Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
New York, Ballantine Books [1955]
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML: This "marvelous lunar espionage thriller" by the science fiction grandmaster and author of 2001: A Space Odyssey "packs plenty of punch" (SFReviews.net). Two hundred years after landing on the Moon, mankind has moved further out into the solar system. With permanent settlements now established on the Moon, Venus, and Mars, the inhabitants of these colonies have formed a political alliance called the Federation. On the Moon, a government agent from Earth is tracking a suspected spy at a prominent observatory. His mission is complicated by the rise in tensions between Earth's government and the Federation over access to rare heavy metals. As the agent finds himself locked in a battle for life and death on the eerie, lunar landscape, the larger conflict explodes across space, leaving mankind's future in doubt. First published in 1955, this suspense-filled space opera by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inductee was a significant forerunner of television hits like Star Trek and The Expanse..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member oybon
Whereas Clarks' ideas are generally excellent, his stories sometimes are a let down. Earthlight happily, is a much better than average story by C. Clarke set in and around the moon in an essentially plausible future. Fun to read and paced well, the scientists may work out the `answer' before the
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end, but not all the details. Show Less
LibraryThing member iftyzaidi
A decent read, though it does show its age in some ways. Clarke is very good in imagining in realistic fashion what life on a moon colony would be like and his intellectual curiosity and interest in science imbues the setting of an observatory on the moon with real tangibility. The plot unfolds in
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a stately fashion and the main character - a secret agent posing as an accountant sent to the observatory to uncover a spy is much more in the Smiley or even Father Brown mould than the James Bond one that is ubiquitous in contemporary science fiction. A 50s Oxford Don atmosphere hangs heavy over the whole thing and as is often the case there is nary a female character to be found (except as a minor presence off-page). Show Less
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
In this early novel by Clarke, Bertram Sadler, a CIA operative, is sent to the Moon to investigate a suspected spy and prevent an interplanetary war. It's a short novel at 158 pages and straightforward plot, with imaginative descriptions of life on the moon, some of which still seem visionary, and
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some ludicrously dated. Punch card computers! Photographic film! Typewriters! It was published in 1955, well before the first unmanned probes explored the moon, let alone manned landings. Still enjoyable on the whole, and Clarke's optimism for the human future shines. Not what I'd recommend as an introduction for him. I'd recommend A Fall of Moondust, Childhood's End, The City and the Stars, 2001: A Space Odyssey (film or novel) or a collection of his short stories over this one. Show Less
LibraryThing member thesmellofbooks
I rarely rate a novel so highly, and when I do it is because it offers something really special. What Earthlight offers is Clarke's broad and deep understanding of the physical environment and of pure and applied sciences, which throw the whole story into brilliant relief. Travelling around the
It is of course fun decades after the fact to see where Clarke's scientific prognostications succeed or fail, but the clarity of his vision is what stands out above all. I only wish his vision of the dying out of warfare were as correct.
One puzzle: the original publication date is 1935, but there are numerous references to the Second World War. I am guessing a short story or novella reflecting the core story was published in the thirties and the novel came later.
A nice feature is the cover by Richard M. Powers--my all time favourite SF illustrator.
Wonderful book.
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lunar environment with Clarke is a trek of wonder unsurpassed by modern SF movies with all their CGI; his lunar city and astronomical observatory are fascinating; light beams don't show in the low atmosphere, explosions don't sound. But there is story as well, and it reflects Clarke's sensitive understanding of the politics of war and espionage. His main character is an accountant who has been press-ganged into acting as a spy, and he is portrayed, as are his many suspects, with empathetic roundedness rather than as caricatures. And instead of plunging hurly burly into action as seems to be required in modern genre fiction, he thoughtfully unfolds his tale in delicious prose.It is of course fun decades after the fact to see where Clarke's scientific prognostications succeed or fail, but the clarity of his vision is what stands out above all. I only wish his vision of the dying out of warfare were as correct.
One puzzle: the original publication date is 1935, but there are numerous references to the Second World War. I am guessing a short story or novella reflecting the core story was published in the thirties and the novel came later.
A nice feature is the cover by Richard M. Powers--my all time favourite SF illustrator.
Wonderful book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jimll
Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke tells the tale of an accountant forced to become a spy in a time when the Earth and its Moon are facing a war with a Federation of its former colonies on Venus, Mars and the outer planets. Sadler, our accontant-spy hero protagonist, is send by a shadowy Earth Central
This is a really good sci-fi yarn. Clarke nails the characterizations of the scientists and Sadler, and uses the Earth vs ex-colonies war to hold a mirror up to our own terrestrial conflicts. Men throughout the ages have reacted in different ways to the threat of war, and moving them off-world will probably make little difference. The descriptions of lunar features is quite compelling, although modern science now tells us that some of the assumption he made in the mid-1950s when he wrote this don't actually hold true on the Moon.
Still, an enjoyable read and recommended.
