boringbryan's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is one of my favorite books because it is very well researched and it juxtaposes the inspiration of a space elevator and the needs and nature of Humanity.
ghostmuppet's review against another edition
3.0
The infamous Space Elevator idea from Arthur C Clarke.
This is similar to the rest of his books i have read so far - starts off with a little history, then hits the current time, and moves slightly forward.
This book feels as if it was written around a core concept - the space lift. How could it have an impact on the build, how could it be used and what could go wrong? While technically it sounded impressive - from a story point of view it was fairly poor.
Nothing much happened and I felt no sympathy for the characters. This is a classic and I am glad I read it, and I will continue to read Arthur C Clarke, but he does write OK stories, not great ones.
This is similar to the rest of his books i have read so far - starts off with a little history, then hits the current time, and moves slightly forward.
This book feels as if it was written around a core concept - the space lift. How could it have an impact on the build, how could it be used and what could go wrong? While technically it sounded impressive - from a story point of view it was fairly poor.
Nothing much happened and I felt no sympathy for the characters. This is a classic and I am glad I read it, and I will continue to read Arthur C Clarke, but he does write OK stories, not great ones.
jstamper2022's review against another edition
3.0
Started slow and remained slightly dull throughout. It didn't grab me and felt more of a chore to finish. It's not a bad story, just not one I'd choose to read were I not trying to read all Hugh/Nebula/Locust award winners.
melaninny's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up, with a solid end. Not sure if I'll come back to elaborate, but I at least understand why this book has earned its place as a multiple award winning novel.
thedictator26's review against another edition
5.0
Science Fiction should be about hope. The hope that in the future man will be able to solve some its old problems while bravely face new ones. This is lost on our generation, where we have become so pessimistic of the future. Its time we started believing in hope for the future, something that this novel leaves you with.
doctortdm's review against another edition
2.0
A very, very disappointing story. Two stars is being kind. Hard to believe it won awards.
thomcat's review against another edition
5.0
First read 30 years ago, this is still a very good book. Combines forward looking technology, first alien contact and suspenseful situations into a very satisfying blend. Checked out from library and read on Color Nook running Android.
david611's review against another edition
2.0
1.66 stars
Such a boring book by Arthur C. Clarke. It reminded me of his other book [b:A Fall of Moondust|149059|A Fall of Moondust|Arthur C. Clarke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1302382681l/149059._SY75_.jpg|1397287], which had likewise nothing much, yet was better than this one for me. This book had a decent start, but somehow failed to keep me in grasp, and it just kept dragging, and me waiting for it to somehow end. My actual rating is 1-star. But the extra star comes from rounding up from the extra points I had to provide for the location in the story, and for its slight historical background.
Such a boring book by Arthur C. Clarke. It reminded me of his other book [b:A Fall of Moondust|149059|A Fall of Moondust|Arthur C. Clarke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1302382681l/149059._SY75_.jpg|1397287], which had likewise nothing much, yet was better than this one for me. This book had a decent start, but somehow failed to keep me in grasp, and it just kept dragging, and me waiting for it to somehow end. My actual rating is 1-star. But the extra star comes from rounding up from the extra points I had to provide for the location in the story, and for its slight historical background.
elizafiedler's review against another edition
4.0
So, basically the entire book is about building a space bridge/elevator. I enjoyed it a lot. But why? What makes it much more entertaining (to me) than Stephenson's Seveneves, which is mostly about building a space station etc.? The stakes are even higher in that book than this one, but I couldn't read one more word about the technical challenges in Stephenson's book. I think it's because the characters in Clarke's book feel more like real people with more going on for them than the engineering problem immediately in front of them. They're more than just a medium for exploring engineering problems. Their engineering problems are a part of the larger picture of their lives and the unique moment in (future) human history that this book is building toward.