#34. THE FOUNTAINS OF PARADISE By Arthur C Clarke

Published : 1979
Pages : 247
Overall Mark : 8/10

In the 22nd century visionary scientist Vannevar Morgan conceives the most grandiose engineering project of all time, and one which will revolutionize the future of humankind in space: a Space Elevator, 36,000 kilometres high, anchored to an equatorial island in the Indian Ocean.

ARTHUR C. CLARKE (1917-2008)
Born in Somerset in 1917, but a long-time resident of Sri Lanka, Sir Arthur Clarke is the world's most famous living SF writer: author of the scientific paper which established the principle of communications satellites, collaborator with Stanley Kubrick on 2001, and winner of numerous awards for his novels, including Childhood's End, The City And The Stars and Rendezvous With Rama.

VERDICT
This book takes a a silly idea - an elevator that can travel into space - and makes it seem so viable that you start to believe that it could actualyl be built. Clarke once again manages to make the unbelievable believable and gives us a tale that is both interesting and exciting, riddled with peril and thought provoking insights into the potential technological advances of the future.