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The Fountains of Paradise 

The Fountains of Paradise (1979)
A novel by Arthur C Clarke

 
Awards
Hugo
Nebula
In the 22nd century visionary scientist Vannevar Morgan conceives the most grandiose engineering project of all time, and one which will revolutionize the future of humankind of space: a Space Elevator, 36,000 kilometres high, anchored to an equatorial island in the Indian Ocean.Originally The Fountains of Paradise was intended to be Arthur C. Clarke's last novel, before the author came out of "retirement" to pen 2010: Odyssey Two. It is also one of his best, and being set in a fictionalised version of Clarke's adopted home of Sri Lanka, one of his most personal. The story is based around the fantastical yet scientifically supportable idea of a "Space Elevator", a "tower" from the earth to geo-stationary orbit, 23 000 miles "high". The purpose is to make access to space routine, safe and cheap, and the 22nd century-set novel essentially follows Vannevar Morgan in his quest to complete this monumental project.

There are grand set-pieces worthy of the best adventure story, a generous scattering of fascinating speculations and observations and, of course, Clarke's famous eye for the epic vistas inherent in large-scale science fiction:

Slowly his eyes adapted, and in the depths of the mirror a faint red glow began to burn, and spread, and consume the stars. It grew brighter and brighter and flowed beyond the limits of the mirror; now he could see directly, for it extended halfway down the sky. A cage of light, with flickering, moving bars, was descending upon the earth.
As much the novel of a poet as that of a scientist, The Fountains of Paradise makes striking use of the sometimes haunting history of Sri Lanka, a device echoed by Kathleen Ann Goonan in her Hawaiian set novel, The Bones of Time. Anyone seriously interested in great science fiction should really have both these books in their collection. --Gary S. Dalkin

 
Used availability for Arthur C Clarke's The Fountains of Paradise


See all available used copies of this book at: Abebooks UK or Abebooks US
 

 

Hardback Editions

August 2001 : Hardback
Title: Fountains of Paradise the (Gemstar)
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 0759505284 / 9780759505285 (USA edition)
Publisher: Assorted
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   

August 2001 : Hardback
Title: Fountains of Paradise the (Microsoft Reader)
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 0759585369 / 9780759585362 (USA edition)
Publisher: Assorted
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   

August 2001 : Hardback
Title: Fountains of Paradise the (PDF)
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 0759595984 / 9780759595989 (USA edition)
Publisher: Assorted
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   

January 1980 : Hardback
Title: The fountains of paradise
Author(s):: Arthur Charles Clarke
ISBN: 0816130396 / 9780816130399 (USA edition)
Publisher: G. K. Hall
Availability: Amazon UK   Amazon   

January 1979 : Hardback
Title: The Fountains of Paradise
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 0575025204 / 9780575025202 (UK edition)
Publisher: Victor Gollancz Ltd.
Availability: Amazon   Amazon CA   Amazon UK   

January 1979 : Hardback
Title: Fountains of Paradise
Author(s):: Arthur Charles Clarke
ISBN: 0151327734 / 9780151327737 (USA edition)
Publisher: Harcourt
Availability: Amazon CA   Amazon UK   Amazon   

Paperback Editions

August 2001 : Paperback
Title: The Fountains of Paradise
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 0446677949 / 9780446677943 (USA edition)
Publisher: Aspect
Availability: Amazon   Amazon CA   Amazon UK   

October 2000 : Paperback
Title: The Fountains Of Paradise (S.F. MASTERWORKS)
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 1857987217 / 9781857987218 (UK edition)
Publisher: Gollancz
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   

March 1997 : Paperback
Title: The Fountains Of Paradise
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 0575601531 / 9780575601536 (UK edition)
Publisher: Gollancz
Availability: Amazon UK   Amazon   

January 1991 : Paperback
Title: Fountains of Paradise
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 9992250372 / 9789992250372
Publisher: Bantam Books
Availability: Amazon   

December 1990 : Mass Market Paperback
Title: Fountains of Paradise
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 0553288199 / 9780553288193 (USA edition)
Publisher: Bantam Books (Mm)
Availability: Amazon UK   Amazon   Amazon CA   

August 1989 : Paperback
Title: The Fountains of Paradise
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 0575045906 / 9780283981982 (UK edition)
Publisher: Gollancz
Availability: Amazon CA   Amazon UK   Amazon   

January 1984 : Mass Market Paperback
Title: The Fountains of Paradise
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 0345347943 / 9780345347947 (USA edition)
Publisher: Ballantine Books (Mm)
Availability: Amazon   Amazon CA   Amazon UK   

January 1984 : Mass Market Paperback
Title: FOUNTAINS OF PARADISE
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 0345315596 / 9780345315595 (USA edition)
Publisher: Del Rey
Availability: Amazon   Amazon CA   Amazon UK   

April 1980 : Paperback
Title: Fountains of Paradise
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 0330259849 / 9780330259842 (UK edition)
Publisher: Macmillan
Availability: Amazon CA   Amazon UK   Amazon   

January 1980 : Mass Market Paperback
Title: Fountains of Paradise
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 0345253566 / 9780345253569 (USA edition)
Publisher: Del Rey
Availability: Amazon   Amazon CA   Amazon UK   

Audio Editions

May 2013 : Audio CD
Title: Fountains of Paradise [Unabridged]
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 1471230511 / 9781471230516
Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   

November 2011 : Audio CD
Title: The Fountains of Paradise
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 1455857688 / 9781455857685
Publisher: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   

November 2011 : Audio CD
Title: The Fountains of Paradise
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 1455858625 / 9781455858620
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   

November 2011 : MP3 CD
Title: The Fountains of Paradise
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 1455859567 / 9781455859566
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   

November 2011 : MP3 CD
Title: The Fountains of Paradise
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 1455860565 / 9781455860562
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   

January 1979 : Audio Cassette
Title: Fountains of Paradise
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: 069450324X / 9780694503247 (USA edition)
Publisher: HarperCollins Canada / Audio
Availability: Amazon   Amazon CA   

Kindle Editions

November 2012 : Kindle edition
Title: The Fountains of Paradise (Arthur C. Clarke Collection)
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: B00AHKGESA
Publisher: RosettaBooks
Availability: Amazon   Amazon UK   

March 2012 : Kindle edition
Title: The Fountains Of Paradise (S.F. MASTERWORKS)
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: B007FXIBV0
Publisher: Gateway
Availability: Amazon UK   

August 2001 : Kindle edition
Title: The Fountains of Paradise
Author(s):: Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN: B000Q67JD4
Publisher: Aspect
Availability: Amazon   

 


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