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Songs of Distant Earth
Just a few islands in a planetwide ocean, Thalassa was a veritable paradise—home to one of the small colonies founded centuries before by robot Mother Ships when the Sun had gone nova and mankind had fled Earth.
Mesmerized by the beauty of Thalassa and overwhelmed by its vast resources, the colonists lived an idyllic existence, unaware of the monumental evolutionary event slowly taking place beneath their seas...
Then the Magellan arrived in orbit carrying one million refugees from the last, mad days on Earth. And suddenly uncertainty and change had come to the placid paradise that was Thalassa.
Mesmerized by the beauty of Thalassa and overwhelmed by its vast resources, the colonists lived an idyllic existence, unaware of the monumental evolutionary event slowly taking place beneath their seas...
Then the Magellan arrived in orbit carrying one million refugees from the last, mad days on Earth. And suddenly uncertainty and change had come to the placid paradise that was Thalassa.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
About the author
Arthur C. Clarke
1,405 books10.6k 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 - 30 of 800 reviews
January 9, 2013
When Clarke dealt with science, he was brilliant. When Clarke dealt with sociology and the nature of man as he did in this work, he did not shine so brightly. If you want to know what an atheist thinks mankind could or would be if he could just rid himself of all that cumbersome superstition (aka religion and morality) and also shed all his violent tendencies including the will to power, then you should read "Songs of Distant Earth" because that is the main theme of the work.
You should be warned however that you will be subjected to a portrayal of passionless sexual relationships with essentially no rules within a population of bland characters who lack not only faults like jealousy but also interesting qualities like enthusiasm and ambition.
The bit about them discovering what might be intelligent life in their ocean felt like a nod to the idea of the "Prime Directive" worked in to add a bit more science fiction to what is essentially a handbook on how to achieve utopia by assisting the evolution of the species.
You should be warned however that you will be subjected to a portrayal of passionless sexual relationships with essentially no rules within a population of bland characters who lack not only faults like jealousy but also interesting qualities like enthusiasm and ambition.
The bit about them discovering what might be intelligent life in their ocean felt like a nod to the idea of the "Prime Directive" worked in to add a bit more science fiction to what is essentially a handbook on how to achieve utopia by assisting the evolution of the species.
November 6, 2018
Spoiler Alert!
The Songs of Distant Earth is a very thoughtful science fiction novel. It's not chock full of chases and weird experiments or other derring-do, but it keeps the reader involved and more importantly it makes the reader think. It is a good example of what is known as “hard science fiction.” Written by Arthur C. Clarke, a man who is no stranger to science, the book deals more with real possibilities than with theories that have no apparent foundation in reality.
The main portion of the book occurs somewhere during the 39th century, around 200 years after the Earth's sun has gone nova. With the benefit of a thousand years' warning, mankind has developed and sent seed ships to the stars with the most hospitable planets orbiting them. The ships contain the seeds to rebuild mankind, from humans to domestic animals to bacteria necessary for human survival, to be shepherded into life by robots. The ships cannot travel very fast so the great distances take hundreds to thousands of years. But humans keep making the ships better and by the time the solar system is incinerated, they have developed a quantum drive, which allows them to travel at close to 20% of the speed of light.
One of these advanced starships, among the last to leave Earth, the Magellan, is travelling toward a system with a planet that has been named Sagan Two. The planet is presently inhospitable to life, but is covered in massive amounts of ice. The Magellan aims to terraform the planet by melting the ice and using their quantum starship to maneuver the planet into a more biofriendly orbit.
Along the way, they travel very close to the planet Thalassa, which had been the destination of an earlier seed ship, which reported in upon colonization, but then had lost contact with Earth. The Magellan decides to investigate and to look into using the water on the planet to re-ice their deflector, which has become worn out from constant collision with space dust.
Thalassa is a beautiful planet, mostly covered in oceans, but with three large islands that support a functioning human society. But it is a society that has become complacent and happy in their idyllic existence. The Magellan upsets this becalmed life when it appears and sets up its ice factory. The crew from the Magellan mingle with the population and become involved with the people who live there.
Of course, the inevitable happens and several crew members want to stay on Thalassa. Others want to end the mission and stay permanently on Thalassa, using the volcanism of the planet to create new land masses for the colonists sleeping on the ship.
Ultimately, the novel deals with the question of whether humanity can thrive without the existence of challenge. Our history has been the story of struggle against the elements, survival against the wild beasts and survival against each other. Our literature is full of strife and most people would say that any good story depends on it. What happens when that gets bred out of the species? If you remove challenge and aggression, will we stagnate?
It is a well-written story that I highly recommend.
The Songs of Distant Earth is a very thoughtful science fiction novel. It's not chock full of chases and weird experiments or other derring-do, but it keeps the reader involved and more importantly it makes the reader think. It is a good example of what is known as “hard science fiction.” Written by Arthur C. Clarke, a man who is no stranger to science, the book deals more with real possibilities than with theories that have no apparent foundation in reality.
The main portion of the book occurs somewhere during the 39th century, around 200 years after the Earth's sun has gone nova. With the benefit of a thousand years' warning, mankind has developed and sent seed ships to the stars with the most hospitable planets orbiting them. The ships contain the seeds to rebuild mankind, from humans to domestic animals to bacteria necessary for human survival, to be shepherded into life by robots. The ships cannot travel very fast so the great distances take hundreds to thousands of years. But humans keep making the ships better and by the time the solar system is incinerated, they have developed a quantum drive, which allows them to travel at close to 20% of the speed of light.
One of these advanced starships, among the last to leave Earth, the Magellan, is travelling toward a system with a planet that has been named Sagan Two. The planet is presently inhospitable to life, but is covered in massive amounts of ice. The Magellan aims to terraform the planet by melting the ice and using their quantum starship to maneuver the planet into a more biofriendly orbit.
Along the way, they travel very close to the planet Thalassa, which had been the destination of an earlier seed ship, which reported in upon colonization, but then had lost contact with Earth. The Magellan decides to investigate and to look into using the water on the planet to re-ice their deflector, which has become worn out from constant collision with space dust.
Thalassa is a beautiful planet, mostly covered in oceans, but with three large islands that support a functioning human society. But it is a society that has become complacent and happy in their idyllic existence. The Magellan upsets this becalmed life when it appears and sets up its ice factory. The crew from the Magellan mingle with the population and become involved with the people who live there.
Of course, the inevitable happens and several crew members want to stay on Thalassa. Others want to end the mission and stay permanently on Thalassa, using the volcanism of the planet to create new land masses for the colonists sleeping on the ship.
Ultimately, the novel deals with the question of whether humanity can thrive without the existence of challenge. Our history has been the story of struggle against the elements, survival against the wild beasts and survival against each other. Our literature is full of strife and most people would say that any good story depends on it. What happens when that gets bred out of the species? If you remove challenge and aggression, will we stagnate?
It is a well-written story that I highly recommend.
June 6, 2020
The Songs of Distant Earth reaches considerably close to being the science-fiction novel of my dreams. For some time, I’ve longed for a sci-fi novel that invested as heavily into its characters as it did in science and the future. In this way, this ideal sci-fi novel would achieve a balance between characters, plot, and setting. This book does just that.
The Songs of Distant Earth is a human story. Its message speaks to who we are and its contemplations speak to who we may become. Clarke engagingly tells us that we can indeed control our destiny and that all the -isms that plague us as a species are not necessarily inherent in our makeup. But he also warns us that changing who we are absolutely requires a conscious choice that can only be made by a universally informed decision. It’s these rich observation on humanity that create an intellectual depth within The Songs of Distant Earth that adds to the fullness of the story.
And the story takes the time to let us know and understand its human characters. They live and breathe in the human worlds that are (or were) their homes and they give a fundamental meaning to Clarke’s overarching observations on humanity. They are indeed precious and Clarke makes them so. In the end, I wanted to know them better and I wanted to know their futures.
Finally, the science presented in this book is a staid type of science that keeps its feet in reality. As a result, the science becomes amazing when Clarke reveals its potential. In Clarke’s introduction, he calls out Star Trek for being a fantasy because it takes science beyond the possible. I see that as a form of courage in sci-fi writing, and it set a challenge for Clarke before the first chapter even started. I am here to say, however, that Clarke delivered.
The Songs of Distant Earth is a human story. Its message speaks to who we are and its contemplations speak to who we may become. Clarke engagingly tells us that we can indeed control our destiny and that all the -isms that plague us as a species are not necessarily inherent in our makeup. But he also warns us that changing who we are absolutely requires a conscious choice that can only be made by a universally informed decision. It’s these rich observation on humanity that create an intellectual depth within The Songs of Distant Earth that adds to the fullness of the story.
