Most Popular Books by Arthur C. Clarke

“This is a space trip that no reader will want to miss.”—Playboy Years ago, the enormous, enigmatic alien spacecraft called Rama sailed through our solar system as mind-boggling proof that life existed—or had existed—elsewhere in the universe. Now, at the dawn of the twenty-third century, another ship is discovered hurtling toward us. A crew of Earth''s best and brightest minds is assembled to rendezvous with the massive vessel. They are armed with everything we know about Raman technology and culture. But nothing can prepare them for what they are about to encounter on board Rama II: cosmic secrets that are startling, sensational—and perhaps even deadly. “Offers one surprise after another.”—The New York Times “A masterpiece . . . one of the year’s best hard SF epics.”—The Houston Post

Arthur C. Clarke has been one of the most influential commentators on - and prophets of - the communications technology which has created the global village. Now, drawing partly on his own sometimes very personal writings, he provides an absorbing history and survey of modern communications. The story begins with the titanic struggles to lay transatlantic telegraph cables in the nineteenth century. Fighting against widespread scepticism, lack of funds, technical disasters and setbacks - and against the Atlantic itself, above and below the surface - the pioneers achieved the seemingly impossible and by 1858 Britain and America were linked by Telegraph. Nearly a century later, as the first transatlantic telephone cable was being laid, the technology that would rival and perhaps even supersede it was undergoing its painful birth as scientists developed the communications satellite precisely as Clarke first described in his famous 1945 article Wireless World, ''Extra-terrestrial Relays'', reprinted in this book. The rivalry between cable and satellite continued through the decades. Communication satellites (Comsats) performed even beyond the most optimistic expectations, but cable fought back with the development of the transistor. Then, in one of the most dramatic and unexpected breakthroughs in any technology, the potential of cable systems was transformed. The development of fibre optics technology meant that once more the seabeds of the world began to be draped with the newest and most sophisticated artefacts of human engineering. It is an enthralling story, filled with extraordinary events and people, and Arthur C. Clarke brings all his storytelling flair and scientific expertise to bear on it. The result is a superb combination of history, comment and challenging speculation.

A “thought-provoking, suspenseful” political sci-fi thriller from the authors of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars: The Black Fleet Crisis (Library Journal). In the near future, a team of scientists who intend to create an anti-gravity device inadvertently develop something far more powerful—a mechanism that can render guns and bombs virtually harmless. Their creation, “The Trigger,” causes nitrate-based bombs and explosives to detonate automatically. The idealistic scientists who envision the benevolent use of their great invention soon discover that even protective weaponry comes with its own moral trade-offs. Soon, every faction of the gun industry is involved—politicians, manufacturers, lobbyist, military—and the scientists must fight to keep the weapon out of violent hands. While negotiating this tricky territory, they realize that not even those with the best intentions can be trusted. There are no easy answers in this thriller that “lend[s] the familiar issue of gun control new urgency and excitement” (Publishers Weekly).

Years after the appearance in the solar system of the immense, deserted spaceship named by its discoverers Rama, a second craft arrived, destined to become home for a group of human colonists. But now the colony has become a brutal dictatorship, committing genocide against its peaceful alien neighbours and terrorizing its own inhabitants. Nicole Wakefield, condemned to death for treason, has escaped and crossed the Cylindrical Sea to the island of mysterious skyscrapers which the humans call New York. There she is reunited with her husband, and soon they are joined by others of their family and friends. But pursuit is not far behind and they are forced to flee to the subterranean corridors of New York inhabited by the menancing octospiders.

