The Ghost from the Grand Banks [Mass Market Paperback]

Arthur C. Clarke (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 1, 1991

A hundred years after the sinking of the Titanic, two of the world's most powerful corporations race to find a way to raise and preserve the doomed luxury liner. The quest to uncover the secrets of the wreck and reclaim her becomes an obsession . . . and for some, a fatal one. "Filled with . . . unique insights. . . ."--Los Angeles Times Book Review. HC: Bantam.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Setting his novel in the near future, close to the centennial of the 1912 sinking of the Titanic , SF luminary Clarke ( Childhood's End ) spins an initially ingenious scenario that only partially fulfills its potential. Two mammoth corporations strike a deal to raise the long-submerged luxury ocean liner. Parkinson's of London wants to recover a set of priceless Andrea Bellini glassware; Nippon-Turner is looking for publicity for a number of new products. Both intend to open underwater amusement parks; because the Titanic split in two parts upon sinking, each company will raise and exhibit half of the ship. But due to a variety of natural causes, the project goes awry. Clarke uses the attempted salvage operations as springboards from which to describe the technical, environmental and political changes in the year 2012. His skill as a raconteur and his accessible prose style are as engaging as ever, but his attempt to develop a secondary plot hinging on a mathematical game called the Mandelbrot Set takes the novel off course. The characters here lack dimension; and the various natural and personal disasters, which usually add to the tension, seem to be capriciously introduced without purpose. Though Clarke's speculations are both thought-provoking and entertaining, this work falls below his legendary best.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

As the centennial of the sinking of the Titanic approaches, rival corporations vie to be the first to raise the ship from its graveyard in the North Atlantic--engaging in a race that becomes an obsession and a rendezvous with the unknown. One of sf's most enduring authors brings his spare and graceful style to bear in this sf tale that is part adventure, part tribute. For most sf collections.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 274 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (December 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553293877
• ISBN-13: 978-0553293876
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 3.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,698,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#10 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Science Fiction

#11 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction

#26 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#10 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Science Fiction

#11 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction

#26 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Can you say "too much detail" ?? July 15, 1998

By [e-mail]

Format:Hardcover

I wish I could share in the other reviewers' enthusiasm for this work. I've read many other Clarke novels, and frankly, I don't feel this one is up to par. It is a quick and entertaining read, however, and not without its charms; but there seems to be too much information. At first, it leads one to believe that some events may lead to something later in the book, only to fade into obscurity, as merely a diversion.

I do share Clarke's fascination with the M-set, being an armchair mathematician and computer programmer, and it is wonderfully described in the text, but I fail to see the relevance to the overall theme of the story. Perhaps I'm missing something, but I don't think so. I'm glad I didn't pay full price for my hardcover copy (I picked it up at a Library book sale for $.75), so I think I got my money's worth for the 260-odd pages (also short for a Clarke novel). It would have been better as a short story.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 and 1/2 Stars July 7, 2000

By Bill R. Moore

Format:Hardcover

This is not a bad book, but for an Arthur C. Clarke novel, it is something of a disappointment. Although the concept of sub-plots is common in Clarke's works (and indeed, in all of science fiction) it is taken too far here. The whole long sections about the M-Set, the Millennium Bug, the inventions of Roy Emerson, and the homelife of the Craig family have no relevance to the actual plot of the book, and those sections encompass the heart of the book. Yes, the M-Set is interesting, but it should've been allowed it's own book if it is this important (even a 15+ page essay on it is included after the story). Meanwhile, the Titanic saga is relegated to almost side story status. Now, don't read all that and think I didn't like the book. I did. It's just that most of Clarke's other works are so much better (even the oft-critized 3001). Not a bad Clarke, but for the love of God don't start your collection here. Spring for Childhood's End, 2001 or 2010, or Rendezvous With Rama first.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A lack of direction causes this book to become lost August 15, 2000

By Danny Silverman

Format:Hardcover

Clarke is a visionary, and he has prophesized some incredible ideas long before they were mainstream. He continues to explore fascinating scientific thoughts and insights in this book about the raising of the Titanic. However, I find that the book has no central focus. Attempting to use the Titanic as a focal point, Clarke jumps from story to story -- about the Mandelbrot Set (a fractal pattern that is self-replicating), an invention in the field of windshield wipers, automated undersea exploration, and the lives of several diverse characters -- while never focusing the story on any overlapping theme or circumstance. In fact, the story of the Titanic is written off early on and given very little play. It seems Clarke would have been better off simply writing an essay about new technologies instead of wasting the readers time with simple plot twists, one dimensional dialogue, and emotionless characters.

