Best Selling Books by Arthur C Clarke

During World War II, as an RAF officer, Arthur C. Clarke was in charge of the first radar ''talk-down'' equipment, the Ground Controlled Approach, during its experimental trials. His novel GLIDE PATH is based on this work

Arthur C. Clarke has been one of the most influential commentators on - and prophets of - the communications technology which has created the global village. Now, drawing partly on his own sometimes very personal writings, he provides an absorbing history and survey of modern communications. The story begins with the titanic struggles to lay transatlantic telegraph cables in the nineteenth century. Fighting against widespread scepticism, lack of funds, technical disasters and setbacks - and against the Atlantic itself, above and below the surface - the pioneers achieved the seemingly impossible and by 1858 Britain and America were linked by Telegraph. Nearly a century later, as the first transatlantic telephone cable was being laid, the technology that would rival and perhaps even supersede it was undergoing its painful birth as scientists developed the communications satellite precisely as Clarke first described in his famous 1945 article Wireless World, ''Extra-terrestrial Relays'', reprinted in this book. The rivalry between cable and satellite continued through the decades. Communication satellites (Comsats) performed even beyond the most optimistic expectations, but cable fought back with the development of the transistor. Then, in one of the most dramatic and unexpected breakthroughs in any technology, the potential of cable systems was transformed. The development of fibre optics technology meant that once more the seabeds of the world began to be draped with the newest and most sophisticated artefacts of human engineering. It is an enthralling story, filled with extraordinary events and people, and Arthur C. Clarke brings all his storytelling flair and scientific expertise to bear on it. The result is a superb combination of history, comment and challenging speculation.

Science fiction. A novel, set in the near future, about the raising of the Titanic from the seabed. As the operation proceeds six perfectly preserved bodies are found and one of them, a teenage girl, isn''t on the Titanic''s passenger list

A compendium of science fiction stories filled with “high diversion, amusement and amazement” from the legendary creator of 2001: A Space Odyssey (Los Angeles Times). In the White Hart Pub in London just north of Fleet Street, Harry Purvis holds court with his fellow writers of scientific yarns. A consummate storyteller, Harry is joined by the actual writers Samuel Youd, John Wyndham, and Clarke himself, all under pseudonyms, and all trying to outdo each other with their outlandish tales of science and invention. Inspired by the Jorkens collections by Lord Dunsany, this anthology combines elements of comedy and horror, with “sly wit and inviting prose style” and a distinctly English flavor (AV Club). Written by a “collossus of science fiction,” Tales from the White Hart is not just for fans of the genre, but for anyone who appreciates a good tall tale (The New Yorker). “One of the most astounding imaginations ever encountered in print.” —The New York Times

Looking for new underwater worlds to conquer, Arthur Clarke and Mike Wilson followed up their expedition to Australia''s Great Barrier Reef (described in The Coast of Coral) by exploring the romantic seas surrounding Ceylon. Meetings with dangerous and beautiful marine creatures were only one side of the expedition''s activities. Their adventures included the discovery of many wrecks and the investigation of a 3,000-year-old Hindu temple lying on the ocean bed. Clarke and Wilson lived among the Ceylonese natives, their contact with Europeans virtually limited to the dozen members of the Ceylonese Reefcombers Club, who shared many of their underwater adventures. When weather conditions ruled out skin diving, they explored the awe-inspiring ruins of ancient Sinhalese cities, made trips into the jungles in search of wild life, and visited Buddhist monasteries. Clarke and Wilson''s experiences provide vivid impressions of old and new Ceylon, one of the key countries of the Far East, and give vivid impressions of the fantastic life of the tropical reefs and the strange transformations which lost ships undergo when the sea works its will on them.

"On an autumn morning in 2077, a huge ball of fire appeared in the sky over Europe. Moving at 50 kilometres a second, the meteorite crashed onto the plain of northern Italy and 600,000 people died." -- back cover.

“A daring romp through the solar system and a worthy successor to 2001.”—Carl Sagan Nine years after the disastrous Discovery mission to Jupiter in 2001, a joint U.S.-Soviet expedition sets out to rendezvous with the derelict spacecraft—to search the memory banks of the mutinous computer HAL 9000 for clues to what went wrong…and what became of Commander Dave Bowman. Without warning, a Chinese expedition targets the same objective, turning the recovery mission into a frenzied race for the precious information Discovery may hold about the enigmatic monolith that orbits Jupiter. Meanwhile, the being that was once Dave Bowman—the only human to unlock the mystery of the monolith—streaks toward Earth on a vital mission of its own . . . “Clarke deftly blends discovery, philosophy, and a newly acquired sense of play.”—Time “2010 is easily Clarke’s best book in over a decade.”—The San Diego Tribune

The classic science fiction novel that captures and expands on the vision of Stanley Kubrick’s immortal film—and changed the way we look at the stars and ourselves. From the savannas of Africa at the dawn of mankind to the rings of Saturn as man ventures to the outer rim of our solar system, 2001: A Space Odyssey is a journey unlike any other. This allegory about humanity’s exploration of the universe—and the universe’s reaction to humanity—is a hallmark achievement in storytelling that follows the crew of the spacecraft Discovery as they embark on a mission to Saturn. Their vessel is controlled by HAL 9000, an artificially intelligent supercomputer capable of the highest level of cognitive functioning that rivals—and perhaps threatens—the human mind. Grappling with space exploration, the perils of technology, and the limits of human power, 2001: A Space Odyssey continues to be an enduring classic of cinematic scope.

All diese Welten gehören euch – bis auf Europa Nach der Entdeckung intelligenten Lebens auf dem Jupitermond Europa und der Explosion des Jupiters, die ihn zur zweiten Sonne, Luzifer, unseres Sonnensystems machte, ist Europa ein verbotener Planet. Als das Raumschiff Galaxy auf Europa abstürzt, soll ihr das Schwesterschiff Universe zu Hilfe kommen. Während sie auf Rettung warten, untersucht die Galaxy-Crew den verbotenen Mond – und entdeckt Unglaubliches ...

Una obra de ciencia ficción imprescindible para cualquier amante del género. Perteneciente a la tradicional y ya casi extinta «literatura de ideas», El fin de la infancia tiene como tema la futura evolución del hombre. Una raza extraña llega a la Tierra y trae consigo paz, prosperidad..., y la inesperada tragedia de la perfección. ¿Qué seguirá a la extinción de la raza humana? Arthur C. Clarke, en un final de notable belleza, plantea la más alucinante de las hipótesis.

The Other Side of the Sky presents a glimpse of our future: a future where reality is no longer contained in earthly dimensions, where man has learned to exist with the knowledge that he is not alone in the universe. These stories of other planets and galactic adventures show Arthur C. Clarke at the peak of his powers: sometimes disturbing, always intriguing.

This volume is of special interest -- included are a wide range of classic stories, including the title story, "Jupiter Five," "The Deep Range," "Second Dawn," and the earliest of the splendidly comic narratives told by Harry Purvis for the benefit of the denizens of the White Hart.