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Intelligence agency to discover the source of an information leak on the Moon, believed to be located in the large astronomical observatory based there. He has to try to determine who, if anyone, is the source of the leak and how they are getting information off the Moon. Meanwhile relations between Earth and the Outer Worlds begin to slip inexorably towards a war that can end Mankind's still tenuous grip on existence.This is a really good sci-fi yarn. Clarke nails the characterizations of the scientists and Sadler, and uses the Earth vs ex-colonies war to hold a mirror up to our own terrestrial conflicts. Men throughout the ages have reacted in different ways to the threat of war, and moving them off-world will probably make little difference. The descriptions of lunar features is quite compelling, although modern science now tells us that some of the assumption he made in the mid-1950s when he wrote this don't actually hold true on the Moon.
Still, an enjoyable read and recommended.
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LibraryThing member sf_addict
Hmmm,the least satisfying of the 3 in the trilogy.
LibraryThing member JudithProctor
This book was written before I was born, and I'm the wrong side of fifty...
One reads Clarke for the science and, unfortunately, the planetary science in this book has not fared well in the light of more modern discoveries.
I gave up after a chapter that was full of (now) wrong science compounded by
I'm fine with Clarke's limited character development when there are other elements to keep me reading, but this is not a book I will keep.
One reads Clarke for the science and, unfortunately, the planetary science in this book has not fared well in the light of more modern discoveries.
I gave up after a chapter that was full of (now) wrong science compounded by
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old-fashioned non-digital photography and computer tape printout on a lunar base.I'm fine with Clarke's limited character development when there are other elements to keep me reading, but this is not a book I will keep.
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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
An interesting story, but somehow it doesn't catch me. The science - the practical aspects of living on the Moon - are interesting, if slightly retro. Punch-card computers (run by the only women in the place, under a male supervisor, at that), manually-developed photographic plates...it gets
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amusing at times. Then the thrust of the story is the search for a spy, by a man not used to the task - so there's an awful lot of second-guessing and eyeing everyone and every act or comment with suspicion. The climactic battle is fascinating, for an odd reason - the description reminded me of a dozen battles in the Lensmen series, where a fixed fortress is struck so by beam-rays that the ground around it turns molten. But here, the description is not made by either side in the fighting, but by a man outside and at least mildly exposed to the effects...that's rather neat. The aftermath strikes me as a trifle ingenuous - or at least, overly hopeful. I don't see why "never again... would the human race be divided against itself." And the last sentence has a major problem, which may again be a product of when Clarke was writing - nowadays, we don't see natural resources as "inexhaustible" so much. I also have a problem with the science of the reveal - I'm no optics expert, but I don't see why an optical telescope, designed to draw in light from a wide expanse of sky and focus it down to the aperture, should send out a focused beam if a light is shined into the aperture. Maybe it does, at least for some types of telescopes - I know there are several different mirror arrangements that work, and I don't _think_ Clarke would have left such a gaping hole in the story if it totally didn't work. But it bothers me. So my overall conclusion is that I'm glad I read it and I don't think I'll reread. Show Less
LibraryThing member ptdilloway
For a book involving war and espionage it wasn't very exciting.
LibraryThing member drbrendan
This is Clarke's realistic, science-based speculation of future colonization needs
LibraryThing member ikeman100
Early SF book by one of the masters. Almost all of Clarke's books should get at least 4 stars. This 3 star story from 1955 was written before he really got into his stride so it is not nearly his best work.
Still it is an interesting story about moon colonization and conflicts with in the solar
Still it is an interesting story about moon colonization and conflicts with in the solar
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system. As with all Clarke books he uses the best science available and then extrapolates into the future. You are going to get a science lesson even if you don't want one. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kurt.Rocourt
Good book.
LibraryThing member pgiunta
While tensions simmer between Earth and its colonies on Mars, Venus, and some of Saturn's moons (collectively known as the Federation), Earth intelligence agent Bertram Sadler travels to the moon observatory in search of a spy leaking information to the Federation.
Working undercover as a cost
The first half of Earthlight is slow and plodding as Sadler meets various members of the observatory's staff and is schooled on various as aspects of their operations and of astronomy. The only two interesting plot points are the unannounced landing of government ships in an area of the moon normally off-limits, and the two astronomers who decide to venture out in a vehicle to investigate.
The tension in the story begins to build in the second half when the observatory receives a communication warning the staff to dismantle critical equipment and take shelter underground. A war is coming, one that will decide who has control of the moon's abundant supply of heavy metals deep within its core.
Working undercover as a cost
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accountant performing a financial audit of the observatory, Sadler gains access to all departments and staff members—who at first greet him with suspicion. Over time, Sadler builds a list of top suspects while both the Earth and the Federation create weapons of mass destruction in a prelude to war.The first half of Earthlight is slow and plodding as Sadler meets various members of the observatory's staff and is schooled on various as aspects of their operations and of astronomy. The only two interesting plot points are the unannounced landing of government ships in an area of the moon normally off-limits, and the two astronomers who decide to venture out in a vehicle to investigate.
The tension in the story begins to build in the second half when the observatory receives a communication warning the staff to dismantle critical equipment and take shelter underground. A war is coming, one that will decide who has control of the moon's abundant supply of heavy metals deep within its core.