Mr. Clarke is still, in my eyes, a great visionary thinker. He also writes a good sci-fi story. However, this one certainly isn't it. Read it for the ideas, read it for the insights, but please don't read it for the plot.

3.0 out of 5 stars Amongst The Lesser Work Of A Master June 13, 2012

By Matthew Kresal VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

As you will have no doubt heard, this year marks the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic. The sinking of the ship has inspired numerous movies, books and believe it or not at least one science fiction novel. The science fiction novel in question is The Ghost From The Grand Banks, a 1990 novel from one of the masters of the genre, Arthur C. Clarke.

Clarke sets the novel during the years leading up to 2012 as two different groups (one led by inventor Roy Emmerson, the other by computer geniuses Donald and Edith Craig) engage in what the novel's subtitle calls "the race to raise the Titanic." The novel also focuses on Jason Bradley, a deep ocean operations expert, who is initially the target of recruitment by both groups before becoming something of an overseer of their respective attempts. The attempts themselves are quite intriguing and come across as plausible (or at least as plausible as can be expected in a science fiction novel).

The setting of the novel means that part of the fun is seeing Clarke's predicted future. An example of Clarke's foresight is that he foresaw Y2K coming years before most of us had even heard of it (and worked into the background of one of his characters). Clarke also predicted some of the remarkable advances in ocean exploration technology such as almost exclusive robot exploration of the Titanic wreck site, exploration deeper and deeper into the wreck and AUV's (autonomous underwater vehicles, robots that can explore the ocean floor by its self which have been used to map the Titanic wreck site within the last few years). Clarke also made a somewhat less prediction in chapters 29 and 30 though it makes for chilling reading nonetheless.... The things Clarke got wrong are quite intriguing as well such as getting the solution to Y2K wrong, not foreseeing the rise of the internet and expecting a fad to come out of something called the Mandelbrot Set. However successful Clarke's powers of precognition, it makes from interesting reading nevertheless.

The novel suffers from a major flaw though: its lack of focus. Though the novel purports to be about the race to raise the Titanic, the Titanic herself plays little role in the novel. Nearly seventy percent of the book is spent setting up the attempts and this setting-up gets rather tedious and repetitive at times. The novel finally gets going when it focuses on the actual attempts to raise the two major pieces of the Titanic. Sadly this too is de-railed to a certain degree by Clarke's continuing to focus on the Mandelbrot Set in both chapter fifteen and in a lengthy appendix at the end of the novel. Adding to this lack of focus is the rushed ending which then has a rushed epilogue added onto it.

Overall, the novel is full of good ideas but lacking the focus to put them to good use. Worse, the novel makes little use of the Titanic herself, defying expectations. The novel therefore is an interesting read as a vision of today that didn't quite come to pass but as a tale of an attempt to raise the Titanic, come across as rather lacking. Read more ›

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, entertaining but off topic December 24, 2010

By Galactus

Format:Paperback

What we have here is several short stories and most of them have nothing to do with raising the titanic. Still a good read. What the hell was that at the end?

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read! May 20, 2003

By AbeStreet

Format:Hardcover

I read this book for the first time about 10 years ago. Before Y2K and before the 1997 film Titanic tweeked everyones interest in the Titanic. The main story deals with the attempt to raise the Titanic from the ocean floor and transport it to a location where it can be maintained and saved from further decay.

Aside from the plot there were some very good subplots. One dealt with the YTK problem. This book was published a decade before YTK and way before most people, like me, were even aware that there was a YTK computer problem. The solution offered in the book obviously was not one that came to pass but it was still interesting to read about the nature of the problem and the difficulties that could arise if left unchecked.

The technology used to raise the Titanic was well described. I am not that scientific or math savvy and so I cannot say if the technology described is currently possible but it seemed possible the way Clarke described it.

The story is set around the year 2012, the 100 year anniversary of the sinkning of the Titanic. I'm quite sure some of the technology mentioned in the novel does not exist. One invention involving the future of windshield blades and keeping rain off of an automobile windshield was interesting. On the other hand I found the whole "M-set" thing to be beyond me. I'm not sure what role it actually played in the overall plot. I gather that the "M-set" is used in other novels and may make more sense to those that have read more of Clarke's novels.

Lastly, this book is a quick read. It is not to deep or to shallow. An excellent book to read during breaks on the job or to read during an evening when you have time to kill.