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LiftPort - The Space Elevator: Opening Space To Everyone
The first section of this book is non-fiction covering the basic technical, financial, legal, social and political requirements of the system. The second section is composed of science fiction stories outlining the possibilities and implications of space elevator construction for the whole world.
- GenresScience Fiction
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2006
54 people want to read
About the author
Arthur C. Clarke
1,653 books11.6k followersStories, 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 1, 2012
This book is very, VERY informative about various aspects of a proposed space elevator. That is both its virtue and its defect.
Most of it is essays on various aspects of the concept, and how they will/could be addressed. Cool.
However, while many of these essays were engagingly written for a lay readership- many were very much not. They were full of data, but extremely dry and lacking in the context that this lay reader would have needed to comprehend them properly.
And while the blurb i read said it was a mixture of fiction and essays... well, that's sort-of true. The problem is the original fiction is mostly not all that engaging; the best of the fiction was reprints from Golden Age authors.
But returning to the essays- it seems to me that there is a contradiction- not addressed- between (for example) the greater efficiency of the space elevator and its lack of pollution compared to rockets... and other essays that claim that the space elevator will only increase the market for rockets (and thus provide more pollution from these rockets). This is the kind of speculation I'd want in such a speculative tome... but it's frustrating that the contradictions were not ever addressed.
IF- and only if- you are a serious space elevator fan- I'd recommend this. However, it is very much not for the casual reader, despite a few individually great essays.
Most of it is essays on various aspects of the concept, and how they will/could be addressed. Cool.
However, while many of these essays were engagingly written for a lay readership- many were very much not. They were full of data, but extremely dry and lacking in the context that this lay reader would have needed to comprehend them properly.
And while the blurb i read said it was a mixture of fiction and essays... well, that's sort-of true. The problem is the original fiction is mostly not all that engaging; the best of the fiction was reprints from Golden Age authors.
But returning to the essays- it seems to me that there is a contradiction- not addressed- between (for example) the greater efficiency of the space elevator and its lack of pollution compared to rockets... and other essays that claim that the space elevator will only increase the market for rockets (and thus provide more pollution from these rockets). This is the kind of speculation I'd want in such a speculative tome... but it's frustrating that the contradictions were not ever addressed.
IF- and only if- you are a serious space elevator fan- I'd recommend this. However, it is very much not for the casual reader, despite a few individually great essays.
March 15, 2009
Some of the short stories were amusing, but too much of the fiction was excerpted from well-known novels. I have to admit that I only skimmed the non-fiction, which makes up the majority of the book.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews