Of Time and Stars (edition 1992)

Arthur C. Clarke

Of Time and Stars

Puffin, Paperback, 1976.
12mo. 205 pp. Introduction by J. B. Priestley, 1972 [pp. 7-10]. Foreword by Arthur Clark, 1972 [11-14].

First published thus, 1972.
All stories previously appeared in other collections.

Contents*

Introduction
Foreword

The Nine Billion Names of God [1953]
An Ape About the House [1962]
Green Fingers [1956]
Trouble with the Natives [1951]
Into the Comet [1960]
No Morning After [1954]
"If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth . . ." [1951]
Who's There? [1958]
All the Time in the World [1952]
Hide and Seek [1949]
Robin Hood, F.R.S. [1956]
The Fires Within [1947]
The Forgotten Enemy [1948]
The Reluctant Orchid [1956]
Encounter at Dawn [1953]
Security Check [1956]
Feathered Friend [1957]
The Sentinel [1951]

*In square brackets: the year of first publication, usually in magazine.

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This is a somewhat puzzling collection. It remains elusive whether Clarke himself selected the contents or not, but considering that just five years ago (The Nine Billion Names of God, 1967) he had done the former, and there is quite a few duplications with the earlier book, it seems unlikely that the selection was his in this case. There are, indeed, some glaring omissions (e. g. ''The Star'') and on the whole this collection is decidedly lighter, and thus a worse introduction to Clarke's writing, than The Nine Billion Names of God. Nevertheless, this is still an immensely enjoyable book and you certainly could do worse with your first Clarkian encounter.

If you can find the book cheaply, the two non-fiction pieces in it are more than worth the price. The Introduction of J. B. Priestley is a little rambling but he is pleasantly appreciative of Clarke's art and he has some perceptive remarks about the genre as a whole. Chief among these are his scathing remarks against science fiction that just transfers to space plots that could easily happen on Earth as well. (Here's a striking parallel: compare this with Somerset Maugham's definition of "exotic" stories, namely ones that can happen in a number of colonies but certainly not in Europe or America.) But my favourite is Mr Priestley's subtle difference between invention and imagination. The former is apt to be fanciful and is rather more common; the latter makes you feel as if you live the story yourself, and that is a hallmark of great writers only - it is quite rare, that is. And yes, at his best, which is far from seldom, Arthur does have it.

Clarke's own Foreword is the typical one for him: short but packed with valuable information that stimulates some fascinating alternative re-readings. For instance, learning about the origins of ''The Forgotten Enemy'' made me appreciate more fully a story I didn't think much of before. The most important point to keep in mind, as made clear by Arthur, is that these stories were written in a period which saw the space flight turning from science fiction into reality. However, this is a little misleading. Most of the pieces included here were actually written before the Space Age started, and only one dates from post-Gagarin times - and it is, incidentally, a story that has nothing to do with space flight. Strange to say, but except "The Sentinel" and "Encounter at Dawn", there is very little here of Clarke's typically profound exploration of our putative first contacts with extraterrestrial intelligence. The same also goes for space exploration by our species alone - only "Feathered Friend" and "Green Fingers" easily fall in this category.

One of the most puzzling aspects of the selection in this book is the very uneven presence of the six collections Clark had published prior to 1972, with the last one of which he had in fact officially stopped writing short stories; he did write some in later years, but rather few and rather short. It is strange, to say the least, that there is here but one story from Tales of Ten Worlds (1962), a magnificent collection that contains a number of masterpieces way worthier than ''Ape About the House''. Just as inexplicable is the complete neglect of The Wind From the Sun (1972), which also contains some pretty great stories (e. g. ''Maelstrom II'') and appeared four full months before Of Time and Stars. So keep in mind that the selection here is limited and do not really represent Arthur Clarke on all fronts of his remarkably multifarious creativity.

Most of these 18 stories are light fare designed for pure amusement. ''Trouble with the Natives'', ''No Morning After'' and ''The Reluctant Orchid'' are among Clarke's most hilarious creations, and it must be a very morose individual who is not entertained by them at least a little bit; on a slightly less accomplished a level, ''Ape About the House'', ''Who's There?'', ''Security Check'' and ''The Nine Billion Names of God'' do the same job rather well. Needless to say, all these pieces do have many a serious overtone, and quite a few disturbing undertones as well, but their primary function is intelligent amusement. The same more or less can be said of ''Robin Hood, F.R.S.'', ''Feathered Friend'', ''Into the Commet'' and ''Hide and Seek'', all of them fine examples of the peculiar fusion of dramatic fiction with non-fictional popular science.

The more serious side of Clarke is rather sparsely presented, alas. ''The Sentinel'', the famous kernel of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the short but shattering "If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth . . ." are the only really fine examples here. Still, the poignant ''Green Fingers'', the chilling ''All the Time in the World'' and the full of surprises ''The Fires Within'', though being more fantasy than science fiction, are very good testimony to Clarke's fertile imagination and considerable literary abilities.

All in all, for sheer escapist entertainment in a Clarkian fashion, this collection is difficult to beat. As far intellectual appeal goes, it could have been done quite a bit better, but a sufficiently inquisitive mind may well find between these pages several scientific concepts and philosophical conundrums worth reflecting upon. ( )

A Clarke collection that again wisely leads off with the best story, finishing with another of his best, and a few other higher quality pieces are scattered throughout. Also some short entertainments like the Robin Hood story and Feathered Friend, all of the not very long at all variety.

Actually a 3.61 average here, rathed good.

So, a bit over 4.25 this one, rounded up.

Of Time and Stars : The Nine Billion Names of God - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : An Ape About the House - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : Green Fingers - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : Trouble with the Natives - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : Into the Comet - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : No Morning After - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : If I Forget Thee Oh Earth - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : Who's There? - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : All the Time in the World - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : Hide and Seek - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : Robin Hood F.R.S. - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : The Fires Within - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : The Forgotten Enemy - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : The Reluctant Orchid - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : Encounter at Dawn - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : Security Check - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : Feathered Friend - Arthur C. Clarke
Of Time and Stars : The Sentinel - Arthur C. Clarke

Ubergeek monks finish a cataloguing project, and with it comes some serious consequences.

5 out of 5

Art can be done by smart monkeys.

3 out of 5

Moon botanist rooted.

3.5 out of 5

Interstellar contact tricky.

3.5 out of 5

Ship abacus report.

3.5 out of 5

Telepathic brain's thirty-seventy dimensional warp bridge earth fry escape message rejection.

3.5 out of 5

Independent attitude required.

3 out of 5

Kitten score quite popular.

3.5 out of 5

A sneaky thief discovers that time travel robbery isn't all it is cracked up to be.

3.5 out of 5

Military Intelligence Phobos evasion story.

3.5 out of 5

Moon archery ideas.

3.5 out of 5

Very solid discovery.

3.5 out of 5

There's a polar bear in there.

4 out of 5

Wellsian hothouse epic coward.

4 out of 5

Generation gap leavetaking.

3.5 out of 5

Space Legion design investigation.

3 out of 5

Canarynaut warning.

3.5 out of 5

Moon machine.

4 out of 5

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