| Re: Favourite Clarke
I have enjoyed most of the Clark I have read; Rama is an old friend, Imperial Earth I remember fondly and Fountains introduced me, as so many others to the beanstalk concept. Of his short stories; the Sentinel is potent and I think 'the nine billion names of God' one of the best short stories of any genre, well up there with 'The monkey's paw' or 'The selfish giant'.
However, it is for two novels 'Childhood's end' and 'The city and the stars' that Clark will be remembered long after he has passed away. They are both written in a simple, almost naive way. Characterisation is awful in the cases where it is more than minimal. And yet, and yet ... both of these books sing to the human spirit. Yes they are both packed full of ideas like many other Clark offering but thier true values is in thier humanity and spirit. |