Very enjoyable collection of Clarke's writing from the 60s and early 70s. ( )

A collection of 18 short stories written in the 1960s and early 1970s - these stories, in my mind at least, really stand the test of time. For the most part, I found them fresh and compelling. For stories that are almost 60 years old, that's an impressive feat.

There are really too many stories to give a review for each one, but I think I really liked Maelstrom II, The Wind From the Sun, The Light of Darkness, Neutron Tide, and Transit of Earth. All pretty stellar in my book. ( )

Not among Clarke's best work, still, a very fine collection of short stories.
It's always such a treat to read intelligent sf written by an actual scientist,
especially one as good and imaginative as Clarke. Mainly because there are many things that would easily be overlooked by someone who is not so familiar with actual physical laws, also because someone who does scientific research would be more inclined to observe and question negative consequences of scientific revolutions and discoveries on society which often does not follow hand in hand with its mentality, and to explore new possibilities imposed by them.
Most of the stories are rather blah and unimaginative, but few of them stand out.
The wind from the Sun, Transit of Earth, Crusade and A meeting with Medusa are among my favorite from this collection. ( )

Not among Clarke's best work, still, a very fine collection of short stories.
It's always such a treat to read intelligent sf written by an actual scientist,
especially one as good and imaginative as Clarke. Mainly because there are many things that would easily be overlooked by someone who is not so familiar with actual physical laws, also because someone who does scientific research would be more inclined to observe and question negative consequences of scientific revolutions and discoveries on society which often does not follow hand in hand with its mentality, and to explore new possibilities imposed by them.
Most of the stories are rather blah and unimaginative, but few of them stand out.
The wind from the Sun, Transit of Earth, Crusade and A meeting with Medusa are among my favorite from this collection. ( )

Indeholder "The Food of the Gods", "Maelstrom II", "The Shining Ones", "The Wind from the Sun", "The Secret", "The Last Command", "Dial F for Frankenstein", "Reunion", "Playback", "The Light of Darkness", "The Longest Science-Fiction Story Ever Told", "Herbert George Morley Robert Wells Esq.", "Love That Universe", "Crusade", "The Cruel Sky", "The Neutron Tide", "Transit of Earth", "A Meeting with Medusa".

"The Food of the Gods" handler om syntetisk kød - der minder ret meget om menneskekød, men det ved folk ikke.
"Maelstrom II" handler om et teknisk uheld med en elektrisk railgun på Månen. Den uheldige er lige ved at ende som et krater, men heldigvis får nogen en god ide.
"The Shining Ones" handler om dybhavet ud for Sri Lanka, russisk termoelektricitet og intelligente blæksprutter både små og meget store.
"The Wind from the Sun" handler om kapsejlads med solsejl der ender med et fartøj der vil nå udenfor solsystemet.
"The Secret" handler om at nedsat gravitation forlænger livet med en faktor to.
"The Last Command" handler om ikke-brug af gengældelsesvåben.
"Dial F for Frankenstein" handler om telefonsystemet, der bliver stort nok til at udvikle en bevidsthed.
"Reunion" handler om bleg hud opfattet som en sygdom.
"Playback" handler om mand, der dør men bliver samlet op som en slags båndoptagelse af nogle meget avancerede væsener, der dog ikke har ubegrænsede evner til at holde på ham.
"The Light of Darkness" handler om at laserblinde en diktator, Chaka, der ellers påstår at han er altseende.
"The Longest Science-Fiction Story Ever Told" handler om en rekursiv historie.
"Herbert George Morley Robert Wells Esq." handler om en historie The Anticipator som ikke er af H. G. Wells.
"Love That Universe" handler om at råbe om hjælp med koordineret ESP.
"Crusade" handler om ikke-biologisk baseret liv, der påbegynder et korstog mod biologisk liv.
"The Cruel Sky" handler om antigravitation.
"The Neutron Tide" handler om 'a star-mangled spanner' som resultat af at komme for tæt på en neutronstjerne.
"Transit of Earth" handler om at være strandet på Mars for at observere en jord-passage over solskiven set fra Mars. Den strandede vælger at dø på samme måde som Scott.
"A Meeting with Medusa" handler om at et heliumluftskib med fusionsreaktor forulykker, piloten kommer slemt til skade, men bliver genopbygget, styrer den første bemandede sonde til Jupiter og møder her kæmpemæssige livsformer.

Ok noveller, men heller ikke så meget mere. ( )