Astounding Days: A Science Fictional Autobiography (A Bantam spectra book)

By Arthur C. Clarke

Book Overview

This "science-fictional autobiography" by the author of "Childhood's End" and "2001: A Space Odyssey" is an account of the circumstances and stories that set Arthur C.Clarke on the path to becoming... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553348221
• ISBN13: 9780553348224
• Release Date: February 1990
• Publisher: Bantam Books
• Length: 258 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.2" x 5.2" x 0.9"

Customer Reviews

4 and 1/2 Stars

Perhaps it is inaccurate to call this an autobiography. A good portion of it (particularly the first part of the book) is Arthur critiquing the early issues of Astounding Science Fiction magazine. Later, he tells quite a bit about his own life, but mostly this is a memoir of his experiences with Astouding. It is interesting for several reasons: first, we learn what Clarke thinks of a great many of his colleagues (including heavies like Asimov and Heinlein, both friends of Arthur's). But what makes the book really interesting for the hard-core ACC reader is later in the book where he tells a lot about his own life. We learn of his experiences at college, as a civil servant, and his time in the military. We also get a lot of his views and ideas on many things relating to science, as well as a good deal he says about his own subsequent books, the ideas behind them, and how the writing of other authors influenced him. And of course the book is all written in Clarke's trademark witty style. This will all seem very boring for the casual Clarke reader, or for those who only know him as "that guy who did 2001". But for those true fans who recognize Arthur for what he is, a brilliant, creative, and witty writer who is unquestionably one of the literary greats of the 20th century, and possibly the greatest science fiction writer of all-time. The only thing about this book that disappoints me is that ACC elaborates so little on his own works for Astounding. I figured that would be the main point of the book, but it isn't; although he mentions many times his works, they are rarely the ones found in Astounding. Still, this is a worthwhile and book for the Clarke devotee; casual fans should look elsewhere.