Arthur C. Clarke by Gary Westfahl
Already renowned for his science fiction and scientific nonfiction, Arthur C. Clarke became the world’s most famous science fiction writer after the success of 2001: A Space Odyssey. He then produced novels like Rendezvous with Rama and The Fountains of Paradise that many regard as his finest works. Gary Westfahl closely examines Clarke's remarkable career, ranging from his forgotten juvenilia to the passages he completed for a final novel, The Last Theorem. As Westfahl explains, Clarke’s science fiction offered original perspectives on subjects like new inventions, space travel, humanity’s destiny, alien encounters, the undersea world, and religion. While not inclined to mysticism, Clarke necessarily employed mystical language to describe the fantastic achievements of advanced aliens and future humans. Westfahl also contradicts the common perception that Clarke’s characters were bland and underdeveloped, arguing that these reticent, solitary individuals, who avoid conventional relationships, represent his most significant prediction of the future, as they embody the increasingly common lifestyle of people in the twenty-first century.
"The book offers a fresh perspective on Clarke and some thought-provoking readings of his fiction. . . This study should prompt other scholars to follow up on Westfahl's interesting opening assertions about the unique nature of Clarke's storytelling skills and prose style. " --Fafnir
"This is the most insightful analysis of Clarke I have seen. It has many gems, such as this irresistible pearl: 'Clarke's characters anticipate the way that more and more people now live their lives. Clarke's characters, then, may someday be regarded as his most significant prediction of the future, making him seem more like a twenty-first century writer than a twentieth-century writer--perhaps the greatest compliment one can imagine for a science fiction writer.' His scaffold leading to this is of the highest quality."--Gregory Benford
"The legacy of Sir Arthur has finally been given justice, and therefore this guide is to be wholeheartedly recommended."--SFFWorld
"Gary Westfahl's compact critical biography closely yet succinctly examines everything from Clarke's British childhood through his last years on the island of Sri Lanka, his juvenilia through the numerous 'collaborations' that fill the last pages of his bibliography." --Shepherd Express
“A well-considered reevaluation of Arthur C. Clarke’s legacy. . . . His analysis is most valuable in its scope, ranging beyond Clarke’s major works and considering his myriad stories, his less successful novels, his nonfiction, and even his juvenilia.”--Booklist
"Westfahl successfully relocates the context of Clarke's work, which in turn allows him to bring a fresh perspective even to oft-analyzed texts." --InterGalactic Medicine Show
"Gary Westfahl's Arthur C. Clarke (2018) fills the gap by offering a much-needed survey of Clarke's entire oeuvre, from his juvenilia to his many collaborations. This book will provide a useful starting place for future conversations about Clarke." --Science Fiction Studies
"This is the most insightful analysis of Clarke I have seen. It has many gems, such as this irresistible pearl: 'Clarke's characters anticipate the way that more and more people now live their lives. Clarke's characters, then, may someday be regarded as his most significant prediction of the future, making him seem more like a twenty-first century writer than a twentieth-century writer--perhaps the greatest compliment one can imagine for a science fiction writer.' His scaffold leading to this is of the highest quality."--Gregory Benford
"The legacy of Sir Arthur has finally been given justice, and therefore this guide is to be wholeheartedly recommended."--SFFWorld
"Gary Westfahl's compact critical biography closely yet succinctly examines everything from Clarke's British childhood through his last years on the island of Sri Lanka, his juvenilia through the numerous 'collaborations' that fill the last pages of his bibliography." --Shepherd Express
“A well-considered reevaluation of Arthur C. Clarke’s legacy. . . . His analysis is most valuable in its scope, ranging beyond Clarke’s major works and considering his myriad stories, his less successful novels, his nonfiction, and even his juvenilia.”--Booklist
"Westfahl successfully relocates the context of Clarke's work, which in turn allows him to bring a fresh perspective even to oft-analyzed texts." --InterGalactic Medicine Show
"Gary Westfahl's Arthur C. Clarke (2018) fills the gap by offering a much-needed survey of Clarke's entire oeuvre, from his juvenilia to his many collaborations. This book will provide a useful starting place for future conversations about Clarke." --Science Fiction Studies
Gary Westfahl, formerly of the University of La Verne and the University of California, Riverside, has now retired to focus exclusively on research and writing. His many books on science fiction include William Gibson and Hugo Gernsback and the Century of Science Fiction.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780252083594 |
| ISBN 10 | 0252083598 |
| Title | Arthur C. Clarke |
| Author | Gary Westfahl |
| Series | Modern Masters Of Science Fiction |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | University of Illinois Press |
| Year published | 2018-06-14 |
| Number of pages | 224 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |