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Shows signs of wear. Jacket may be torn cover may have creases pages have some writing and highlighting. May have some water damage. May be a former library book. Ships direct from Amazon! Shows signs of wear. Jacket may be torn cover may have creases pages have some writing and highlighting. May have some water damage. May be a former library book. Ships direct from Amazon! See less
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The City and the Stars Paperback – January 1, 2001

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 4,986 ratings

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Men had built cities before, but never such a city as Diaspar; for millennia its protective dome shutout the creeping decay and danger of the world outside. Once, it held powers that rules the stars. But then, as legend had it, The invaders came, driving humanity into this last refuge. It takes one man, A Unique to break through Diaspar’s stifling inertia, to smash the legend and discover the true nature of the Invaders.
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About the Author

Arthur C. Clarke was born in Minehead in 1917. During the Second World War he served as a radar instructor for the RAF, rising to the rank of flight-lieutenant. After the war, he entered King’s college, London taking, in 1948, his Bsc in physics and mathematics with first class honours.One of the most respected of all science-fiction writers, he has won Kalinga Prize, the Aviation Space-Writers’ Prize and the Westinghouse Science Writing Prize. He also shared an Oscar nomination with Stanley Kubrick for the screenplay of 2001: A Space Odyssey, which was based on his story, ‘The Sentinel’. He has lived in Sri Lanka since 1956.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Millennium Paperbacks (January 1, 2001)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 255 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1857987632
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1857987638
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.04 x 1.02 x 7.72 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 4,986 ratings

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Arthur C. Clarke
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SIR ARTHUR C. CLARKE (1917-2008) wrote the novel and co-authored the screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey. He has been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, and he is the only science-fiction writer to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. His fiction and nonfiction have sold more than one hundred million copies in print worldwide.

Photo by en:User:Mamyjomarash (Amy Marash) (en:Image:Clarke sm.jpg) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4,986 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and thought-provoking. They praise the writing quality as beautiful, elegant, and lucid. The futuristic content is described as imaginative and complex. Readers describe the book as fun, entertaining, and ahead of its time. They also mention that the pacing is fast and never feels rushed.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

227 customers mention "Readability"201 positive26 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it interesting and thought-provoking, with imaginative plot elements that are believable. Readers consider it an excellent, enjoyable read that hooked them on speculative fiction.

"...intriguing and depicts fantastic future technology and quite imaginative plot elements, yet it appears believable and scientifically plausible, well..." Read more

"...Given its far-future setting, wide-ranging ideas, and intriguing story, it should have continued appeal for the next 50 years...." Read more

"...not rate this as highly as "Childhood's End", it is certainly an excellent novel and well worth reading for those who love science fiction and for..." Read more

"A fun quick read for fans of far future sci-fi. Great character build and mystery through out. Will keep in my library" Read more

65 customers mention "Thought provoking"65 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking. They appreciate the outstanding ideas and fantastic yet feasible science. The story arc and underlying philosophy hold readers spellbound. The author's imaginative storytelling opens their minds to new levels. Overall, customers describe the book as amazing and informative.

"...future technology and quite imaginative plot elements, yet it appears believable and scientifically plausible, well perhaps except the faster than..." Read more

"...Given its far-future setting, wide-ranging ideas, and intriguing story, it should have continued appeal for the next 50 years...." Read more

"...in time, the artificiality of life, and the unfamiliar but neatly drawn social structures give the book a kind of fantasy feel that i didn’t expect..." Read more

"...City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke – This is a truly amazing book about the future of the human race and its civilizations...." Read more

51 customers mention "Writing quality"44 positive7 negative

Customers appreciate the book's writing quality. They find the writing elegant and poetic, with lucid descriptions. The book keeps a steady pace without slowing down with unnecessary details. Readers enjoy the author's way of building the setting so that they feel immersed in it. While the composition is straightforward, it captures the sense of awe and wonder.

"...The writing in this novel is better, the plot elements more consistent, and you get a clearer picture of Alvin’s life and life in Diaspar...." Read more

"...Life is all too stable and idyllic in Diaspar...." Read more

"Clarke paints a vivid and imaginative picture of what life on earth looks like a billion years into the future, and the story does not disappoint...." Read more

"...this a four out of five stars because it's clearly a classic and so well-written and well-imagined. I will certainly be reading more of his books!" Read more

22 customers mention "Futuristic content"17 positive5 negative

Customers enjoy the futuristic content of the book. They find it imaginative and creative, with fantastic future technology and a complex view of the Universe and humanity. The story is described as lively and thrilling, with an interesting look at human behavior. Readers appreciate the prophetic technological elements and monumental timescale.

"...This novel is very creative and intriguing and depicts fantastic future technology and quite imaginative plot elements, yet it appears believable..." Read more

"...Given its far-future setting, wide-ranging ideas, and intriguing story, it should have continued appeal for the next 50 years...." Read more

"...The distance in time, the artificiality of life, and the unfamiliar but neatly drawn social structures give the book a kind of fantasy feel that i..." Read more

"Return to real Golden Age of Science Fiction. Of course this work is dated now, but therein lies it's charm...." Read more

21 customers mention "Enjoyment"21 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it entertaining and interesting, rekindling their passion for reading. Readers say it's thought-provoking for readers of any age, though some feel it was written for younger readers.

"...story is complex and layered and he builds a future which captures the reader's interest...." Read more

"...It's fun to read a novel like this and look back in hindsight at the mindset of the futurist of the mid-1950s." Read more

"It is a pleasure to read a science-fiction novel that deals with some seriously big ideas...." Read more

"...Likewise it is not as good a story but still great fun!" Read more

13 customers mention "Pacing"10 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing. They find it fast-paced but not rushed. The story is described as ahead of its time, and influential even after 50 years.

"...of questions for just one book, and finds answers for them all in its fast and entertaining narrative...." Read more

"...THE TRUTH IS IF YOU WANT TO READ A REALLY GOOD, FAST PACED BOOK THAT WILL GIVE YOU MUCH FOOD FOR THOUGHT AND KEEP YOU INTERESTED FROM START TO..." Read more

"...A lot happens very quickly in this story, but it never feels rushed, and the reader is definitely eased into pondering the central themes of the..." Read more

"...The beginning was so great. Then towards the end, it dragged a bit. The end fell apart a bit...." Read more

12 customers mention "Adventure"12 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the adventure. They find the book about exploration and adventure rather than laser wars. The world-building is interesting, and the young man's journey of discovery is enjoyable. Readers appreciate the wisdom and insight in the book.

"...There is wisdom and insight here too . . ...." Read more

"...about this book is that continious feeling of enigma which lures you further and further. And every time you think you close it melts as a mirage...." Read more

"This is a young man's journey of discovery and overcoming the inertia of an ancient society. The sheer sweep of Clarke's vision overcomes the..." Read more

"...Both have something in their writing that keeps one's interest and a subtle force that brings you into the story, forgetting how many pages you have..." Read more

14 customers mention "Character development"7 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development. Some find the main character wonderful and easy to connect with, while others feel the character development could be better, the characters are thin, and the cast of narrators is large. The main narrator is boring and stilted, but it's worth reading.

"A fun quick read for fans of far future sci-fi. Great character build and mystery through out. Will keep in my library" Read more

"...The character development could be a bit better and his overuse of the word “presently” annoyed me a bit...." Read more

"This book is everything a sci-fi fan would want. The main character is wonderful, Diaspar is a miracle, (why would he want to leave it?),..." Read more

"...The characters are a bit thin, somehow overshadowed by the big picture and ambitious scope of the story...." Read more

I love this book.
5 out of 5 stars
I love this book.
This is my favourite book by Arthur C. Clarke. It really captured my attention when I first read it at the age of twelve. I re-read it again in my 30's and found it just as good. I feel really sad that Arthur is dead now, he was such a great author.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2015
    Billions of years into the future mankind have withdrawn from the stars and settled into only two cities Diaspar and Lys. The Earth is desolate and space exploration has long ago ceased. False beliefs and human psychology keep humankind voluntarily “imprisoned”. The cities feature super advanced technology essentially providing for everything you need. The people of Diaspar have in a sort of eternal life whilst the people of Lys have telepathy. Why and how this happened, and how this decadent retreat finally ended is told in this magical story. The story is focused on the exploits of Alvin a young man from Diaspar who unlike everyone else is adventurous, curious and unafraid.

    This novel is very creative and intriguing and depicts fantastic future technology and quite imaginative plot elements, yet it appears believable and scientifically plausible, well perhaps except the faster than light travel. Arthur C. Clarke is scientifically schooled and an extremely intelligent author. He can truly take us far into the future and to other strange worlds without losing his credibility amongst us “nerds”. The character development could be a bit better and his overuse of the word “presently” annoyed me a bit.

