The Ghost from the Grand Banks and the Deep Range [Paperback]

Arthur C. Clarke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2001

Two classic novels in one volume includes a new introduction written by the author. In "The Ghost from the Grand Banks", the "Titanic" is raised 100 years after its sinking, but fatal obsessions rage and the ship may become a deathtrap again. In "The Deep Range", a traumatized astronaut becomes a submarine warden, and finds as many dangers underwater.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

One of the most accomplished authors in the history of science fiction, Arthur C. Clarke has written numerous international bestsellers. His visionary classics, including 2001: A Space Odyssey, Childhood's End, and Rendezvous with Rama, range across frontiers of science and society, combining exquisitely daring blueprints of future worlds with perceptive observations of our own.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Aspect (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446677957
• ISBN-13: 978-0446677950
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 1.5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,373,988 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Two novels: one self-indulgent, one near-classic, February 1, 2002

By 

Kevin W. Parker (Greenbelt, MD) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ghost from the Grand Banks and the Deep Range (Paperback)

The Ghost from the Grand Banks: I'd never heard of this novel before finding it at the library, and I quickly found out why. It's a rather self-indulgent outing by the master, spending more time demonstrating his erudition than furthering the rather thin plot, which involves raising the Titanic. He has some successful predictions in here (the Y2K problem, though he misjudges both its impact and solutions), and some unsuccessful ones (the Mandelbrot set as a fashion object). All in all, this is an uncharacteristically forgettable outing.

The Deep Range: Now this is more like it. The first sentence - "There was a killer loose on the range" - grabbed me, bringing me back to the days when I first read this book as I was just getting into science fiction. Here we have a future world where food is becoming scarcer, and whales and plankton must be harvested to feed the teeming millions. Into this comes Franklin, a traumatized astronaut looking for a new career. We cover the problems he encounters, both personally and professionally, concluding with the moral one of eating whales at all.

Still something of a rambling tale, but it's out of the classic days of sf, and it brought back fond memories for me, and I enjoyed it, regardless.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Tales from the Sea--in the classic SF mode., September 2, 2001

By 

Edward Alexander Gerster "miamibooks" (South Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Ghost from the Grand Banks and the Deep Range (Paperback)

THE GHOST FROM THE GRAND BANKS was written more than a decade ago, telling a tale of an attempt to raise the Titanic in the early 21st century. It was only a few years later that James Cameron's TITANIC caused enough stir in interest for the old ship's future fate that such attempts to raise the old tin pot now don't seem so outlandish at all. This novel, written in typical Clarkean style, is filled with science and technology fitted to a spare and efficient fromework of a plot. Diversions into the world of mathematics via the 'Mandelbrot set' makes for a fascinating counterpoint to the main story.

In 1957, the year the Space Age began, ACC penned THE DEEP RANGE--about near-future undersea farming and exploration of Earth's "inner space." The author's love of the sea and it's creatures was prominently shown in this evocative novel. In the decades since it was published, the world has undergone a true revolution in attitude toward marine mammals and their habitats. Whale song has been studied, protective covenants established to preserve endangered species, and exploration of the seas continues. A classic tale that sometimes rankles the contemporary mindset, but exposing all kinds of future possibilities.