Encounter in the Dawn

by Arthur C. Clarke

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction

Paperback

Published June 1, 1953

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

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story inspired the opening scene of 2001:A Space Odyssey.
So enjoying many of the short stories by Arthur C. Clarke.

[Χρήστος Αζαριάδης · Rating 3 out of 5]

Όχι από τις καλές δουλειές του Άρθουρ. Είχε μια ωραία ιδέα (πάντα το να υπάρχει ένας μετεωρίτης που κατευθύνεται στην Γη και να απειλεί την ύπαρξη της ανθρωπότητας είναι μια ωραία ιδέα), ΑΛΛΑ !
Το μεγάλο όνομα δεν αρκεί για ένα ωραίο βιβλίο. Παρά τον τεράστιο σεβασμό μου προς τον Άρθουρ, θα ήταν παράλειψη μου να μην πω ότι μου φάνηκε πρόχειρο.

[Akrabar · Rating 5 out of 5]

audiobook

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHy42...

[Mrig (মৃগ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...There was always a skull hidden behind Nature's most smiling face."

"...Ten thousand generations lay between them, ten thousand generations and an immeasurable gulf of space. Yet they were both human. As she must do often in Eternity, Nature had repeated one of her basic patterns."

"...Those stars are our homes and we cannot save them. Many have died already, in explosions so vast that I can imagine them no more than you. In a hundred thousand of your years, the light of those funeral pyres will reach your world and set its peoples wondering."

[Nemanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Encounter in the Dawn after watching 2001: A Space Odyssey and reading The Sentinel, but before starting the novel 2001. While I could see how this story loosely inspired the opening of 2001, the connection was far more subtle compared to The Sentinel.

The premise is compelling—an encounter between two civilizations, one at its dawn and the other at its twilight. The concept is intriguing, but I found the execution somewhat lacking. While the story has its merits, it didn’t fully engage me as much as I had hoped.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another character driven short story by Clarke. Not much really happens in it though other then sort of meeting a group of people but then the travellers have to leave and its left to us to figure out what happened and what is going to happen. Things are well described but then its all meh, figure the rest out yourself lol I'm all for having the reader think of what is going on, but here it just seemed like lazy writing.

[Forked Radish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing! An actual robotic robot! The first I’ve ever encountered in sci-fi! “Robots” are invariably self-aware, conscious, machines in schlocky sci-fi, an absolute impossibility, of course. But an “evolutionary ladder”? How absurdly Victorian! Clarke sure didn’t understand post 1865 genetics. Also, his time scale was way off. The Universes is only ~50k years old, as every scientifically literate person knows.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

An older, highly intelligent civilization makes contact with early humans. While they are dozens of generations away from constructing Babylon. The beings befriend and study the humans, but ultimately are drawn away on other business. One leaves behind some trinkets to hasten the humans' development.

[Akrabar · Rating 5 out of 5]

audiobook

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHy42...

[Frans Kempe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A first encounter from space..

[Priscila Wood · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5/5

Se A Sentinela me pareceu um pouco "raso", esse aqui é pior ainda. Entendi foi nada kkkkkkk.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sentinel is better

[Mitchie Baudelaire]

Ancient astronauts are descendents of Yaan.

[Tylah J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I read this wrong or did they fall in love?

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting story about civilizations meeting. It's the case of the author's society being the technically superior but it could always be the opposite. And just as interesting.

[Felix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me unable to not hear "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" while reading this.

[Niklas Zenius Jespersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lidt forudsigelig og om et tema der føles velbesøgt når man læser den i dag, men sådan kan det jo gå når temaer i tidlig sci-fi litteratur bliver gentaget igen og igen siden hen.