And the story takes the time to let us know and understand its human characters. They live and breathe in the human worlds that are (or were) their homes and they give a fundamental meaning to Clarke’s overarching observations on humanity. They are indeed precious and Clarke makes them so. In the end, I wanted to know them better and I wanted to know their futures.
Finally, the science presented in this book is a staid type of science that keeps its feet in reality. As a result, the science becomes amazing when Clarke reveals its potential. In Clarke’s introduction, he calls out Star Trek for being a fantasy because it takes science beyond the possible. I see that as a form of courage in sci-fi writing, and it set a challenge for Clarke before the first chapter even started. I am here to say, however, that Clarke delivered.
June 30, 2022
This book was a pretty average read for me. It wasn’t bad, but nothing about the story or the characters gripped me. I’ve read a couple other books by the author and I haven’t been very enthusiastic about any of them, so his writing style just may not work for me.
This book is set on an alien planet populated by humans in the far distant future. When it became clear Earth’s destruction was imminent, various seed ships were sent out to different planets to keep the human species from being wiped out. At that time, they didn’t have the technology to send living humans such great distances. The story begins on a planet that was long ago established by one of those seed ships, and the inhabitants are unexpectedly visited by a ship of humans who claim to have traveled directly from Earth shortly before its destruction. By that time, technology had improved enough that they could put humans in suspended animation to make the trip.
The world-building felt pretty solid, but the characters never felt as well-developed and I never cared much for any of them. Although the story was moderately interesting, I didn’t feel like there was anything to sink my teeth into. There were a variety of plot elements introduced, but none were developed substantially or carried out in a way I found satisfying. I kept expecting various plot points to become a bigger part of the story than they actually did. I particularly wanted more from the “scorps” storyline; I think that was the most interesting part to me.
So it was an ok read, but I don’t think it will be very memorable for me.
This book is set on an alien planet populated by humans in the far distant future. When it became clear Earth’s destruction was imminent, various seed ships were sent out to different planets to keep the human species from being wiped out. At that time, they didn’t have the technology to send living humans such great distances. The story begins on a planet that was long ago established by one of those seed ships, and the inhabitants are unexpectedly visited by a ship of humans who claim to have traveled directly from Earth shortly before its destruction. By that time, technology had improved enough that they could put humans in suspended animation to make the trip.
The world-building felt pretty solid, but the characters never felt as well-developed and I never cared much for any of them. Although the story was moderately interesting, I didn’t feel like there was anything to sink my teeth into. There were a variety of plot elements introduced, but none were developed substantially or carried out in a way I found satisfying. I kept expecting various plot points to become a bigger part of the story than they actually did. I particularly wanted more from the “scorps” storyline; I think that was the most interesting part to me.
So it was an ok read, but I don’t think it will be very memorable for me.
August 21, 2016
A atipical novel of Arthur Clarke more focused in cultural and human relations than in tecnichal aspects ;the novel relates the arraival in manteinance of ice shield of an interestelar ship carryng millions of criogeniced humans escaping of a solar destruction of earth in a journey to colonice another habitable planet,the place of the scale is a planet named Thalassa where in an small continent live a ancient and near utopical human comunity open minded.The narration focuses on cultural shock between thalassans and the maintenance crew of the ship and in the frienship and couple relations between both comunities so strong that there is near a motin because the crew had finded a paradisiacal place and the sadness of breaking forever the relations in the departure.A rather poetic sf novel
July 9, 2010
As a fan of both science fiction and Arthur C. Clarke, I must admit that I was disappointed with this book.
There were some positive aspects to this book. The writing style is characteristic of Clarke with it's convincing descriptions of science fiction worlds and technology. There is also a fairly convincing romantic relationship that developed in the story. I especially enjoyed how this relationship was not of the usual sort but rather based on post-WW2 progressive/liberal notions of sexual freedom. On Thalassa the sexual and romantic aspects of a relationship were severable. Clarke convinced me that this was viable at least on Thalassa.
The negative aspects of this book circle around the book's plot, which follows.
SPOILER
Scientists haphazardly come upon a new type of radiation, which informs humanity of the impending destruction of the Sun - fortunately for Earthlings several thousands of years beforehand. Humanity is able to reorganize its society, develop extraordinary stellar space travel, and achieve a wonderfully enlightened culture. As part of this society's efforts to preserve itself, Earth sends colonization probes to various potentially inhabitable planets.
One of these probes lands on Thalassa, Greek for 'ocean' by the way, a watery world sporting only three islands, two of which are inhabitable and colonized. This society develops into a progressive wonderland where sex is free, democracy is truly democratic, education and healthcare are universal and irrational violence is unknown. All is very characteristic of science fiction-scapes.
The book essentially chronicles the consequences of when Earth's final refugee vehicle on its way to a distant star stops on Thalassa both because the starship needs ice from the planet's oceans to rebuild a shield against stellar debris and because Thalassa's transponder was long ago destroyed by the planet's volcano leading Earth to believe that the probe's colonization had failed and left Thalassa untouched by humanity. In short, the planet and the starship mingle and revel in the exchange of culture and information yet boil in predictable but unproductive conflict.
After an arduous cooperative effort to reconstruct the ice shield for the starship, the ship's crew prepares to leave for their original voyage to the distant star. The ship does in fact disembark and the fates of the crew and the planet are never to cross again because of interstellar/relativistic travel mumbo-jumbo.
The End.
That was the plot. Somewhere in the middle of all of this, there was something weird about ocean-dwelling Lobster creatures. These creatures might have had intelligence, society and culture but Clarke just doesn't tell us. We are led on by the major part of the middle part of this book to think that these lobsters were fantastical and worthy of our suspense but Clarke just doesn't explain any part of it well enough. I remember thinking that just maybe these creatures belong somewhere in the plot - maybe just maybe I should care about all of this! So you could have just added the following footnote to my summary above.
"Footnote: On Thalassa existed some potentially intelligent life that seemed to resemble lobsters which farmed sea kelp, collected shiny objects and had some sort of societal organization."
If you like science fiction, skip this book and enjoy one of Clarke's better stories such as Childhood's End or the Odyssey series. Note also that Clarke wrote this originally during the 1950's as a short story. I believe that it should have stayed that way. This was one of those books that you could just barely keep reading and one whose final pages were you counting so you could put the book down and pick up the next book that teases you from the bookshelf/iPad.
There were some positive aspects to this book. The writing style is characteristic of Clarke with it's convincing descriptions of science fiction worlds and technology. There is also a fairly convincing romantic relationship that developed in the story. I especially enjoyed how this relationship was not of the usual sort but rather based on post-WW2 progressive/liberal notions of sexual freedom. On Thalassa the sexual and romantic aspects of a relationship were severable. Clarke convinced me that this was viable at least on Thalassa.
The negative aspects of this book circle around the book's plot, which follows.
SPOILER
Scientists haphazardly come upon a new type of radiation, which informs humanity of the impending destruction of the Sun - fortunately for Earthlings several thousands of years beforehand. Humanity is able to reorganize its society, develop extraordinary stellar space travel, and achieve a wonderfully enlightened culture. As part of this society's efforts to preserve itself, Earth sends colonization probes to various potentially inhabitable planets.
One of these probes lands on Thalassa, Greek for 'ocean' by the way, a watery world sporting only three islands, two of which are inhabitable and colonized. This society develops into a progressive wonderland where sex is free, democracy is truly democratic, education and healthcare are universal and irrational violence is unknown. All is very characteristic of science fiction-scapes.
The book essentially chronicles the consequences of when Earth's final refugee vehicle on its way to a distant star stops on Thalassa both because the starship needs ice from the planet's oceans to rebuild a shield against stellar debris and because Thalassa's transponder was long ago destroyed by the planet's volcano leading Earth to believe that the probe's colonization had failed and left Thalassa untouched by humanity. In short, the planet and the starship mingle and revel in the exchange of culture and information yet boil in predictable but unproductive conflict.
After an arduous cooperative effort to reconstruct the ice shield for the starship, the ship's crew prepares to leave for their original voyage to the distant star. The ship does in fact disembark and the fates of the crew and the planet are never to cross again because of interstellar/relativistic travel mumbo-jumbo.
The End.
