Earthlight [Paperback]

Arthur C Clarke (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Pan Science Fiction (1981)
• ISBN-10: 0330105744
• ISBN-13: 978-0330105743
• ASIN: B001KROWBU
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

More About the Author

"SIR ARTHUR C. CLARKE (1917-2008) wrote the novel and co-authored the screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey. He has been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, and he is the only science-fiction writer to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. His fiction and nonfiction have sold more than one hundred million copies in print worldwide.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Realistic, hard-hitting speculation about future conflict., November 16, 2002

By 

Roger J. Buffington (Huntington Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Earthlight (Paperback)

This is a very fine novel by Clarke even if some of the science is now out-of-date. The novel is set several centuries in the future. There are essentially two "nations" remaining, Earth (which includes the Moon) and the Triplanetary Federation, which encompasses Mars, Venus, and some of the outer satellites of Jupiter and Saturn. The issue is that in this novel Earth controls most of the solar system's supply of heavy metals e.g. titanium, high-grade iron ore, etc. Therein lies the conflict.
After several centuries of peace, the possibility of war once again looms. Clarke creates the atmosphere for this masterfully.

The story is told from the perspective of an intelligence agent sent from Earth on a counterintelligence mission on the Moon. The storyline does not move at a breakneck pace by any means. Rather, the story moves in a leisurely fashion that gives the reader a fascinating look at what a Moon colony might one day be like. Despite this, the book moves to a climactic ending that is startling and absorbing. This book is an excellent read.

This is a book that might have been made into a movie. Clarke is one of the giants of science fiction. Highly recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent science fiction novel., July 27, 2001

By 

Peter Hunt (Mountain View, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Earthlight (Audio Cassette)

Clarke is famous for using a fictional premise as a vehicle for discussing scientific ideas, and rightly so. His ideas are so interesting, and his explanations are so clear that no one minds if the story sometimes takes a back seat to the science. In _Earthlight_, a secret agent visits the lunar colony to find the spy leaking classified material to Earth's other colonies. Clarke uses this premise to explore two main ideas: what life in an established lunar colony would be like, and how a conflict between Earth and her colonies might arise.

Clarke's description of a 200-year-old colony is fascinating. His discussions of the problems created by the hostile lunar environment, and his solutions to them, are clear and interesting. What was surprising to me is that these descriptions, written almost 50 years ago, haven't really dated. There are some anachronisms; all communications are auditory, for example - television wasn't forseen, much less the Internet. But the majority of the ideas are as plausible and compelling as when they were written.

The development of the conflict between the Earth and the Federation of colonies is somewhat less successful. The main reason for the conflict - competition for limited resources - rings true, and Clarke captures the feeling of life during a time of political tension leading to conflict. However, his descriptions of events and motivations feel a little too simple for what we'd expect to be a complex political situation. The concluding battle, employing highly speculative science, is a jarring contrast to the earlier, reasoned discussions of the science behind the lunar colony.

These are nitpicks, however. _Earthlight_ succeeds in the ways most important to Clarke and to his readers. If you're familiar with Clarke's other work, I think you'll enjoy this novel. If you haven't read Clarke before, this novel is a fine introduction, although you would do equally well with his better-known works.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Clarkes Best!, December 14, 1999

By 

R. Bartholomew (New Jersey/NYC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Earthlight (Paperback)

In my opinion, this is easily the best thing Clarke has ever written. It is a little shorter than I would have liked, but its depiction of an interplanetary conflict between old mother Earth and the confederation of once upon a time "colony" planets is very well done. Although interisting and quirky characterizations are not among the reasons this book is good, it does discuss the nature and future of humanity itself, and explores this ambitious theme better than any other author I know of can. The battle at the end between the forces of Earth and the Confederation I thought was very well done. The speculation of the kinds of weapons that would be used were much more realistic or detailed than Star Wars or even other reputable science fiction authors such as Asimov or Heinlein. Definitely a book worth reading for any sci-fi fan.