#39. THE CITY AND THE STARS By Arthur C Clarke

Published : 1956
Pages : 255
Overall Mark : 8/10

There had been cities before, but never such a city as Diaspar. For millenia its protective dome shut out the creeping decay and danger of the world outside. Once, it had held powers that ruled the stars; but then, the legends said, the Invaders came, driving humanity into this last refuge. This is Arthur Clarke's masterly vision of the far distant future, millions of years after our civilization has vanished into dust.

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 is Clarke at his best, with a wonderful vision of the distant future where mankind is forced to remain isolated for fear of attack from an alien race. As with many sci fi novels before and since, the truth soon comes out thanks to a single unique individual and their unusual view on things. Clarke manages to create a vivid world controlled by machines that is both impressive and frightening.