That was the plot. Somewhere in the middle of all of this, there was something weird about ocean-dwelling Lobster creatures. These creatures might have had intelligence, society and culture but Clarke just doesn't tell us. We are led on by the major part of the middle part of this book to think that these lobsters were fantastical and worthy of our suspense but Clarke just doesn't explain any part of it well enough. I remember thinking that just maybe these creatures belong somewhere in the plot - maybe just maybe I should care about all of this! So you could have just added the following footnote to my summary above.
"Footnote: On Thalassa existed some potentially intelligent life that seemed to resemble lobsters which farmed sea kelp, collected shiny objects and had some sort of societal organization."
If you like science fiction, skip this book and enjoy one of Clarke's better stories such as Childhood's End or the Odyssey series. Note also that Clarke wrote this originally during the 1950's as a short story. I believe that it should have stayed that way. This was one of those books that you could just barely keep reading and one whose final pages were you counting so you could put the book down and pick up the next book that teases you from the bookshelf/iPad.
March 22, 2024
I can already see I am going to be the odd one out here. Of all Clarke's novels, this was apparently the author's favourite. Interesting, I would have thought it would have been one of those that he felt compelled to write sequels for (2001: A Space Odyssey / Rendezvous with Rama). Anyway, the values at the core of this novel was probably close to his heart.
In all aspects scientifical and philosophical, there is much here to enjoy, and Clarke manages to capture the melancholy of a humanity that has lost their home system to a nova very well.
However, there is something wrong with this novel. And, in fact, it is the same thing that is wrong with the world in many respects. The people.
I just didn't identify with too many (if any) of them, and frankly, straight out disliked a handful of them.
And there it is. A good book, it is the master after all, but with some caveats. This won't be a problem for all readers, so probably best to take this whole review with a pinch of salt.
3.5 but rounded down. Sorry Sir!
In all aspects scientifical and philosophical, there is much here to enjoy, and Clarke manages to capture the melancholy of a humanity that has lost their home system to a nova very well.
However, there is something wrong with this novel. And, in fact, it is the same thing that is wrong with the world in many respects. The people.
I just didn't identify with too many (if any) of them, and frankly, straight out disliked a handful of them.
And there it is. A good book, it is the master after all, but with some caveats. This won't be a problem for all readers, so probably best to take this whole review with a pinch of salt.
3.5 but rounded down. Sorry Sir!
August 18, 2021
Durante mais de 25 anos ouvi o álbum “The Songs of Distant Earth” (1994) de Mike Oldfield, sempre pensando que parecia uma banda-sonora, contudo sem nunca saber que o mesmo era homónimo de um livro de Arthur C. Clarke de 1986. Foi Rob Dickins, da Warner, que sugeriu em 1993 a Mike Oldfield que fizesse um álbum conceptual baseado no livro de Clarke. Oldfield não se sentiu particularmente atraído pela história, mas gostou da atmosfera e do título. Pelo seu lado, Clarke adorava a sua banda-sonora de “The Killing Fields” (1984). Do meu lado, tenho de concordar com Oldfield, a história é muito incipiente, mas ler o livro ouvindo o álbum cria uma experiência que por vezes roça a transcendência, capaz de nos fazer viajar além do sistema solar...
Clarke diz que escreveu este livro por sentir que a corrida ao espaço estava a perder fôlego, e por isso queria incitar o imaginário popular a dar força à conquista espacial. Lendo o livro com este subtexto compreende-se muito melhor o que está ali em questão, mas não deixa de lhe faltar imaginação, para não dizer os elementos mínimos do contar de histórias. Não existe conflito, não existe mudança, não existem personagens, existe apenas um mundo e o seu ambiente. Clarke limita-se a descrever uma sociedade pós-humana no ano 3800 a viver noutra galáxia, que querendo-se distinta da atual humana, em nada difere desta, a não ser num conjunto de comportamentos comunitários que não têm qualquer sustentação efetiva no ecossistema apresentado. Não é que o exemplo dado fosse o de uma má sociedade, só que os comportamentos são paradoxais, não sustentáveis. O ser humano não funciona de certa maneira só porque lhe dizemos para o fazer, ou porque criamos leis que o impõem. É a utopia perfeita dos sonhos de Clarke, mas sem aderência à realidade, demonstrando um total desconhecimento da psique humana.
Esta falha fez-me pensar exatamente no contrário do que Clarke pretendia. Não basta compreender astrofísica, não basta construir abstrações daquilo que é possível, é preciso fundamentalmente compreender aquilo de que é feito o humano. Fica assim o contraponto dos argumentos por Heidegger, quando questionado sobre a possibilidade do ser humano vir um dia a habitar outros planetas:
"De acordo com a nossa experiência humana e a nossa história, pelo menos na minha opinião, sei que tudo o que é essencial e tudo o que é grande teve origem no facto de o homem ter um lar e estar enraizado numa tradição". Heidegger, entrevista ao Der Spiegel, 1966
Publicado no VI:
https://virtual-illusion.blogspot.com...
Clarke diz que escreveu este livro por sentir que a corrida ao espaço estava a perder fôlego, e por isso queria incitar o imaginário popular a dar força à conquista espacial. Lendo o livro com este subtexto compreende-se muito melhor o que está ali em questão, mas não deixa de lhe faltar imaginação, para não dizer os elementos mínimos do contar de histórias. Não existe conflito, não existe mudança, não existem personagens, existe apenas um mundo e o seu ambiente. Clarke limita-se a descrever uma sociedade pós-humana no ano 3800 a viver noutra galáxia, que querendo-se distinta da atual humana, em nada difere desta, a não ser num conjunto de comportamentos comunitários que não têm qualquer sustentação efetiva no ecossistema apresentado. Não é que o exemplo dado fosse o de uma má sociedade, só que os comportamentos são paradoxais, não sustentáveis. O ser humano não funciona de certa maneira só porque lhe dizemos para o fazer, ou porque criamos leis que o impõem. É a utopia perfeita dos sonhos de Clarke, mas sem aderência à realidade, demonstrando um total desconhecimento da psique humana.
Esta falha fez-me pensar exatamente no contrário do que Clarke pretendia. Não basta compreender astrofísica, não basta construir abstrações daquilo que é possível, é preciso fundamentalmente compreender aquilo de que é feito o humano. Fica assim o contraponto dos argumentos por Heidegger, quando questionado sobre a possibilidade do ser humano vir um dia a habitar outros planetas:
"De acordo com a nossa experiência humana e a nossa história, pelo menos na minha opinião, sei que tudo o que é essencial e tudo o que é grande teve origem no facto de o homem ter um lar e estar enraizado numa tradição". Heidegger, entrevista ao Der Spiegel, 1966
Publicado no VI:
https://virtual-illusion.blogspot.com...
February 19, 2018
This was an interesting novel and contained a sorrowful but essentially hopeful vibe about the future of humanity and of our Earth. The thing with Arthur C Clarke were his scientific predictions; satellites being the most prominent that he was renowned for. The Songs of Distant Earth takes his visionary foresight a step further (it is worth mentioning at this stage that I have only read a barebone fraction of his massive amount of literature and short stories, but had grown up with his Television programs as a child, such as 'Mysterious World' during the early 1980's, and of course the seminal '2001' joint collaboration with Kubrick), this time about future space exploration, the colonisation of new planets many light years away from a dying Earth, Quantum Drives (which he never really explains in the short book, but hides that away as saying no one really understood how they worked on the space shipMagellan either), and really just about the survival of Human culture, art, music - love and emotions too - and so on.
The premise of the novel is this: The Earth is going to go super-nova around 3600AD, so mankind sends out cryogenically frozen people in 'seeder ships' to colonise other planets. Some succeed, some are lost, but one that survives starts inhabiting another far-distant planet called Thalassa. Cue the Magellan. Before the Earths Sun goes nova, the remnants of humanity finally develop a Quantum Drive, which allows faster-than-light travel, about 100 years before extinction. The Magellan, containing about a million frozen people, arrive at Thalassa on their way to colonise another planet called Sagan 2, to reinforce their shield (made from ice to shield the ship from space dust), many hundred of years after the original seeder ship arrived. The Thalassans have created their own island-based society, away from all of previous humanities influences, hence they have become a peaceful, loving, egalitarian society with no hangovers from the Earths past, such as religion or warfare. It is a veritable Utopia, almost. The crew of the Magellan ask the islanders for assistance with the production of ice for the repairs for the ship, and start to mingle with, what is essentially their elders who left earth around 2700AD. The intermingling with the islanders and the awakened members of the ship is the books main theme, detailing romances, emotions, the passing of knowledge from both islanders and the ships crew, free love and other quite progressive themes. Of note, Aldous Huxley wrote a book called 'The Island', that deals with a Utopian society which, if my memory serves, is very similar to Thalassa, or at least I gained that impression.
I liked the future science that Clarke, in one of his visionary states of mind, waxes lyrical about. He actually prophesies mass data storage, holding all the worlds knowledge in terabytes of data ('holding a million books between thumb and forefinger' - Kindle anyone?), the development in the Earths final century of its existence of the 'Quantum Drive' (that only a very few scientists understood how it actually worked, I do not think even Clarke knew), space elevators and so on. So whilst, and for what Clarke was known for, the Songs of Distant Earth covers future science (the book was written in 1986 but based on a much older short story he wrote in the 1950s), it also covers social aspects such as the eradication of organised religion on Earth around 2100AD, and goes into some depth with a crew member trying to explain to a Thalassan the concept of the Alpha and Omega 'God', Alpha being the personal 'God', that ended up being incorporated into religion which led to conflicts, and the Omega God - the creationist belief in the formation of the Universe. The Thalassans do not have any organised belief structure on their islands hence no conflict, the book seems to suggest.
I found it an interesting book, containing some progressive visionary themes. The ending is quite emotional, whereby when the Magellan finishes the repairs and heads onto Sagan 2 to colonise and terraform that planet (it is 300 light years away), some of the personal relationships that had been developed between the islanders and the ships crew have to end. I found it quite a sorrowful but I think a positive ending. If you really want to get into the books theme deeper, then it is worth checking out Mike Oldfields (of Tubular Bells fame) album of the same name, which is quite an interesting concept album based on the book. 4 stars for being a visionary science fiction read.
The premise of the novel is this: The Earth is going to go super-nova around 3600AD, so mankind sends out cryogenically frozen people in 'seeder ships' to colonise other planets. Some succeed, some are lost, but one that survives starts inhabiting another far-distant planet called Thalassa. Cue the Magellan. Before the Earths Sun goes nova, the remnants of humanity finally develop a Quantum Drive, which allows faster-than-light travel, about 100 years before extinction. The Magellan, containing about a million frozen people, arrive at Thalassa on their way to colonise another planet called Sagan 2, to reinforce their shield (made from ice to shield the ship from space dust), many hundred of years after the original seeder ship arrived. The Thalassans have created their own island-based society, away from all of previous humanities influences, hence they have become a peaceful, loving, egalitarian society with no hangovers from the Earths past, such as religion or warfare. It is a veritable Utopia, almost. The crew of the Magellan ask the islanders for assistance with the production of ice for the repairs for the ship, and start to mingle with, what is essentially their elders who left earth around 2700AD. The intermingling with the islanders and the awakened members of the ship is the books main theme, detailing romances, emotions, the passing of knowledge from both islanders and the ships crew, free love and other quite progressive themes. Of note, Aldous Huxley wrote a book called 'The Island', that deals with a Utopian society which, if my memory serves, is very similar to Thalassa, or at least I gained that impression.
I liked the future science that Clarke, in one of his visionary states of mind, waxes lyrical about. He actually prophesies mass data storage, holding all the worlds knowledge in terabytes of data ('holding a million books between thumb and forefinger' - Kindle anyone?), the development in the Earths final century of its existence of the 'Quantum Drive' (that only a very few scientists understood how it actually worked, I do not think even Clarke knew), space elevators and so on. So whilst, and for what Clarke was known for, the Songs of Distant Earth covers future science (the book was written in 1986 but based on a much older short story he wrote in the 1950s), it also covers social aspects such as the eradication of organised religion on Earth around 2100AD, and goes into some depth with a crew member trying to explain to a Thalassan the concept of the Alpha and Omega 'God', Alpha being the personal 'God', that ended up being incorporated into religion which led to conflicts, and the Omega God - the creationist belief in the formation of the Universe. The Thalassans do not have any organised belief structure on their islands hence no conflict, the book seems to suggest.
I found it an interesting book, containing some progressive visionary themes. The ending is quite emotional, whereby when the Magellan finishes the repairs and heads onto Sagan 2 to colonise and terraform that planet (it is 300 light years away), some of the personal relationships that had been developed between the islanders and the ships crew have to end. I found it quite a sorrowful but I think a positive ending. If you really want to get into the books theme deeper, then it is worth checking out Mike Oldfields (of Tubular Bells fame) album of the same name, which is quite an interesting concept album based on the book. 4 stars for being a visionary science fiction read.
April 13, 2016
It is an OK book, but I must admit I was left slightly disappointed by it.
In truth, I was expecting something much more remarkable and less forgettable by one of the creators of the "Space Odyssey" masterpiece.
The characters are bland, there is no trace of the sense of awe and of epic exploration of a beautiful and enigmatic Cosmos that so pervaded Space Odyssey, and the society of Thalassa bored me to tears.
The plot feels incompletely developed - there are some interesting and promising themes, but none of them are developed in enough detail. The finale is also quite underwhelming.
On the more positive side, the psychological aspects related to the very long time frame required by interstellar travel are explored in some depth and with some interesting insights, and the author does not indulge into too much unscientific speculation - the quantum drive engine is quite cool.
Overall a decently written, pretty pleasant read, with some interesting insights, but nothing earth-shattering. A good piece of science fiction, overall, but I could not see here much of the creative genius that was so visible in the Space Odyssey series. I think that in a few months' time I will have completely forgotten this book.
2.5 stars - rounded up to 3.
In truth, I was expecting something much more remarkable and less forgettable by one of the creators of the "Space Odyssey" masterpiece.
The characters are bland, there is no trace of the sense of awe and of epic exploration of a beautiful and enigmatic Cosmos that so pervaded Space Odyssey, and the society of Thalassa bored me to tears.
The plot feels incompletely developed - there are some interesting and promising themes, but none of them are developed in enough detail. The finale is also quite underwhelming.
On the more positive side, the psychological aspects related to the very long time frame required by interstellar travel are explored in some depth and with some interesting insights, and the author does not indulge into too much unscientific speculation - the quantum drive engine is quite cool.
Overall a decently written, pretty pleasant read, with some interesting insights, but nothing earth-shattering. A good piece of science fiction, overall, but I could not see here much of the creative genius that was so visible in the Space Odyssey series. I think that in a few months' time I will have completely forgotten this book.
2.5 stars - rounded up to 3.
June 26, 2022
The ideas were good, the world was cool, but everything felt a bit like a sketch rather than a painting.
CONTENT WARNINGS:
Things that were cool:
-The world. I wanted to see more!
-Casual acceptance. Women were in positions of power, people were seen as being in control of their own reactions, queerness was a given, even if all of these things were a bit stilted in practice.
Things that were boring:
-The characters. There wasn't any meat on them. Somehow all the vivacity of people meeting and falling in and out of love and discovering the secrets of the universe all felt sepia toned.
-The storytelling. There were things that could have been very dramatic or at least tense, and they all just sort of faded into the mist.
-The philosophizing. I don't know how religion got in here. We'd successfully overcome the use of religion to create "others" (in a way I don't buy) and then we still inject it into the new world? This should have been completely chopped out.
It was quick, it had some neat ideas but it just didn't execute them. 2.5 stars rounded up because it was almost antiseptically not offensive.
CONTENT WARNINGS:
Things that were cool:
-The world. I wanted to see more!
-Casual acceptance. Women were in positions of power, people were seen as being in control of their own reactions, queerness was a given, even if all of these things were a bit stilted in practice.
Things that were boring:
-The characters. There wasn't any meat on them. Somehow all the vivacity of people meeting and falling in and out of love and discovering the secrets of the universe all felt sepia toned.
-The storytelling. There were things that could have been very dramatic or at least tense, and they all just sort of faded into the mist.
-The philosophizing. I don't know how religion got in here. We'd successfully overcome the use of religion to create "others" (in a way I don't buy) and then we still inject it into the new world? This should have been completely chopped out.
It was quick, it had some neat ideas but it just didn't execute them. 2.5 stars rounded up because it was almost antiseptically not offensive.
February 6, 2018
I was vaguely disappointed when I finished this book, but I am not exactly sure why. The story was mostly interesting, and yet never captivated me like others of Clarke's have done. It felt a little jumbled, bouncing around from here to there, and yet that could just be my state of mind these days. I may not feel the same about the book if I re-read some day when my own life is not bouncing around.
Thalassa is a planet that was colonized by robot ships when the Sun was close to going nova. But even though that had been centuries in the past, suddenly there arrives a starship with millions of people from Earth on it (most of them in cryogenic sleep). Thanks to the discovery of quantum drive, all of these people were unexpectedly able to escape into space and are on their way to a planet called Sagan Two. But they need to rebuild their heat shield, which is really a big block of ice. So they spend a year or two on Thalassa.
Relationships develop, and some of the 150 or so awake crew members want to stay on this lovely small planet instead of continuing their journey. Life would be so much easier here! How will the captain of the Magellan handle this issue?
And what are those creatures in the ocean? The ones that seem to be tending a plantation of the sea kelp that is their main source of food? Are they intelligent in what would be considered a human way? Or does it merely seem that way?
There was an excellent mini-lecture about religion by one character, and a few other compelling sections but overall I just couldn't get as worked up over this one as I expected to be. I still plan to read more Clarke when I have access to a library again, I just don't think I will buy any more unless I read them first and can say WOW when I reach the end.
Thalassa is a planet that was colonized by robot ships when the Sun was close to going nova. But even though that had been centuries in the past, suddenly there arrives a starship with millions of people from Earth on it (most of them in cryogenic sleep). Thanks to the discovery of quantum drive, all of these people were unexpectedly able to escape into space and are on their way to a planet called Sagan Two. But they need to rebuild their heat shield, which is really a big block of ice. So they spend a year or two on Thalassa.
Relationships develop, and some of the 150 or so awake crew members want to stay on this lovely small planet instead of continuing their journey. Life would be so much easier here! How will the captain of the Magellan handle this issue?
And what are those creatures in the ocean? The ones that seem to be tending a plantation of the sea kelp that is their main source of food? Are they intelligent in what would be considered a human way? Or does it merely seem that way?
There was an excellent mini-lecture about religion by one character, and a few other compelling sections but overall I just couldn't get as worked up over this one as I expected to be. I still plan to read more Clarke when I have access to a library again, I just don't think I will buy any more unless I read them first and can say WOW when I reach the end.
June 17, 2022
A classic 1980s sci-fi novel with a strong storyline, and it’s full of interesting ideas. The science was believable (the writer was a physicist after all!) although at times the characters were a little flat and two-dimensional. Still, with an ensemble cast in a relatively short book, it’s not that easy to create deep characters, I suppose.
But what carried this book was the imagination of it, the fantastic concepts and ideas. The pace started slowly but by the middle of the book, there were several interesting plot developments. The second half was quite suspenseful as you wondered how the book was going to finish. The last few chapters were beautifully done - lyrically written and quite moving.
This is possibly one of Arthur Clarke’s less well-known works, but it’s well worth a read.
I read this as a BOTM for Sci-Fi and Fantasy Book Club, June 2022 choice for 'Sc-Fi Colonies'.
But what carried this book was the imagination of it, the fantastic concepts and ideas. The pace started slowly but by the middle of the book, there were several interesting plot developments. The second half was quite suspenseful as you wondered how the book was going to finish. The last few chapters were beautifully done - lyrically written and quite moving.
This is possibly one of Arthur Clarke’s less well-known works, but it’s well worth a read.
I read this as a BOTM for Sci-Fi and Fantasy Book Club, June 2022 choice for 'Sc-Fi Colonies'.
February 8, 2017
I decided that one of my favorite thing about Clarke's books (read 6 so far) is his faith in human kind. I enjoy his utopias he obviously envisioned we will achieve with further development of technology.
Some readers say nothing happens in this book/even his other books. I think those are completely missing the beauty of his opus. Miracles of unbeliavable vision happen.
The Utopia of Thalassa (and yet so realistic) and the last Millenia of Earth are stories withing a story. And of course the scientific phenonmena and theories are explained - that's what happens.
Wish i could share some of the many passages I underlined on my Kindle, but i am writing this from my phone. Maybe another time.
Anyway, just like all his books I read so far - well worth a read.
Some readers say nothing happens in this book/even his other books. I think those are completely missing the beauty of his opus. Miracles of unbeliavable vision happen.
The Utopia of Thalassa (and yet so realistic) and the last Millenia of Earth are stories withing a story. And of course the scientific phenonmena and theories are explained - that's what happens.
Wish i could share some of the many passages I underlined on my Kindle, but i am writing this from my phone. Maybe another time.
Anyway, just like all his books I read so far - well worth a read.
July 4, 2023
Lo mejor del libro es la sinopsis.
November 21, 2017
A utopian human colony in the far future that is visited by travelers from a doomed Earth, as the Sun has gone nova.
The story is set in early 3800s, on an oceanic planet called Thalassa.
Thalassa was populated by an embryonic seed pod, one of many sent from earth when humans discovered that the sun would go nova and burn earth and all the solar system.
700 years after it's population, Thalassa is visited by a seed ship that was sent from dying earth on it's way to a distant planet. As communication with Thalassa was lost, the ship assumes that the planet is uninhabited and they are surprised to find humans there.
This is my kind of Science fiction. Without complex scientific inventions , the author manages to present the reader with a story and dilemma's that we can identify with .
The story is set in early 3800s, on an oceanic planet called Thalassa.
Thalassa was populated by an embryonic seed pod, one of many sent from earth when humans discovered that the sun would go nova and burn earth and all the solar system.
700 years after it's population, Thalassa is visited by a seed ship that was sent from dying earth on it's way to a distant planet. As communication with Thalassa was lost, the ship assumes that the planet is uninhabited and they are surprised to find humans there.
This is my kind of Science fiction. Without complex scientific inventions , the author manages to present the reader with a story and dilemma's that we can identify with .
October 29, 2017
Clarke's sci-fi always stands the test of time, he was visionary enough for his ideas to be relevant for a very long time. I also like his blend of philosphy and future. The story was a blend of a ton of different ideas, mutiny, extr-terrestrial intelligence, population control and a species without a home. Lots to think about, unfortunately for me, too much. I never got caught up in any of the issues, too surface an exaamination for a 4 star rating.
January 21, 2018
A fable about two societies in which the one who managed to emerge in a far-away panthalassic planet called Thalassa from human and contemporary creatures seed-ships which were sent by Earth People to nearby various habitable planetary systems in case they didn't make it before the sun goes into Nova, and the other society who had sent the seed-ships in the first place who managed not to annihilate amidst the chaos and chose to wander the stars from the solar system to furthering the survival of human species and on their way to their destiny, they had a stint at Thalassa and that is all it's about.
I felt the storyline and the briefing very different from what I'd experienced from his previous works (Rendezvous with Rama, Childhood's End) as this work primarily deals with the socio-psychological contents attributed to our conscious and subconscious ponderings. I do have a favorite chapter which is about discussing God. It is really fun and intriguing to know such perceptions especially on these kinds of stuff. Poignant tales that could remind the humble beginnings of life who ever tried to understand such history and I've been feeling that the time spent with it, is worth spending.
I felt the storyline and the briefing very different from what I'd experienced from his previous works (Rendezvous with Rama, Childhood's End) as this work primarily deals with the socio-psychological contents attributed to our conscious and subconscious ponderings. I do have a favorite chapter which is about discussing God. It is really fun and intriguing to know such perceptions especially on these kinds of stuff. Poignant tales that could remind the humble beginnings of life who ever tried to understand such history and I've been feeling that the time spent with it, is worth spending.
July 28, 2010
All of Clarke's stuff is rich with imagination and just plain good storytelling.
October 13, 2013
'Songs of Distant Earth' is a masterpiece because Arthur C. Clarke took the time to make it one. It began life as a 12,000 word short story in 1957, was turned into a screenplay in 1979, and then expanded into its final form in 1985. Clarke considered this to be his own favorite novel, and it shows. It combines hard science fiction with in-depth character development and some good sub-plots.
The basic story is one of an encounter, on a tropical paradise world called Thalassa, between two different populations of colonists sent from Earth a thousand years apart--the established Thalassans and an arriving ship, the 'Magellan,' that stops in requesting only a load of water to rebuild their ablation shield--the ships protection as it hurtles through space at speeds approaching a quarter that of light.
There's not as much cultural friction as one might expect, perhaps because the host Thalassans are depicted as very laid-back folk. The visitors plan to stay only for about a year as they transform ocean water into blocks of ice and transport those to the Magellan via a space-elevator-like hoist system. This provides enough time for romantic relationships to develop and for some dissent to surface among the Magellan's crew--as might be expected, some want to stay on this idyllic world rather than continue on another 75 light years to their destination planet, Sagan Two, which is far less hospitable.