Looking for new underwater worlds to conquer, Arthur Clarke and Mike Wilson followed up their expedition to Australia''s Great Barrier Reef (described in The Coast of Coral) by exploring the romantic seas surrounding Ceylon. Meetings with dangerous and beautiful marine creatures were only one side of the expedition''s activities. Their adventures included the discovery of many wrecks and the investigation of a 3,000-year-old Hindu temple lying on the ocean bed. Clarke and Wilson lived among the Ceylonese natives, their contact with Europeans virtually limited to the dozen members of the Ceylonese Reefcombers Club, who shared many of their underwater adventures. When weather conditions ruled out skin diving, they explored the awe-inspiring ruins of ancient Sinhalese cities, made trips into the jungles in search of wild life, and visited Buddhist monasteries. Clarke and Wilson''s experiences provide vivid impressions of old and new Ceylon, one of the key countries of the Far East, and give vivid impressions of the fantastic life of the tropical reefs and the strange transformations which lost ships undergo when the sea works its will on them.

Science fiction. A novel, set in the near future, about the raising of the Titanic from the seabed. As the operation proceeds six perfectly preserved bodies are found and one of them, a teenage girl, isn''t on the Titanic''s passenger list

A compendium of science fiction stories filled with “high diversion, amusement and amazement” from the legendary creator of 2001: A Space Odyssey (Los Angeles Times). In the White Hart Pub in London just north of Fleet Street, Harry Purvis holds court with his fellow writers of scientific yarns. A consummate storyteller, Harry is joined by the actual writers Samuel Youd, John Wyndham, and Clarke himself, all under pseudonyms, and all trying to outdo each other with their outlandish tales of science and invention. Inspired by the Jorkens collections by Lord Dunsany, this anthology combines elements of comedy and horror, with “sly wit and inviting prose style” and a distinctly English flavor (AV Club). Written by a “collossus of science fiction,” Tales from the White Hart is not just for fans of the genre, but for anyone who appreciates a good tall tale (The New Yorker). “One of the most astounding imaginations ever encountered in print.” —The New York Times

A macroshift is a transformation of practically all aspects of life, from individual lifestyles to the global economy. Expert Ervin Laszlo argues that the macroshift now upon the planet is unprecedented in scope, and, reverberating as it does at every level, warrants serious attention. This book describes the dynamics of today''s macroshift, ...

“A daring romp through the solar system and a worthy successor to 2001.”—Carl Sagan Nine years after the disastrous Discovery mission to Jupiter in 2001, a joint U.S.-Soviet expedition sets out to rendezvous with the derelict spacecraft—to search the memory banks of the mutinous computer HAL 9000 for clues to what went wrong…and what became of Commander Dave Bowman. Without warning, a Chinese expedition targets the same objective, turning the recovery mission into a frenzied race for the precious information Discovery may hold about the enigmatic monolith that orbits Jupiter. Meanwhile, the being that was once Dave Bowman—the only human to unlock the mystery of the monolith—streaks toward Earth on a vital mission of its own . . . “Clarke deftly blends discovery, philosophy, and a newly acquired sense of play.”—Time “2010 is easily Clarke’s best book in over a decade.”—The San Diego Tribune

"On an autumn morning in 2077, a huge ball of fire appeared in the sky over Europe. Moving at 50 kilometres a second, the meteorite crashed onto the plain of northern Italy and 600,000 people died." -- back cover.

MDP Publishing has once again compiled a collection of 6 stories from some of history''s most prolific Science Fiction icons. These stories were originally published by Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine in the 1950''s. Stories include the 3 part full length novel The Fireman, by Ray Bradbury, the original story that his famous Farenheit 451 was based upon! Other stories include Arthur C. Clarke''s The Stroke of the Sun, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.''s The Big Trip Up Yonder, and two short stories by Academy Award-winning actor Alan Arkin. With all of the originally artwork from each issue of Galaxy, you can experience these stories the same way science fiction fans from the 1950''s did! Look for more editions of MDP''sGalaxy''s Science Fiction series, available now at e-retailers worldwide.

All diese Welten gehören euch – bis auf Europa Nach der Entdeckung intelligenten Lebens auf dem Jupitermond Europa und der Explosion des Jupiters, die ihn zur zweiten Sonne, Luzifer, unseres Sonnensystems machte, ist Europa ein verbotener Planet. Als das Raumschiff Galaxy auf Europa abstürzt, soll ihr das Schwesterschiff Universe zu Hilfe kommen. Während sie auf Rettung warten, untersucht die Galaxy-Crew den verbotenen Mond – und entdeckt Unglaubliches ...

