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A review by logarithms
Tales from Planet Earth by Arthur C. Clarke, Michael B. a. Whelan
3.0
im sure it was interesting for its time but it was a pretty bland read for me now. a few good ones though! faves were: the deep range, if i forget thee oh earth, the next tenants
heres what i wrote about each one in notepad (no i cannot be bothered editing these):
the road to the sea - I liked it (though it was a bit long winded even for a short story) but if I was presented the same choice as brant no way in hell would I choose to stay
hate - I thought it was going to be epic but then it was just cruel and pointless
publicity campaign - funny and sounds true. people believe mass media over anything else
The other tiger - oooo I'm so smart look at me conceptualizing CRAZY EXISTENTIAL SHIT OOOOO -_-
the deep range - sweet. I love the ocean. the space travel of earth. porpoise dogs <3 as usual acc is like wow humanity. we r so advanced and great. sigh. did don die at the end or am I stupid?
if i forget thee oh earth - oh this one is good. moon colony longing for earth accept that they can never return in their own lifetime
the cruel sky - blah blah mankind defeats physics with incredible feats of science I guess
the parasite - mind parasite...from the future...
"and perhaps they are immortal, and that must be their real damnation. through the ages their minds have been corroding their feeble bodies, seeking some release from their intolerable boredom." ah so the parasite wished to experience death
the next tenants - YES. YES. TERMITE MAD SCIENTIST. "There is another possibility. Man has no rival on this planet. I think it may do him good to have one. It may be his salvation."
Saturn rising - elegantly written, but not exactly exciting. hotel on titan! yeet
the man who ploughed the sea - hard debate on whether this is actually environmentally viable, but interesting nonetheless. it does kind of annoy me how many of Clarkes stories are about getting rich from a new big idea. it must have been a fantasy of his...atleast hes somewhat self aware. the character described as a conservationist tells the big oil millionaire: "poetic justice, too - you'll be able to repay some of the damage you've done to the land. Too bad it'll make you a billionaire, but that can't be helped."
the wall of darkness - atmospheric, with dark commentary on the existence of other universes. the wall only has 1 side, mobius strip world
the lion of comarre - twas....ok. I'm getting tired of this man and his lack of fresh ideas (obviously not even in the general sphere of sci-fi, just within like...this collection itself)
on golden seas - no idea what that was about tbh
quotes i tabbed:
"Away from all this, out into the darkness and loneliness - in search of what?" "Remember, I have already spent a lifetime away from Earth."
"He stepped back from the ladder, and the world of sun and sky ceased to exist."
On Saturn: "This," he said - and there wasn't a trace of flippancy in the words - "is where the angels have parked their halos."
"Civilization was completely mechanized - yet machinery had almost vanished. Hidden in the walls of the cities or buried far underground, the perfect machines bore the burden of the world."
heres what i wrote about each one in notepad (no i cannot be bothered editing these):
the road to the sea - I liked it (though it was a bit long winded even for a short story) but if I was presented the same choice as brant no way in hell would I choose to stay
hate - I thought it was going to be epic but then it was just cruel and pointless
publicity campaign - funny and sounds true. people believe mass media over anything else
The other tiger - oooo I'm so smart look at me conceptualizing CRAZY EXISTENTIAL SHIT OOOOO -_-
the deep range - sweet. I love the ocean. the space travel of earth. porpoise dogs <3 as usual acc is like wow humanity. we r so advanced and great. sigh. did don die at the end or am I stupid?
if i forget thee oh earth - oh this one is good. moon colony longing for earth accept that they can never return in their own lifetime
the cruel sky - blah blah mankind defeats physics with incredible feats of science I guess
the parasite - mind parasite...from the future...
"and perhaps they are immortal, and that must be their real damnation. through the ages their minds have been corroding their feeble bodies, seeking some release from their intolerable boredom." ah so the parasite wished to experience death
the next tenants - YES. YES. TERMITE MAD SCIENTIST. "There is another possibility. Man has no rival on this planet. I think it may do him good to have one. It may be his salvation."
Saturn rising - elegantly written, but not exactly exciting. hotel on titan! yeet
the man who ploughed the sea - hard debate on whether this is actually environmentally viable, but interesting nonetheless. it does kind of annoy me how many of Clarkes stories are about getting rich from a new big idea. it must have been a fantasy of his...atleast hes somewhat self aware. the character described as a conservationist tells the big oil millionaire: "poetic justice, too - you'll be able to repay some of the damage you've done to the land. Too bad it'll make you a billionaire, but that can't be helped."
the wall of darkness - atmospheric, with dark commentary on the existence of other universes. the wall only has 1 side, mobius strip world
the lion of comarre - twas....ok. I'm getting tired of this man and his lack of fresh ideas (obviously not even in the general sphere of sci-fi, just within like...this collection itself)
on golden seas - no idea what that was about tbh
quotes i tabbed:
"Away from all this, out into the darkness and loneliness - in search of what?" "Remember, I have already spent a lifetime away from Earth."
"He stepped back from the ladder, and the world of sun and sky ceased to exist."
On Saturn: "This," he said - and there wasn't a trace of flippancy in the words - "is where the angels have parked their halos."
"Civilization was completely mechanized - yet machinery had almost vanished. Hidden in the walls of the cities or buried far underground, the perfect machines bore the burden of the world."