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The Fountains of Paradise

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3.95 21,137 ratings
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This Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novel is reissued in this trade paperback edition. Vannemar Morgan's dream of linking Earth with the stars requires a 24,000-mile-high space elevator. But first he must solve a million technical, political, andMoreThis Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novel is reissued in this trade paperback edition. Vannemar Morgan's dream of linking Earth with the stars requires a 24,000-mile-high space elevator. But first he must solve a million technical, political, and economic problems while allaying the wrath of God. Includes a new introduction by the author. Less

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rated it liked it
almost 9 years ago

Shelves: science-fiction
I was disappointed in this book, though I confess that part of it is my fault. Clarke didn't tell the story that I wanted him to tell, and this is always an unfair expectation on the part of the reader. "If you want a particular story, you should write it yourself." is th... Read full review

rated it it was amazing
almost 7 years ago

4.5 to 5.0 stars. Definitely one of Clarke's best novels, which is saying something given his tremendous body of work. The novel, as most of Clarke's work, was respectful of the scientific basis required for the story but never let itself get bogged down in overly long te... Read full review

rated it it was amazing
almost 2 years ago

When I was a kid, Arthur C. Clarke's 'The Fountains of Paradise' was one of my favorite books. I must've read it more than half a dozen times, checking it out from the library. The book has to do with the creation of a space elevator, and though I haven't read it, now, in... Read full review

rated it really liked it
almost 2 years ago

I've been a sci-fi fan from as far back as I can remember and I've read the major works of most of the better authors over the years. However, I bought this book years ago and, for some reason, it's sat languishing on my bookshelves, unread and getting dustier by the year... Read full review

rated it it was amazing
about 1 year ago

Shelves: sci-fi , science
Where I've recently read one or two Hugo-winning novels recently that I may or may not have exactly wished were winners, I have no qualms in announcing that this 1980 winner is a real winner.

It's a true pleasure to read on several levels. While the official "story" someti... Read full review

rated it liked it
about 8 years ago

Shelves: science-fiction
Arthur C. Clarke once wrote a rather dull short story, which just happened to suggest the idea of geostationary satellites over 20 years before there were any. This is a rather dull novel, which presents a detailed plan for building a space elevator.

Well, I hope history r... Read full review

rated it it was amazing
about 1 year ago

"There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven"
Hmm... not an entirely appropriate Led Zep reference I suppose but I got to start the review somewhere, and the phrase "Stairway to heaven" does appear in the book, but regrettably... Read full review

rated it really liked it
9 months ago

Shelves: sci-fi , zz-owned-books
Where should I start, If I could give it 4.5 stars I would, I really enjoyed the book, and after labouring for a month on my previous book, zipped through this (despite there still being sport on English TV).
I haven't read an A C Clarke book for a few years and this book... Read full review

rated it liked it
over 5 years ago

This is a story of how a futuristic, modern wonder of the world came into being. Of how political, religious, technical and sometimes life threatening problems were overcome in order to make one man's dream happen.

Arthur C. Clarke is a kind of luke warm author for me. I'v... Read full review

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  • Rendezvous with Rama (Rama, #1)
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  • Childhood's End
    Childhood's End
    by Arthur C. Clarke
  • 2010: Odyssey Two (Space Odyssey, #2)
    2010: Odyssey Two
    by Arthur C. Clarke
  • The City and the Stars
    The City and the Stars
    by Arthur C. Clarke
  • 2061: Odyssey Three (Space Odyssey, #3)
    2061: Odyssey Three
    by Arthur C. Clarke
  • The Garden of Rama (Rama, #3)
    The Garden of Rama
    by Arthur C. Clarke
  • Rama II (Rama, #2)
    Rama II
    by Arthur C. Clarke
  • 3001: The Final Odyssey (Space Odyssey, #4)
    3001: The Final Odyssey
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Book Details

Paperback, 352 pages
Published September 1st 2001 by Aspect (first published 1979
ISBN
0446677949 (ISBN13: 9780446677943)
Edition Language
English
Original Title
The Fountains of Paradise
Characters
Vannevar Morgan
Literary Awards
Hugo Award, Nebula Award

About this Author

7779. uy66 Arthur C. Clarke was one of the most important and influential figures in 20th century science fiction. He spent the first half of his life in England, where he served in World War Two as a radar operator, before emigrating to Ceylon in 1956. He is best known for the novel and movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, which he co-created with the assistance of Stanley Kubrick.

Clarke was a graduate of King's...

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Quotes

Because politics is the science of the possible, it only appeals to second-rate minds. The first raters only interested in the impossible
Instantly, there had been cries of protest from the industrial archaeologists, outraged at such vandalism, and from the naturalists, who pointed out that the penguins simply loved the abandoned pipeline.
Belief in God is apparently a psychological arti-fact of mammalian reproduction.

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