The Sentinel

by Arthur C. Clarke

Written in 1948 and first published in 1951 as Sentinel of eternity, this is the short story on which the 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey was based, and the beginning of Clarke's Space Odyssey series.

The story deals with the discovery during an expedition of an artefact on Earth's Moon that will be a turning point for humanity.

Genres: Short Stories, Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Film, Classics, Adult

16 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

Stories, works of noted British writer, scientist, and underwater explorer Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, include 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

This most important and influential figure in 20th century fiction spent the first half of his life in England and served in World War II as a radar operator before migrating to Ceylon in 1956. He co-created his best known novel and movie with the assistance of Stanley Kubrick.

Clarke, a graduate of King's College, London, obtained first class honours in physics and mathematics. He served as past chairman of the interplanetary society and as a member of the academy of astronautics, the royal astronomical society, and many other organizations.

He authored more than fifty books and won his numerous awards: the Kalinga prize of 1961, the American association for the advancement Westinghouse prize, the Bradford Washburn award, and the John W. Campbell award for his novel Rendezvous with Rama. Clarke also won the nebula award of the fiction of America in 1972, 1974 and 1979, the Hugo award of the world fiction convention in 1974 and 1980. In 1986, he stood as grand master of the fiction of America. The queen knighted him as the commander of the British Empire in 1989.

Reviews

[Mangrii · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 / 5

Un cuento clave en la ciencia ficción y más en la obra de Arthur C. Clarke es El centinela. Famoso por haber sido ampliado y modificado tanto en la novela como la película 2001: Odisea en el espacio, nos cuenta una historia de lo más sencilla: el simple descubrimiento de un extraño artefacto en la Luna dejado hace eones por antiguos alienígenas. Un objeto piramidal rodeado por un campo de fuerza esférico. Nuestro narrador en primera persona, especulará sobre los misteriosos forasteros que lo habrán dejado allí. Serán sus hipótesis y afirmaciones las que dejan en el lector una sensación de misterio y tensión constante. Una sensación sobre la abrumadora infinidad del universo. Sin ninguna duda, la prosa de Arthur la que consigue brillar y realzar todo este impacto psicológico. Un pequeño cuento que invita a reflexionar sobre nuestra propia existencia y nos desafía a buscar sin conformarse nunca.

Escuchado a través del maravilloso audio radioficcionado de Noviembre Nocturno: https://www.ivoox.com/el-centinela-ar...

[Aeryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but does give a reader pause to think about.

[Joctan Galindo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamás había escuchado de A.C.C. y este ha sido el primer libro suyo con el que me topo. Sus relatos son tan fáciles de leer a pesar de que te das cuenta de que hay mucha ciencia y que quien lo escribió es una persona que conoce del tema (Astronomía? Astrofísica?). Siempre presenta dilemas morales a los que no seríamos capaces de llegar si no dispusiéramos de tecnología avanzada. Mis favoritos son duda: Antes del Edén (Que me recordó a 'La Guerra de los mundos'), El muro de la oscuridad y La estrella (que me recordó a 'La torre de babel' y 'El infierno es la asucencia de Dios' ambos de Ted Chiang)

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

La scrittura di Clarke è sempre piena di magia. Mi perdo nelle sue descrizioni ricche e particolari.

[Alexander Almeida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genial. Apenas.

[Zen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still my second favorite ACC short story. ('A Walk In the Dark is #1 for me).

Read it a couple of times as a teenager in the 70's because I loved the movie 2001: A Space etc. Since I'm older now I only listen to it as a audiobook. But that is at least 6 or 7 times. It always a nice guilty pleasure to come back to when I feel the need to just get away from this stupid world and just ... imagine and dream.

I love the way the story slowly, slowly unfolds before you slowly pulling you in to it's basic premise until, before you know it, you have become a believer in the tale.

Never really realized until this listening that all the forward action stops about halfway through the story. From then on, the story teller just talks, speculates and expands your mind with possibilities. Wonderfully written.

My favorite line:

"Until we destroyed it that machine was still fulfilling the purpose of the builders."

Doesn't that just wrap up the history of the human race in one sentence.

[Miguel Garzón · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evocador conjunto de breves relatos de ciencia ficción, más famoso porque el que da título al volumen es el preámbulo de la Odisea espacial en "2001". La ciencia ficción de décadas pasadas suele aparecer como el espejo más fiel de las épocas en que fue escrita, creo. Es normal que la escala temporal y tecnológica la arrolle en ocasiones, pero también que muestra una pureza y un espíritu de evasión, fantasía y maravilla difícil de encontrar en este tiempo más cínico en el que todo es sospecha y la ficción pura es dudosa si no añade cosmovisiones de la vida y el hombre alineadas con el sentir de la mayoría. O quizá, simplemente, los anhelos y temores de esa sociedad en ese tiempo me son completamente ajenos y no logro verlos.

Sea como fuere, es un soplo de aire fresco encontrar anhelos de lo maravilloso situados en años pasados y ser invitados a leer por el puro placer de imaginar y de volar muy lejos.

[Glen Engel-Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic SF tale about finding a mysterious object on the moon and what that might mean. What’s strange about reading this story now is how it’s told: there is no dialogue, but just a long monologue by the protagonist. There’s action, sure, after a descriptive beginning, the story becomes one of exploration, then investigation, and ends in speculation. The time period covered is twenty years, from the discovery to the reflection on the discovery. And the last line is a killer. Recommended.

[Camron Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun quick read. A prelude to 2001: A Space Odyssey.

[J. P. M. Neves · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.9

The prose is very pretty indeed, but I did not find the story interesting or satisfying. Maybe it's because it was written a long time ago, not sure.

[Mimi Dang · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 (Finished 12.30.2024)

Short scifi story about how a group of human explorers stumbled upon a extremely high-tech mysterious object that was undoubtedly placed by other sentients ages ago as sentinel to watch for when other intelligent species from other planets would have evolved enough to discover this piece of technology on a far away planet.

Even though there was nothing that was outlandish or spectacular about this, I could have imagined what kinds of reactions this could have evoked in the readers when it was published a long time ago, as space exploration back then was much more nascent and more akin to that of a fantasy.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sentinel is a short story Arthur C. Clarke wrote in 1948 for a BBC competition. There are many amazing things about this story - not the least of which is it didn't even place in the competition for which he wrote it.

In this thirteen page story, Clarke brings together all of the elements that made him a master of his genre: inventive story line, accurate and detailed visions of the future, hard science, interesting characters, and great writing. In just a few pages, Clarke puts together a story that stands on its own but also became, two decades later, the basis for movie 2001 which ushered in a new generation of science fiction movies.

[Monika M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very short story about explorers in Moon finding an object, that was put here earlier than life itself began on Earth.
This story was an inspiration for Clarke and Kubrick to create "2001: The Space Odyssey".
It has more Lunar descriptions than story itself :) As it is told from first person perspective, we get some insights from the geologist who discovers the object, but the real purpose of it remains unknown... "To be continued"? Quite yes, go read 2001: A Space Odyssey!

[Priscila Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

Confesso que não tenho costume de ler nada do gênero e que não me sinto qualificada a dar uma nota adequada para essa obra. Dito isso, ainda reservo o direito de ter alguma opinião sobre o que li rs. O que posso dizer é que é incrível que Arthur e Kubrick tenham feito algo tão maior a partir dessa pequena ideia (eles usaram também a ideia de outro conto para fechar o que se tornou 2001, mas vocês entenderam). Pequena mesmo.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This is for the individual, single
short story only.

This 9 page SF short story
was first published in the Spring
1951 issue of 10 Story Fantasy.

This is a very well written SF
short story. The sheer originality
and creativity of this story just
astonishes me, particularly con-
sidering that it was written in 1951.

[Vanessa Yeazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5 stars) Read this for my sci-fi class, really enjoyed it, way more than I was expecting. The ending was left open, which I liked for this story. There was the possibility for exciting exploration or unsettling war. Another short but sweet science fiction story. I think it captures a lot of the sci-fi genre.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story that was the genesis for Clarke's 2001. Listened to as an offering on Audible Channels.

[Wasi Rizvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a fun experience reading the short story. Although my expectations may have been higher. I surely want to read more of Arthur C. Clarke.

[Bash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank goodness he went on to turn this into 2001: A Space Odyssey because on it's own it's sort of unfulfilling. But still an interesting read to see how the story progressed :)

[Cailyn L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful imagery and a haunting story.

[Jaap Grolleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible, to make such a profound story in only six pages.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going to be rewatching 2001 in the next few days and I decided it was about time I actually read the stories it's based on? Anyways, this is low level great, a very Clarke story.