The Other Side Of The Sky (2003) - Plot & Excerpts
PrécisttThis is a collection of 24 short stories by Clarke that have a space exploration theme. Some are very short - 3-4 pages, others are more typical and the final one is 38 pages. 12 of the stories are grouped into two very specific themes of six each. For all intents they are chapters in a longer story. My favorites:The Nine Billion Names of God - A computer maker is asked to supply their latest machine to a Tibetan monastery in order to compute all the names of God. When asked why the monks tell them that once they have determined all the possible names of God something amazing will happen (I don't want to spoil it). The computer reps don't believe it but the great end line is a classic.Feathered Friend - This is the second story in The Other Side of the Sky section. A crewmember on the first space station smuggles a canary on board. When the bird is discovered there is much concern but in the end the bird proves its worth. A predictable but fun ending.The Call of the Stars - The last story in the title collection is a story of reconciliation between a father and a son who takes the undesired path. Touching, with a warmth that Clarke has a unique way of capturing.The Wall of Darkness - This is a chilling tales that kept me guessing until very near the end. It is a story of a planet where a wall represents the edge of the known world. NO one has ever returned from going beyond the wall. After expensive preparations Shervane, with the help of a friend, is going over the wall. His wondrous journey has a very unexpected result. Security Check - A craftsman is hired by a television show to produce realistic props for their space program. The props are so good he is visited by two men in black suits who want him to come along. The twist is pure Clarke.All that Glitters - A tale of what happens when something rare becomes as common as water.tGreen Fingers - A little mystery about a botanist on the moon base who is seen sneaking off on his own, only to be found and the sad result of his secret work.All the Time in the World - A terrific story about a criminal given a golden opportunity to score big but in the end finding out his gain is fruitless. This story is a great twist on the concept of time control.The Star - Another Clarke classic that suggests a relationship between a supernova and a historical event on Earth. This story is a great example of the range of Clarke storytelling talent.What I liked tThe concise storytelling that is a Clarke hallmark, the great twist endings on many of the stories that you don't see coming, and the emotion that he brings to the simple stories helps me understand why he is so popular.What I didn’t like The only thing I didn’t like was the last story - The Songs of Distant Earth. Maybe didn't like is too strong, actually I just found it too long for what the story conveyed. Otherwise this a great collection.Final CommentstThis is the second collection of shorts I have read by Clarke and I am impressed by his writing style and power. Some of the best stories are only a thousand words or so but he manages to convey so much in that length. I am glad that so much of his work is still available and I can see that I will have to read more of Mr. Clarke in the future.
This collection was published the year I was born, 1958. Along with Isaac Asimov, such futuristic fare was meat and bread to those scientific geeks of my generation who were looking for a glimpse of the world of our adulthood.However, perhaps I ought to have not read him again, like I should never watch the original Star Trek re-runs, with its cardboard sets and dodgy technology.Nonetheless, I found it interesting how, on the one hand, Clarke was over-optimistic, while, on the other, he didn't think far enough. For example, he had us colonizing planets and conquering space during my lifetime; by contrast, he also had us still saving data on magnetic tape and microfilm, while using typewriters. The internet was beyond his imagination, I suspect, and genetic engineering was reserved for God-like creatures of the far distant future.Also disappointing was his story-telling. H.G. Wells at least had the saving grace of real characters and compelling plots; Clarke gave us caricatures and formulaic story-lines.All this said, I read the whole book and I liked it, if only because it took me back almost 50 years and allowed me to say, 'Wow. Look what we were able to do.' But we could have done a lot better.
What do You think about The Other Side Of The Sky (2003)?
This was an enjoyable collection of short stories, coming in at about 150 pgs and 14 shorts. I especially enjoyed this books two serials, The Other Side of the Sky and Venture to the Moon. Although none of these stories would be considered great literature, they are good quick reads, often with an intelligent punch line to finish them off. Also, remember the time frame that they were written (Between 1947 and 1957) and it becomes quite clear how much of a pioneer Arthur C. Clarke really was. I'm torn between rating this "I liked it" or "I Really liked it", but either way it is worth the read.
—Eric Wisdahl
This book gets 5 stars just because....I found this book, as if dropped by God, lying in my path walking from the school bus-stop. I wish I could remember the year - early to mid 80's I suppose. It was the first science fiction book I read. I devoured each short story and wanted more. I cleaned out the meager Clarke collection at our library which led me to others. Herbert, Heinlein, Delany, the list goes on.I later found out that it had fallen out of a neighbor's pocket on his drunken trek from the local bar. I still believe that providence/fate/aliens put in my way. This book sent a poor gay kid living in the rural south on journeys that without it he could never taken. I have taken journeys of the mind, body and spirit into the vastness of the cosmos and into the realms of smallest particles - stories telling me that there is more out there than the little patch of earth that was my world.. It is difficult to write but I think that science fiction may have had a great part in “getting me out alive.”I've never gone back to these stories for fear that some magic would be lost, but it was the beginning of an incredible ride.
—Shayne
It was the following quote from the brilliant NY Times math puzzle website Tierney Lab that turned me on to this collection of short stories. Two engineers, George and Chuck, are making their getaway, having provided a group of monks with a computer about to finish printing the Nine Billion Names of God. The monks believe the creation of this list will cause the universe to end."…George swung round in his saddle. He could just see Chuck’s face, a white oval turned toward the sky.“Look,” whispered Chuck, and George lifted his eyes to heaven. (There is always a last time for everything.)Overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out."
—Gordon