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LibraryThing member Darla
Classic sf from the 50s about a guy going to the moon to try to find a spy in the upcoming war between Earth & the Federation at ~ the year 2150. I had to LOL at one description that had a bunch of women using electric typewriters, and another that had women again entering computer code on punch
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cards. And those were the only women in the book, other than the protagonist's absent wife. Kinda sad that this was how he envisioned the future. Show Less
LibraryThing member MatthewFrend
Some brilliant imagery of the moon in Clarke's inimitable style. Great battle sequence to finish one of his early works.
LibraryThing member Lukerik
A total disaster.
It’s the 22nd Century and a number of bodies in the solar system have been colonised. Now war is brewing between Earth and the federated planets. The hero is a chartered accountant called Sadler. He wanted to retrain as a lion tamer but the powers that be turned him instead into
The level of day-to-day technology is less advanced than ours today. It’s also less advanced than might reasonably have been imagined in 1955. Clarke may have done this to make the climax more impressive, but if so it’s a massive tactical error. They have radio. They have computers that have ‘ left far behind such elementary operations as integration’. And then we have this:
‘Jamieson was still wiping developer from his hands when he arrived. After more than 300 years, certain aspects of photography were quite unchanged. Wheeler, who thought that everything could be done by electronics, regarded many of his older friend’s activities as survivals from the age of alchemy.’
By the time this novel was written the first digital video had already been made. Two years later the first digital photograph would be taken. But let’s set aside the ridiculousness of needlessly exporting development chemicals to the moon because this is the moment the novel begins to fall apart. If they have electronic storage and the means to transmit, why are they writing their accounts down on bits of paper and keeping them in filing cabinets? Surely they would put them in the computer and transmit them to earth. The entire reasoning behind Sadler’s cover story is now in a state of collapse.
This is the least of Sadler’s problems as it quickly becomes apparent that Clarke has literally no idea how to write a spy thriller. We are treated instead to scenes of him having something to eat and going for a swin.
But Sadler needn’t worry because as it turns out this plot – ie the main plot – has literally no connection to the events of the novel. I’m not kidding. I don’t understand how things could go this wrong.
There is a story in here. The main character is a spy. He has critical information that must get to the Federation’s fleet. We would know what that information is and his motives for sending it. Sadler is his antagonist.
The second plotline is Brennan and the fleet. Probably he has his kid with him and he has to get them back to his ex-wife to prove he’s not a dead-beat dad.
The third plotline is Steffanson and his mad dash to Project Thor in the nick of time. You can also keep Jamieson and Wheeler in the crevice.
Now you have POVs for the battle at the base, with the fleet, in Project Thor, and a third person POV from the Mare.
Copyright Lukerik 2023. There’s been some interest from Roland Emmerich.
It’s the 22nd Century and a number of bodies in the solar system have been colonised. Now war is brewing between Earth and the federated planets. The hero is a chartered accountant called Sadler. He wanted to retrain as a lion tamer but the powers that be turned him instead into
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a counter-espionage agent. He’s sent to the moon to sniff out a spy. His cover is that he is a chartered accountant come to do the colony’s books.The level of day-to-day technology is less advanced than ours today. It’s also less advanced than might reasonably have been imagined in 1955. Clarke may have done this to make the climax more impressive, but if so it’s a massive tactical error. They have radio. They have computers that have ‘ left far behind such elementary operations as integration’. And then we have this:
‘Jamieson was still wiping developer from his hands when he arrived. After more than 300 years, certain aspects of photography were quite unchanged. Wheeler, who thought that everything could be done by electronics, regarded many of his older friend’s activities as survivals from the age of alchemy.’
By the time this novel was written the first digital video had already been made. Two years later the first digital photograph would be taken. But let’s set aside the ridiculousness of needlessly exporting development chemicals to the moon because this is the moment the novel begins to fall apart. If they have electronic storage and the means to transmit, why are they writing their accounts down on bits of paper and keeping them in filing cabinets? Surely they would put them in the computer and transmit them to earth. The entire reasoning behind Sadler’s cover story is now in a state of collapse.
This is the least of Sadler’s problems as it quickly becomes apparent that Clarke has literally no idea how to write a spy thriller. We are treated instead to scenes of him having something to eat and going for a swin.
But Sadler needn’t worry because as it turns out this plot – ie the main plot – has literally no connection to the events of the novel. I’m not kidding. I don’t understand how things could go this wrong.
There is a story in here. The main character is a spy. He has critical information that must get to the Federation’s fleet. We would know what that information is and his motives for sending it. Sadler is his antagonist.
The second plotline is Brennan and the fleet. Probably he has his kid with him and he has to get them back to his ex-wife to prove he’s not a dead-beat dad.
The third plotline is Steffanson and his mad dash to Project Thor in the nick of time. You can also keep Jamieson and Wheeler in the crevice.
Now you have POVs for the battle at the base, with the fleet, in Project Thor, and a third person POV from the Mare.
Copyright Lukerik 2023. There’s been some interest from Roland Emmerich.
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Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1955
Physical description
186 p.; 21 cm