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pio_near's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Audio adaptation heavy on sound effects, but light on story development. Meh.
heatherllama's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
mkpatt's review
4.0
A fine story. Dated because of the passage of time, the advancements in science and so forth, but the story was great. I've read a lot of Clarke's work of which I am a great lover. I don't particularly like the heavy exposition style of writing, but it's better than E.R. Burroughs. A very enjoyable read for those who like a mix of science fiction and espionage!
yggie's review
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
eiion's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke follows the story of the Moon and its residents as they are caught in the middle of an interplanetary war of politics and fighting. Set in a time where Man has begun to colonize even the most distant planets, an uneasy alliance has been struck between resource-poor but research-rich celestial bodies and Earth, stingy with her metals and even more careful with her money. As a political entity, the Federation, begins to form against Earth's strict policies, innocent men and women, scientists and civilians alike, all begin to feel the tensions rising, beginning to boil over.
Arthur C. Clarke is a brilliant writer and a master of sci-fi. He's got a great grasp on how to blend science, plot, and loveable characters. His books are easy to read and understand, and it continues to amaze me how a book with less than 200 pages can have all the depth and ingenuity as one double the size.
This book had a much larger cast of 'main' characters than the other books of his I have read. It had one leading character, but at least 3 others that were important too. I found myself invested in different plots, and loved seeing the way they all worked together. It was really nice to feel like we always got to read about the center of the action, but that one man wasn't always experiencing it.
My main criticism on these books is that there's just not a whole lot of women. I understand that this is 50s and 60s we're talking about, but for Clarke, who I have read some things that do seem quite progressive, it's just a bit disappointing.
Earthlight had a much more politics-heavy approach to sci-fi, which unfortunately isn't my favourite trope. It was a lot of talking, a lot of theorizing, and a lot of twists and turns. While not inherently bad, in a short book, it just felt like we were being pushed and pulled back and forth. It didn't have the same magic of space that I really have come to love in Clarke's work, and didn't focus on the science or the discovery as much as I wish it would have. There was definitely action in this book, and if I had read this as my first book of his, I likely would have rated it higher, but as it stands, it just fell a little bit short for me.
Fans of Isaac Asimov's Foundation will really enjoy this one, as well as anyone who finds themselves looking for a more political, real world sci-fi book.
Arthur C. Clarke is a brilliant writer and a master of sci-fi. He's got a great grasp on how to blend science, plot, and loveable characters. His books are easy to read and understand, and it continues to amaze me how a book with less than 200 pages can have all the depth and ingenuity as one double the size.
This book had a much larger cast of 'main' characters than the other books of his I have read. It had one leading character, but at least 3 others that were important too. I found myself invested in different plots, and loved seeing the way they all worked together. It was really nice to feel like we always got to read about the center of the action, but that one man wasn't always experiencing it.
My main criticism on these books is that there's just not a whole lot of women. I understand that this is 50s and 60s we're talking about, but for Clarke, who I have read some things that do seem quite progressive, it's just a bit disappointing.
Earthlight had a much more politics-heavy approach to sci-fi, which unfortunately isn't my favourite trope. It was a lot of talking, a lot of theorizing, and a lot of twists and turns. While not inherently bad, in a short book, it just felt like we were being pushed and pulled back and forth. It didn't have the same magic of space that I really have come to love in Clarke's work, and didn't focus on the science or the discovery as much as I wish it would have. There was definitely action in this book, and if I had read this as my first book of his, I likely would have rated it higher, but as it stands, it just fell a little bit short for me.
Fans of Isaac Asimov's Foundation will really enjoy this one, as well as anyone who finds themselves looking for a more political, real world sci-fi book.
reeceksmith's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
shippy's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
hippxcrates's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This book made me far too reflective of the current state of politics, which is a testament to the writing (it's great) but sure made me slow to read it as oftentimes i got to introspective and depressed about the trajectory of our current climate. But it boasts an ending that's hopeful, only with great sacrifice.
civil6512's review against another edition
3.0
With mankind spreading around the Solar System, scarcity of certain resources leads to tensions between the governments of Earth (covering Earth and Moon) and Federation (covering other planets and satellites). As the conflict for resources develops, an agent from an Intelligence Agency of Earth travels to the Moon, trying to uncover a spy passing information to the Federation.
Earthlight is a short book, and tells a simple but interesting story. Its descriptions of a Moon society, although dated by the technology described there, are detailed and satisfying, and a certain amount of optimism and hope can be perceived all throughout the book. However, the ending is a bit anticlimactic -and the fact that the author himself repeats the word anticlimax a couple of times doesn't help much.
Earthlight is a short book, and tells a simple but interesting story. Its descriptions of a Moon society, although dated by the technology described there, are detailed and satisfying, and a certain amount of optimism and hope can be perceived all throughout the book. However, the ending is a bit anticlimactic -and the fact that the author himself repeats the word anticlimax a couple of times doesn't help much.