I must take the time to mention two annoying aspects of the book: first the author has a habit of making jarring transitions in story line and point of view at the start of nearly every chapter. They are written in such a way that the I often felt disoriented as I began chapters. The other issue I had was Clarke's over-indulgence in preaching his particular religious biases. He casts a favorable light on Buddhism and spends an entire chapter spouting simplistic atheist dogma, yet finishes that 'sermon' by generously declaring: "Don't believe anything I've told you--merely because I said it. No serious philosophical problem is ever settled." Great--and true--but none of this added any value to the story. He just had to pontificate.
So back to the story. There's some exploration of the sticky problem of the Earth colonists interfering with the evolution of life on their adopted planets. Sagan Two is described as being lifeless, at least in terms of organic life as we know it, and the last ships leaving earth were all destined for such targets, and bypassed other planets that showed possible signs of life. But a millennium earlier the early seed ships had shorter range and therefore fewer choices. It turns out that Thalassa has indigenous life, and an intriguing sub-plot develops as a result - no spoilers here.
We're also given a sketch of the future-history of Earth, which has to be abandoned when the sun goes super-nova in the year 3620. Clarke's premise of a quick demise of the sun is based on real physics at the time of the book's writing. There was something called the 'solar Neutrino problem' - the sun was not producing nearly as many of them as theory expected. The problem has since been resolved and we can rest assured that our sun will live to a ripe old age of perhaps ten billion years.
The hard sci-fi fans are further treated to a clear and well-considered discussion of a few of the real-life problems of long distance space travel. Clarke prides himself in sticking to known physical principles and realistic future technologies, most of which are actually being studied today. The Thalassans came to their planet in the form of genetic code and were reconstructed by robots. But that was 1000 year old technology, and the 'Magellan' is transporting a million physical humans kept in suspended animation. The difference is that during those 700 years a much more powerful propulsion system called a 'quantum ram jet' was invented.
I've yet to be disappointed by anything I've read by Arthur C. Clarke. Don't be surprised if more of his works show up on my GoodReads bookshelf.
The basic story is one of an encounter, on a tropical paradise world called Thalassa, between two different populations of colonists sent from Earth a thousand years apart--the established Thalassans and an arriving ship, the 'Magellan,' that stops in requesting only a load of water to rebuild their ablation shield--the ships protection as it hurtles through space at speeds approaching a quarter that of light.
There's not as much cultural friction as one might expect, perhaps because the host Thalassans are depicted as very laid-back folk. The visitors plan to stay only for about a year as they transform ocean water into blocks of ice and transport those to the Magellan via a space-elevator-like hoist system. This provides enough time for romantic relationships to develop and for some dissent to surface among the Magellan's crew--as might be expected, some want to stay on this idyllic world rather than continue on another 75 light years to their destination planet, Sagan Two, which is far less hospitable.
I must take the time to mention two annoying aspects of the book: first the author has a habit of making jarring transitions in story line and point of view at the start of nearly every chapter. They are written in such a way that the I often felt disoriented as I began chapters. The other issue I had was Clarke's over-indulgence in preaching his particular religious biases. He casts a favorable light on Buddhism and spends an entire chapter spouting simplistic atheist dogma, yet finishes that 'sermon' by generously declaring: "Don't believe anything I've told you--merely because I said it. No serious philosophical problem is ever settled." Great--and true--but none of this added any value to the story. He just had to pontificate.
So back to the story. There's some exploration of the sticky problem of the Earth colonists interfering with the evolution of life on their adopted planets. Sagan Two is described as being lifeless, at least in terms of organic life as we know it, and the last ships leaving earth were all destined for such targets, and bypassed other planets that showed possible signs of life. But a millennium earlier the early seed ships had shorter range and therefore fewer choices. It turns out that Thalassa has indigenous life, and an intriguing sub-plot develops as a result - no spoilers here.
We're also given a sketch of the future-history of Earth, which has to be abandoned when the sun goes super-nova in the year 3620. Clarke's premise of a quick demise of the sun is based on real physics at the time of the book's writing. There was something called the 'solar Neutrino problem' - the sun was not producing nearly as many of them as theory expected. The problem has since been resolved and we can rest assured that our sun will live to a ripe old age of perhaps ten billion years.
The hard sci-fi fans are further treated to a clear and well-considered discussion of a few of the real-life problems of long distance space travel. Clarke prides himself in sticking to known physical principles and realistic future technologies, most of which are actually being studied today. The Thalassans came to their planet in the form of genetic code and were reconstructed by robots. But that was 1000 year old technology, and the 'Magellan' is transporting a million physical humans kept in suspended animation. The difference is that during those 700 years a much more powerful propulsion system called a 'quantum ram jet' was invented.
I've yet to be disappointed by anything I've read by Arthur C. Clarke. Don't be surprised if more of his works show up on my GoodReads bookshelf.
February 5, 2024
U dalekoj budućnosti ljudi dolaze do saznanja da Sunce ima svoj kraj, a samim tim i ceo njegov sistem, sa svim planetama i zvezdama u njemu. Sunce će postati nova i uništiti sve u svom sistemu.
U predstojećim godinama, ljudi su gradili brodove za kolonizaciju i slali ih na druge planete. Tako su nastale kolonije udaljene stotinama godina, nezavisne i prepuštene sebi. Neke kolonije su potvrdjeno uspele, nakon čega je Zemlja gubila kontakt sa njima, a za neke se ništa nije znalo.
Talasa je jedna od prvih kolonija. Naizgled slična našoj planeti, ali u stvari sa većinskim procentom vode na površini. Kopno čine mala ostrva koja podsećaju na Havaje.
Jednog dana, koloniju posećuje brod Magelan koji nosi posetioce sa stare Zemlje.
Kako je to moguće? Zašto? Ova i još mnoga druga pitanja provlače se kroz glave stanovnika kolonije. Mogu li preci i potomci saradjivati i uopšteno verovati jedni drugima?
Klark ovde još jednom obasipa čitaoce sa dosta naučnih ideja, ali i socioloških pitanja. Pre svega se osvrće na mogući razvoj društva pod drugačijim okolnostima i uticajima, uz to bez religija i još nekih aspekata naše zajednice. U ovoj knjizi se generalno više bavi odnosima, društvom i emocijama umesto tehnološkim aspektom. Toga je bilo i ranije, ali je sada veći fokus na tim delovima. To je možda jedan od razloga što ovu knjigu nisam odmah mogao povezati sa Klarkom.
Likovi su za moj ukus pomalo nerazvijeni. Osim naravno glavnih likova, koji su sveprisutni u priči, ostatak je jednostavno ravan i monoton. Mislim da se Klark ovde bazirao na širu ideju, ali zato potpuno zapostavio karakterni razvoj. Imaju neki od likova dobre priče, ali uglavnom su bez motiva, bez nekog krajnjeg cilja i ambicija. Većina je uglavnom tu da popuni prazninu u priči. Upravo to je doprinelo nešto monotonijoj radnji na samom početku priče.
Kada malo zastanem i nepristrasno sagledam Klarkov način opisivanja scena, a pogotovo delova koji su emotivni, dolazim do čudnog zaključka. Klark zapravo piše bez uplitanja emocija, piše hladno i kruto. I pored svega toga, ja u njegovim pričama i rečenicama osetim šokantnu dozu emocija. U tim prostim rečenicama čitalac može osetiti svu ljubav vaseljene. Isto tako može iskusiti i svu bol namenjenu likovima u priči. Zato stičem utisak da je lepota i emocija upravo u čitaocima. Mi doživljavamo ovo i sva ostala dela, svako na svoj način. Svako izvlači svoje pouke i emocije, u čemu je veličina ovog pisca. Za kraj moram naglasiti da mi je ova knjiga bila primetno slabija od prethodnih, ali podjednako važno i drago iskustvo. Čitajte Klarka!
U predstojećim godinama, ljudi su gradili brodove za kolonizaciju i slali ih na druge planete. Tako su nastale kolonije udaljene stotinama godina, nezavisne i prepuštene sebi. Neke kolonije su potvrdjeno uspele, nakon čega je Zemlja gubila kontakt sa njima, a za neke se ništa nije znalo.
Talasa je jedna od prvih kolonija. Naizgled slična našoj planeti, ali u stvari sa većinskim procentom vode na površini. Kopno čine mala ostrva koja podsećaju na Havaje.
Jednog dana, koloniju posećuje brod Magelan koji nosi posetioce sa stare Zemlje.
Kako je to moguće? Zašto? Ova i još mnoga druga pitanja provlače se kroz glave stanovnika kolonije. Mogu li preci i potomci saradjivati i uopšteno verovati jedni drugima?
