describes what is basically an RSS feed or automatic search; not to mention describing the information gathering power of the internet in 1979. It's interesting to also see what differences exist between two hundred years in Clarke's fictional future, and what we are living only 45 years later. Not only does everyone have their own computer terminal, but we have them in our pockets. Characters tend to view telescope images through lens-pieces in /The Fountains of Paradise/, whereas most professional star gazing is done through screens.
Though Google has tried its hand at designing a space elevator, material science is not up to the job at the moment (tinyurl.com/q5wn66q). Like man other ideas that Clarke helped popularize (ever heard of artificial satellites), someday the space elevator might fundamentally change our relationship with the rest of the solar system.
There was promise of more engagement with Buddhism in a future of no to little religious belief, but Clarke doesn't seem to be interested in or else knowledgeable of Buddhist philosophy and practice.
Not a special read. To start with Clarke as an author I would suggest /Childhood's End/ or /Songs of Distant Earth/.
At one point, incredibly, he describes what is basically an RSS feed or automatic search; not to mention describing the information gathering power of the internet in 1979. It's interesting to also see what differences exist between two hundred years in Clarke's fictional future, and what we are living only 45 years later. Not only does everyone have their own computer terminal, but we have them in our pockets. Characters tend to view telescope images through lens-pieces in /The Fountains of Paradise/, whereas most professional star gazing is done through screens.
Though Google has tried its hand at designing a space elevator, material science is not up to the job at the moment (tinyurl.com/q5wn66q). Like man other ideas that Clarke helped popularize (ever heard of artificial satellites), someday the space elevator might fundamentally change our relationship with the rest of the solar system.
There was promise of more engagement with Buddhism in a future of no to little religious belief, but Clarke doesn't seem to be interested in or else knowledgeable of Buddhist philosophy and practice.
Not a special read. To start with Clarke as an author I would suggest /Childhood's End/ or /Songs of Distant Earth/.
Loved the overall concept, and the low key writing style of the future parts of the book, where futuristic advances are well written as ordinary, not novel. The flash backs to the ancient history felt a bit too forced for symbolism to truly be appreciated. The ending was abrupt, I’m not a big fan of a “messy” ending made good by a far future epilogue. I’d really gotten into the detail of the tower and the rescue and wanted to know how a lot of those details got resolved. Overall, a read that held my attention but left me wanting a bit more from the book.
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No