    This novel is a rewrite of Arthur C. Clarke’s first novel “Against the Fall of Night”. I read both back to back and in my opinion this is the better version. The writing in this novel is better, the plot elements more consistent, and you get a clearer picture of Alvin’s life and life in Diaspar. Another difference is that in “Against the Fall of Night” the distorted history and false beliefs seemed to have emerged naturally, whilst in “The City and the Stars” this was deliberate. However, in this case I prefer the version in “Against the Fall of Night”. Overall I liked this version better and I highly recommend it. On the other hand “Against the Fall of Night” is a quicker read. As far as the best Arthur C. Clarke novel I think that is “Childhood’s End” but “The City and the Stars” is not far behind.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2014
    "The City and the Stars" is a major work with a lively story and an imaginative view of the far distant future. Even a billion years in the future, humankind can fall into relatively dark ages where life falls into static patterns and man's spirit withers. In "The City and the Stars", Arthur C. Clarke envisions mankind having fallen into two cultural niches, each limited by their own approaches to life. Diaspar, a city in which some 10 million people lives have been extended by technology to 1000 years, and each life ends when its personality is encoded into a nearly omnipotent computer for later reincarnation, has become the womb of humanity. Earth itself has become a desert and Diaspar believes it is the only human remnant. However, another culture has survived in Lys, where human lifetimes are short and intense. The hero of this story is Alvin, a Unique, i.e., a person who has been created anew and faces life for the first time. Alvin is free of some of the cultural boundaries that limit Diasparans and, in particular, he is a free spirit who cannot resist the lure of experiences beyond the city. His explorations of the world outside and their consequences for Diaspar, Lys, and the future of humanity are the central features of the plot.

    "The City..." is a major expansion published in 1956 of "Against the Fall of Night", which was published serially in 1948 and in book form in 1953. The former version has a very tightly focused plot dealing mainly with two aspects of the distant future: 1) description of the nature of technology and society in Clarke's vision of the distant future and 2) the explorations of its 20-year-old protagonist, Alvin, and the consequent disruptions that will apparently lead to renewed vigor and growth of humanity. This earlier version is a compelling story in its own right, and I have reviewed it separately at http://www.amazon.com/review/RV8G92FK092Y2/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm . "The City..." expands the earlier version while retaining the central plot line in nearly unchanged form, with greater depth in handling the two original themes, plus a number of additional themes. This version adds significantly in areas of psychology, sociology, and philosophy. This expansion elaborates on the motivations of the main characters and the cultures and increases the amount of food for thought.

    "The City..." sacrifices the concise, driving style of "Against..." as an inevitable consequence of the additional themes, and the relative advantages of the different approaches will depend on your reading preferences. My recommendation is that "Against..." would be more fun for young readers (pre- and young-teen), while "The City..." would be the more enjoyable for most of the older crowd. One surprising thing occurred as I read the two novels back-to-back: as a scientist, I wasn't burdened by concerns of realism while reading "Against..."; oddly, perhaps because of its efforts towards greater realism, I was frequently inclined to evaluate ideas and events in "The City..." on a scale of ultimate likelihood!

    I recommend "The City and the Stars" for SciFi and Arthur C. Clarke fans. Given its far-future setting, wide-ranging ideas, and intriguing story, it should have continued appeal for the next 50 years.

    Clarke's best work, I think, is "Rendevous with Rama". Don't miss it. I'd also recommend Isaac Asimov's Foundation series; the original Foundation trilogy is roughly contemporary in writing with the early Clarke SciFi novels and most of the early and later Foundation books are compelling.
    26 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Salomao Salim Neto
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente.
    Reviewed in Brazil on September 20, 2024
    Excelente.
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars It has been decades!
    Reviewed in Canada on December 15, 2023
    Since the last time I read Clarke many of the trains of thought in his stories have become real.
    The questions asked in this story have never been answered, and perhaps never asked.

    It will be a delight to reintroduce myself to his writings!

    That will never be the case again.
  • GP1988
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ottimo acquisto. Libro nuovo e legatura solida.
    Reviewed in Italy on July 28, 2020
    Il libro è nuovo e non usato. Della versione italiana (Urania, ecc.) avevo trovato solo copie usate. Questo è il motivo per cui ho optato per la versione originale. La veste tipografica è discreta, la legatura è solida, anche se i caratteri non sono certo paragonabili all'ottima qualità dei libri che si pubblicano in Italia. La trama è affascinante ed è strano che non sia più stato pubblicato in italiano.
  • Chris Turner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
    Reviewed in Australia on February 14, 2023
    Although this is a rewrite of Against the Fall of Night, I felt the original was better. An excellent book, but it's the original that I'll never forget.
  • Adrian sabater
    5.0 out of 5 stars libro muy interesante y fácil de leer
    Reviewed in Spain on August 18, 2017
    El libro se lee muy fácilmente, engancha la historia. Se ve el miedo que nos dan los cambios y cómo en las sociedades que expulsan a las personas más inquietas y brillantes se resienten por el inmovilismo.