Klark ovde još jednom obasipa čitaoce sa dosta naučnih ideja, ali i socioloških pitanja. Pre svega se osvrće na mogući razvoj društva pod drugačijim okolnostima i uticajima, uz to bez religija i još nekih aspekata naše zajednice. U ovoj knjizi se generalno više bavi odnosima, društvom i emocijama umesto tehnološkim aspektom. Toga je bilo i ranije, ali je sada veći fokus na tim delovima. To je možda jedan od razloga što ovu knjigu nisam odmah mogao povezati sa Klarkom.
Likovi su za moj ukus pomalo nerazvijeni. Osim naravno glavnih likova, koji su sveprisutni u priči, ostatak je jednostavno ravan i monoton. Mislim da se Klark ovde bazirao na širu ideju, ali zato potpuno zapostavio karakterni razvoj. Imaju neki od likova dobre priče, ali uglavnom su bez motiva, bez nekog krajnjeg cilja i ambicija. Većina je uglavnom tu da popuni prazninu u priči. Upravo to je doprinelo nešto monotonijoj radnji na samom početku priče.
Kada malo zastanem i nepristrasno sagledam Klarkov način opisivanja scena, a pogotovo delova koji su emotivni, dolazim do čudnog zaključka. Klark zapravo piše bez uplitanja emocija, piše hladno i kruto. I pored svega toga, ja u njegovim pričama i rečenicama osetim šokantnu dozu emocija. U tim prostim rečenicama čitalac može osetiti svu ljubav vaseljene. Isto tako može iskusiti i svu bol namenjenu likovima u priči. Zato stičem utisak da je lepota i emocija upravo u čitaocima. Mi doživljavamo ovo i sva ostala dela, svako na svoj način. Svako izvlači svoje pouke i emocije, u čemu je veličina ovog pisca. Za kraj moram naglasiti da mi je ova knjiga bila primetno slabija od prethodnih, ali podjednako važno i drago iskustvo. Čitajte Klarka!
December 1, 2022
In the introduction of this short novel, author Arthur C. Clarke politely criticizes the profusion of what he calls "space operas" in the world of modern science fiction writing and cinema. While he admits to actually enjoying the excitement of many of the popular movies and books of the genre, his background tends to compel him to classify them more as fantasy than as science fiction. I suppose that's the reason that I've always enjoyed Clarke's novels and short stories. With actual human beings as the characters, living in a universe in which space travel still obeys the known laws and constraints of physics, his stories are compelling and thought provoking.
The Songs of Distant Earth is standard fare for Clarke. It is a nice story of an earth that has 1600 years of advance warning that its existence will abruptly come to an end. Humanity then embarks on a unified mission to spread its seed throughout the nearby habitable planets. Thalassa is one such planet that receives some of the earliest voyagers. It is a planet comparable to ours minus all the continents, where all the dry land is contained on a few small islands in one small part of an otherwise ocean-covered sphere.
A few centuries later, when one of the very last of the seeding spaceships arrives at Thalassa to rebuild its depleted ice shield, a clash of interests and cultures ensues. For me this was a very enjoyable read. I wish there were more science fiction writers of Arthur C. Clarke's ilk in the world.
The Songs of Distant Earth is standard fare for Clarke. It is a nice story of an earth that has 1600 years of advance warning that its existence will abruptly come to an end. Humanity then embarks on a unified mission to spread its seed throughout the nearby habitable planets. Thalassa is one such planet that receives some of the earliest voyagers. It is a planet comparable to ours minus all the continents, where all the dry land is contained on a few small islands in one small part of an otherwise ocean-covered sphere.
A few centuries later, when one of the very last of the seeding spaceships arrives at Thalassa to rebuild its depleted ice shield, a clash of interests and cultures ensues. For me this was a very enjoyable read. I wish there were more science fiction writers of Arthur C. Clarke's ilk in the world.
May 26, 2020
Kettős érzés: jó volt olvasni, mint régivágású "űrhajózós" könyvet, de egy kicsit nehézkes is volt most nekem az író stílusa. /Úgy rémlik, ezen kívül csak az Űrodüsszeiát olvastam tőle, inkább csak a filmre emlékszem. / Sok elgondolkodtató ötlet és információ szerepelt itt, de nekem a Föld elhagyása túlságosan szomorúnak tűnt.
Személyes véleményem az, hogy sosem fogunk elköltözni távoli bolygókra, nem is tudnánk-de ez egy teljesen laikus gondolat.
Személyes véleményem az, hogy sosem fogunk elköltözni távoli bolygókra, nem is tudnánk-de ez egy teljesen laikus gondolat.
May 23, 2017
The Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C. Clarke
written deliberately against science fantasy of star wars, this is the beauty, the awe, the wonder, from actual scientific extrapolation. i like this for the elegiac promised future for earth and how we might change, yet be the same, ever as we go out to the galaxy…
here are others read by ACC-
5 stars-
Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C Clarke
i remember this book as a kid, but have read it at least 3 times as an adult. this is a comforting, engaging, typically arthur c clarke future: conflict is between man capital m, and the constraints of the universe- and incidentally, of course, the religious forces- but science trumps them all. sf as engineering fiction written by engineers for engineers. something quaint, something i am sentimental about. i like the hope, the dream, the rational utopia, even as it seems thin and improbable. also that the narrative is divided by showing the contemporary era of building this elevator to the stars, and the historical era of constructing the king’s garden and the fountains of paradise.
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
there is this movie, there is this book… neither is complete without the other. stanley kubrick’s masterpiece and this radical elaboration of one of clarke’s short stories. developed together. written concurrently. if you want to be amazed by understated awe of images- watch the film. if you want to understand what you just saw- read the book.
four stars-
The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke by Arthur C. Clarke
every short story ever published by this man who defined the earlier possibilities of science fiction- but not just a cheerleader for sf, he wrote some masterpieces not entirely triumphal eg. nine billion names of god, the star. all required reading if you love sf.
three stars-
Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke
it is not about evolution for clarke- it is all about transcendence…
The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke
what direction will humankind go: ever outward, ever inward…? version 2 of Against the Fall of Night
Imperial Earth by Arthur C. Clarke
utopia and its discontents…
Against the Fall of Night by Arthur C. Clarke
version 1 of The City and the Stars
Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke
first read this before my personal golden age of science fiction, i was 12…
two stars-
Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
big dumb object…? not my favourite, not enough to read on sequels.
3001: The Final Odyssey (Space Odyssey, #4) by Arthur C. Clarke
sequels gradually diminish returns…
A Fall of Moondust by Arthur C. Clarke
catastrophe on a moon bus? okay…
Prelude to Space by Arthur C. Clarke
characters? we don’t need no stinkin’ characters!
Prelude to Space
nonfiction on arthur c clarke-
Arthur C. Clarke: A Critical Companion
The Space Odysseys of Arthur C. Clarke
written deliberately against science fantasy of star wars, this is the beauty, the awe, the wonder, from actual scientific extrapolation. i like this for the elegiac promised future for earth and how we might change, yet be the same, ever as we go out to the galaxy…
here are others read by ACC-
5 stars-
Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C Clarke
i remember this book as a kid, but have read it at least 3 times as an adult. this is a comforting, engaging, typically arthur c clarke future: conflict is between man capital m, and the constraints of the universe- and incidentally, of course, the religious forces- but science trumps them all. sf as engineering fiction written by engineers for engineers. something quaint, something i am sentimental about. i like the hope, the dream, the rational utopia, even as it seems thin and improbable. also that the narrative is divided by showing the contemporary era of building this elevator to the stars, and the historical era of constructing the king’s garden and the fountains of paradise.
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
there is this movie, there is this book… neither is complete without the other. stanley kubrick’s masterpiece and this radical elaboration of one of clarke’s short stories. developed together. written concurrently. if you want to be amazed by understated awe of images- watch the film. if you want to understand what you just saw- read the book.
four stars-
The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke by Arthur C. Clarke
every short story ever published by this man who defined the earlier possibilities of science fiction- but not just a cheerleader for sf, he wrote some masterpieces not entirely triumphal eg. nine billion names of god, the star. all required reading if you love sf.
three stars-
Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke
it is not about evolution for clarke- it is all about transcendence…
The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke
what direction will humankind go: ever outward, ever inward…? version 2 of Against the Fall of Night
Imperial Earth by Arthur C. Clarke
utopia and its discontents…
Against the Fall of Night by Arthur C. Clarke
version 1 of The City and the Stars
Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke
first read this before my personal golden age of science fiction, i was 12…
two stars-
Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
big dumb object…? not my favourite, not enough to read on sequels.