"The Seventh Science Fiction Megapack" presents a terrific mix of science fiction stories, new and old, including a Hugo Award-winning story by Lawrence Watt-Evans, a Hugo Award nominee from Mike Resnick, and classics by Arthur C. Clarke, Marion Zimmer Bradley, and many more. Almost 700 pages of great reading! Included are: ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE, by Mike Resnick A BRIEF DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES, by Michael Kurland GRANDPA?, by Edward M. Lerner TO ERR IS INHUMAN, by Marion Zimmer Bradley SARGASSO OF LOST STARSHIPS, by Poul Anderson THE SWORDSMEN OF VARNIS, by Geoffrey Cobbe MOON DOG, by Arthur C. Clarke WHY I LEFT HARRY’S ALL-NIGHT HAMBURGERS, by Lawrence Watt-Evans GALACTIC CHEST, by Clifford D. Simak PROTOTYPE, by John Gregory Betancourt THE DOORSTOP, by Reginald Bretnor THE TIME DISSOLVER, by Jerry Sohl DO UNTO OTHERS, by Damien Broderick KEEP OUT, by Fredric Brown THE CHAPTER ENDS, by Poul Anderson DO UNTO OTHERS, by Mark Clifton THE SERVANT PROBLEM, by Robert F. Young THE SLIZZERS, by Jerome Bixby AND THEN THE TOWN TOOK OFF, by Richard Wilson SPACE OPERA, by Michael R. Collings I AM TOMORROW, by Lester del Rey RIPENESS IS ALL, by Jesse Roarke DAWSON DID IT, by C.J. Henderson STARMAN''S QUEST, by Robert Silverberg THROUGH TIME & SPACE WITH FERDINAND FEGHOOT (94), by Grendel Briarton And don''t forget to search this ebook store for "Wildside Megapack" to see the 100+ entries in this series, covering everything from science fiction and fantasy to mysteries, westerns, ghost stories, author collections--and much, much more! (Sort by publication date to see the most recent entries.)

Vencedor de renomados prêmios da ficção científica, entre eles o Hugo e o Nebula, "Encontro com Rama" conta a história de uma terrível colisão de um meteorito contra o continente europeu. Após o acontecimento, líderes mundiais e cientistas reuniram esforços para evitar que catástrofes dessa natureza voltassem a acontecer. Quase cinquenta anos depois, a humanidade atônita acompanha a chegada de um novo astro ao Sistema Solar. De proporções inimagináveis, Rama espanta e ameaça, pois avança firmemente na direção de nosso Sol. Uma expedição é enviada para explorar os mistérios do que se imagina ser um colossal meteoro. Mas, num misto de surpresa e apreensão, Rama se revela uma sofisticada construção, repleta de enigmas que desafiam a mente e os conceitos humanos. Inestimável fonte de pesquisa para a ciência ou ameaça para a segurança da humanidade, Rama torna-se palco de uma das mais fascinantes jornadas de descobrimento da ficção científica; um espelho da genialidade de um dos autores mais criativos do século 20.

Science fiction-roman.

Haywood Floyd, director of the original Discovery mission, sets out to discover what happened to HAL 9000 and comes face to face with something claiming to be Dave Bowman

This volume is of special interest -- included are a wide range of classic stories, including the title story, "Jupiter Five," "The Deep Range," "Second Dawn," and the earliest of the splendidly comic narratives told by Harry Purvis for the benefit of the denizens of the White Hart.

The Other Side of the Sky presents a glimpse of our future: a future where reality is no longer contained in earthly dimensions, where man has learned to exist with the knowledge that he is not alone in the universe. These stories of other planets and galactic adventures show Arthur C. Clarke at the peak of his powers: sometimes disturbing, always intriguing.