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Arthur C. Clarke

Imperial Earth Paperback – August 9, 2011

by Arthur C. Clarke (Author)

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Editorial Reviews Product Description Imperial Earth is the fascinating odyssey of Duncan Makenzie, traveling from Titan, a moon of Saturn, to Earth, as a diplomatic guest of the United States for the celebration of its Quincentennial in the year 2276. Titan, an independent republic, was originally colonized from Earth three generations earlier. Duncan's initial challenge is to prepare, physically and intellectually, for the 500-million-mile trip to Earth. Once there, he is caught up in a sweep of new experiences, including the social and political whirl in Washington, a strange visit to a carefully preserved ancient city once prominent in the 20th century, and a search for and meeting with a woman he loved since she visited Titan years before. The result of twenty years of thought by a celebrated novelist and scientist, and overflowing with skilled characterization and exciting events, Imperial Earth is one of Arthur C. Clarke's most ambitious, successful, and important novels.

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Print length

322 pages
Language

English
Publisher

UNKNO
Publication date

August 9, 2011
Dimensions

5.98 x 0.72 x 9.02 inches
ISBN-10

0743459024
ISBN-13

978-0743459020
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ UNKNO (August 9, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 322 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0743459024
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743459020
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.07 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 0.72 x 9.02 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #6,090,383 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #228,251 in Science Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
666

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Arthur C. Clarke

Arthur C. Clarke

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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.

Photo by en:User:Mamyjomarash (Amy Marash) (en:Image:Clarke sm.jpg) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

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4.2 out of 5

666 global ratings

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John McAlexander III

Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2023

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A truly remarkable reading experience. Imperial Earth is definitely a novel worthy of the name Arthur C. Clarke. From the moon Titan of Saturn to our own planet Earth; this is a novel that evokes the purest imagination of some of the best sci-fi written. EXTREMELY WELL DONE!
The marvels , the machines , the Planets (Mars, Saturn , Venus) ; all of these details written within the novel are Way ahead of its time!
THIS IS SCIENCE FICTION AT ITS BEST ! ! ! !

7 people found this helpful

a man's journey

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2022

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This book features one man's journey from Titan to Earth, learning the differences
and finding old friends and secrets. It lagged in the middle, but it picked up after
that as we meet Duncan as a child and go with him as an adult. I really wanted to
know more about his wife and kids, but that was glossed over. Still worth a read.

2 people found this helpful

Roger J. Buffington

Deeper than it seems

Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2014

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In my opinion "Imperial Earth" was the last of Arthur C. Clarke's masterpiece novels, and I believe that I have read everything that Clarke published. This novel is set several hundred years in the future, when Mankind has settled the Moon, Mars, and Titan. Titan is the key to interplanetary travel as the source of the cheap hydrogen fuel upon which interplanetary travel and commerce depend. Duncan Makenzie, the scion of the ruling family of Titan, has been invited to Earth for the 500th birthday of the United States of America. This is a once in a lifetime journey, given the cost and trouble involved in interplanetary travel. And therein lies the tale.
Others have complained that this story is meandering and unfocused, but in my opinion it is anything but. There is a fascinating storyline here, and some subtle characterizations that are magnificent in their understatement. Karl Helmer speaks only a few lines in the entire novel, and yet he emerges as an unforgettable character. There is some very interesting speculation about the future of science and Man's destiny in space. And the ending of this well-written story will surprise and delight and perhaps even evoke a few tears. This one is highly recommended to all of Clarke's many fans and all lovers of speculative fiction and a good story. RJB.

39 people found this helpful

Deep but slow paced

Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2020

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I've struggled to go through the first half of the book, even layed it down for several months but eventually have gained momentum and managed to finish it. While the style of writing is definitely showing the skill of the author, the narrative is really slow and lacking action.

3 people found this helpful

Kindle Customer

Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2020

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A good solid read from a grand master of the genre. Solid science and engineering. Good characters and good ending of the story. Not quite as good as "Fountains of Paradise" , but that is only my opinion.

3 people found this helpful

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Arthur C. Clarce: Imperial Earth

Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2010

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I have read this book already twice for years ago. I had to get a new copy then somebody had "loaned" my book.