3001: The Final Odyssey (Space Odyssey, #4) by Arthur C. Clarke
sequels gradually diminish returns…
A Fall of Moondust by Arthur C. Clarke
catastrophe on a moon bus? okay…
Prelude to Space by Arthur C. Clarke
characters? we don’t need no stinkin’ characters!
Prelude to Space
nonfiction on arthur c clarke-
Arthur C. Clarke: A Critical Companion
The Space Odysseys of Arthur C. Clarke
November 11, 2019
The huge interstellar space ship Magellan has docked for a while on the world Thalassa, which had been peopled with earthlings years before our solar system self-destructed. The newcomers must make repairs to their ice shield, and Thalassa is the right place to do it, as it is almost entirely ocean.
Arthur C. Clarke's The Songs of Distant Earth is a tale of the differences between the new arrivals and the original colonists, who resemble nothing so much as the Polynesians being visited by Captain Cook. Except here, violence doesn't break out; but frequent misunderstandings do.
The overall ton of Clarke's book is sadness of earth's demise, and the centuries-long task of terraforming a new destination that is still some light years ahead of them.
Arthur C. Clarke's The Songs of Distant Earth is a tale of the differences between the new arrivals and the original colonists, who resemble nothing so much as the Polynesians being visited by Captain Cook. Except here, violence doesn't break out; but frequent misunderstandings do.
The overall ton of Clarke's book is sadness of earth's demise, and the centuries-long task of terraforming a new destination that is still some light years ahead of them.
May 2, 2018
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick, interesting read. However,I didn’t connect with the characters. I seem to have this problem with many books written by male authors, especially in sci-if that isn’t new. Certainly, I’ve connected deeply with the characters in books by some male authors; I’m just saying the lack of connection isn’t uncommon for me when I read male authors. Does that make sense? Anyhow, I certainly wasn’t ever tempted to put the book aside. I liked it.
January 7, 2022
In breve: Forse non sarà l'opera migliore di Clarke, ma è stato meglio di quel che mi sarei aspettata. Ha toccato corde che non sospettavo di avere.
May 1, 2020
This is not my favorite Arthur C. Clarke book, but it has its moments. Since he's my favorite of the Big Three 20th century SF writers (Clarke, Asimov, and Heinlein), I've been meaning to check it out. What spurred me to do so now is that I just finished Adrian Tchaikovsky's Arthur C. Clarke-Award-Winning Children of Time, which is a much newer and different book, but one with some Clarke-style Big Ideas (multiple waves of far future space exploration, hibernation, animal intelligence, etc.). In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Tchaikovsky was influenced by this book.
Let's start with the things I didn't like. Have you ever wondered how Arthur C. Clarke handles sexual and romantic relationships? No, nobody ever has, and for good reason. But don't hate him for it. That's not his thing. Nobody reads Clarke for the sex (although I'm sure someone has written HAL-9000 erotica).
It's also obvious this was originally a shorter piece that got stretched and merged with other ideas, especially when the novel is lagging in the middle with short chapters on all of the ideas Clarke had written down but couldn't get into another project (underwater lobster creatures on the verge of culture? Cool! Mutiny? Neato. Politics? Sure. Future history? Sign me up. Language has barely changed in hundreds of years? Um, that's, convenient, I guess... But don't expect much of this to get a lot of treatment or really drive the plot. But at least the lagging chapters are quick, and the book isn't too long.
There's also a bit of philosophy. A lot of it's the kind of 20th century "science has killed God, thus making religion superfluous in the future" kind of stuff that only Richard Dawkins really believes anymore (I'm not a religious type myself, but I don't see religion disappearing any time soon). There's a chapter that was painful to read that describes the future history of discarding most of the religion and literature of the world (although Clarke has the decency to describe it as dystopic in the long run to eliminate a lot of the accumulated wisdom of humanity). Buddhism gets some special treatment, maybe not a surprise as Clarke lived in Sri Lanka.
After a genuinely amusing bit on how probability dissolves the problem of evil while leaving humanity with a widely accepted case for atheism, he has the intellectual decency to have a spacefaring character say, after pontificating to his native girlfriend/student, "No serious philosophical problem is ever settled" (p. 260). (This is also a good example of the fact that both groups of humans seem to be depicted as egalitarian even though almost all of the scientists and smart people are men and the women are mostly there as romantic partners and sounding boards, but maybe I'm being too hard on Clarke. I'm not sure.)
But it all ends with a nice dose of the cosmic melancholy Clarke does best. And there's some genuinely moving stuff, especially in the final chapters. There are a lot of great lines, like this one that explains the title, "All these the listeners heard in the music that came out of the night--the songs of distant Earth, carried across the light-years..." (p. 288). The aching beauty of conscious beings grasping into a mind-expanding void is a feeling nobody does better than Clarke. And that's why you should read this or any other Arthur C. Clarke book.
My blog review: https://examinedworlds.blogspot.com/2...
Let's start with the things I didn't like. Have you ever wondered how Arthur C. Clarke handles sexual and romantic relationships? No, nobody ever has, and for good reason. But don't hate him for it. That's not his thing. Nobody reads Clarke for the sex (although I'm sure someone has written HAL-9000 erotica).
It's also obvious this was originally a shorter piece that got stretched and merged with other ideas, especially when the novel is lagging in the middle with short chapters on all of the ideas Clarke had written down but couldn't get into another project (underwater lobster creatures on the verge of culture? Cool! Mutiny? Neato. Politics? Sure. Future history? Sign me up. Language has barely changed in hundreds of years? Um, that's, convenient, I guess... But don't expect much of this to get a lot of treatment or really drive the plot. But at least the lagging chapters are quick, and the book isn't too long.
There's also a bit of philosophy. A lot of it's the kind of 20th century "science has killed God, thus making religion superfluous in the future" kind of stuff that only Richard Dawkins really believes anymore (I'm not a religious type myself, but I don't see religion disappearing any time soon). There's a chapter that was painful to read that describes the future history of discarding most of the religion and literature of the world (although Clarke has the decency to describe it as dystopic in the long run to eliminate a lot of the accumulated wisdom of humanity). Buddhism gets some special treatment, maybe not a surprise as Clarke lived in Sri Lanka.
After a genuinely amusing bit on how probability dissolves the problem of evil while leaving humanity with a widely accepted case for atheism, he has the intellectual decency to have a spacefaring character say, after pontificating to his native girlfriend/student, "No serious philosophical problem is ever settled" (p. 260). (This is also a good example of the fact that both groups of humans seem to be depicted as egalitarian even though almost all of the scientists and smart people are men and the women are mostly there as romantic partners and sounding boards, but maybe I'm being too hard on Clarke. I'm not sure.)
But it all ends with a nice dose of the cosmic melancholy Clarke does best. And there's some genuinely moving stuff, especially in the final chapters. There are a lot of great lines, like this one that explains the title, "All these the listeners heard in the music that came out of the night--the songs of distant Earth, carried across the light-years..." (p. 288). The aching beauty of conscious beings grasping into a mind-expanding void is a feeling nobody does better than Clarke. And that's why you should read this or any other Arthur C. Clarke book.
My blog review: https://examinedworlds.blogspot.com/2...
August 20, 2022
The Songs of Distant Earth
By Arthur C Clarke
#books #reviews #sciencefiction #literature #readingchallenge #readingcommunity
http://sravikabodapati.blogspot.com/2...
By Arthur C Clarke
#books #reviews #sciencefiction #literature #readingchallenge #readingcommunity
http://sravikabodapati.blogspot.com/2...
November 16, 2020
In The Songs of Distant Earth, renowned author Arthur C. Clarke evokes sentiments of bittersweet sadness by ruminating upon a postulated loss of Earth and upon the vanishing insignificance of individual lives in the context of timescales measured by centuries and millenia.
An idyllic extraterrestrial ocean world provides a pleasant setting for an engaging story that is built upon elements of hard science fiction, which form an interesting plot without becoming overbearing. Short chapters and good pacing make the book a quick read.
Readers who appreciate well written twentieth-century science fiction will likely enjoy this novel.
An idyllic extraterrestrial ocean world provides a pleasant setting for an engaging story that is built upon elements of hard science fiction, which form an interesting plot without becoming overbearing. Short chapters and good pacing make the book a quick read.
Readers who appreciate well written twentieth-century science fiction will likely enjoy this novel.
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