A Vision of the 20th Century
The most visionary and versatile thinker of his age gathers together in a single volume his most significant and prophetic non-fiction writings to present a personal view of the twentieth century.
Witness the awesome workings of Clarke's intellect as he predicts the role of geosynchronous satellites decades before they existed; anticipates the Internet decades before it happened; reports from Kennedy Space Centre; scripts the best science fiction movie ever made; discusses 'Star Wars', giant squid, and numerous other fascinating topics.
Clarke has been both a technological prophet and a cultural conscience for many decades of his century, celebrating the great scientific powers of man - and simultaneously warning of the perils of a world where power and greed reign unchecked. Each with a new introduction, the essays here show how science has expanded exponentially on its own inventions. Sir Arthur's bona fide scientific understanding is combined with a generosity of spirit, the interests of a new renaissance man, a sublime lack of false modesty and a great flair for the dramatic. This is inarguably the crowning achievement of an unrivalled personal odyssey.