Arthur C. Clarke has written technical prophesies already in 1940's starting with communication satellites which were realized 25 years later. In Imperial Earth Clarke describes many concepts that are now with us:
- world wide network for communication or "web"
- unlimited memory banks
- broad band interchange between hand held devices and the web using infra red (similar to blue tooth)
- hand held communication, dictation, memory and computation device "comsec" which was first realized by Nokia in their Communicator. Clarke did not include a camera in comsec but had changeable keys that came a little later in Apples phones.

Computer Weekly asked Clarke in 1980's how he could describe such a small multifunction device not in existence on that time. The answer was: Going in time 200 years there are no more any technical limitation and I simply told what I wanted to have in one piece. Yours truly Matti Kataja, Finland

12 people found this helpful

One of My Favorite Authors

Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2009

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First, the book was delivered in a timely manner and in fine shape. I have no complaints there.

Second, Clarke is one of my favorite authors, one I have returned to regularly over the years. "Imperial Earth" is not one of his better know books and, honestly, I don't consider it to be on the same level as his better known works, like Childhood's End, 2001/2010, Rendezvous with Rama, and so on. But I think it's a solid novel, with Clarke's futurism and his wonderful sense of humor and fun. If you can find a copy of Imperial Earth, I encourage you to read it. I think most people will like it.

8 people found this helpful

Classic Arthur C Clarke novel

Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2012

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Arthur C Clarke wrote multi stranded science fiction -his novels usually have many layers of plot, social commentary, scientific exposition and futuristic prediiction. ''Imperial Earth' is a fine example. Clarke weaves a story from the major plot lines of a colonial dynasty on Titan looking to ensure its succession via cloning, and the political relationships it has to maintain back on Earth. Against the backdrop of what human society might be like in 2276 as the 500th anniversary of US independence is celebrated, the story also has a mystery novel element. Written in 1976, it brilliantly predicts what daily life would be like with universal, portable access to information and communications - though I suspect Clarke would have been surprised at how much sooner that has come to pass.

13 people found this helpful

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Michael

Optimistic

Reviewed in Canada on December 8, 2023

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So many of Arthur C Clarke's books have had a dark shadow of pessimism in the background. Not this one however. This book's story is set in a foreseeable future that promises a better world than ours is.

P. J. Madarasz

nicht der Bekannteste...

Reviewed in Germany on November 23, 2017

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...aber mein heimlicher Favorit gegen Ende der 70er (damals noch auf Deutsch gelesen). Nachdem ich Steven Baxter's "Titan" verschlungen hatte, kam der Wunsch, diese alte Perle im Original neu zu entdecken, und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht. Anders als bei Baxter beginnt die Story bei Clarke auf Titan, der hier geradezu einladend beschrieben wird. Zur 500. Jahr der USA wird der Botschafter der Titan-Kolonie zur Erde eingeladen. Im Jahr 2276 ist das ganze Sol-System kolonisiert und die Menschheit lebt in einem technologischen Paradies. Human-Cloning stellt kein Problem dar; die Hauptfigur samt "Vater" und "Großvater" sind alle Clones. Ein wichtiges Kriterium für gute SF ist Glaubwürdigkeit, und das trifft auf "Imperial Earth" voll zu. Dazu kommt dann noch eine Portion Clarke-typischem Humor und natürlich sein fundamentales technisches Wissen, da mag man dann auch über den "Welt-Computer als Instrument des Erbarmens" hinwegsehen...

One person found this helpful

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Federica

un grande Clarke

Reviewed in Italy on August 6, 2015

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Geniale, coinvolgente, visionario e commovente.Fin da ragazzina ho amato moltissimo questo autore e la sua fantascienza che suona così realistica da sembrare un futuro prossimo, e questo romanzo non è da meno

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Simon Callow

Oldie but Goldie

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 2, 2013

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Although his optimism seems to sometimes get the better of him. Here we are in 2013 and still war and poverty are the hallmarks of human existence in sharp contrast to Mr Clark's utopian vision of 2001. Nonetheless he is an extraordinarily visionary. So much of the technologies he wrote about before the Apollo lunar landings has now become everyday familiar items.

The book is a great read the characters are believable and well fleshed out and the plot is both engaging and intriguing.

4 people found this helpful

Astare

Another good read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 21, 2017

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This was not my favourite Arthur C Clarke book but it's still a good read. Amazing when you think of when it was written. The information on Titanic we now know to be inaccurate, but this doesn't detract from the overall story.

One person found this helpful

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