How does it compare to audio works by the same author?
Not bad
Advantages:
An intriguing story, food for thought
Disadvantages:
Lacking a human element
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Alvin is a resident of the technologically masterful city of Diaspar, like all the other citizens of this self sufficient city Alvin has all his living needs catered for. In other ways Alvin is different, he doesn’t have the same morbid fear of the world outside of the city walls and he is also the first genuinely new human to be born in millions of years. Set a billion years in the future, the city of Diaspar is the last human city on Earth. The people of Diaspar live for a thousand years and then at the end of their days they are absorbed back into the city and after a period of many years they are reborn. During a childhood, which spans twenty years, the memories from their former selves slowly filter back into their brains and in this way the citizens of Diaspar are immortal.
All the citizens of Diaspar share a dislike and indifference to the world outside of the city and hold the belief that they are the only surviving humans on the whole of the planet. They are content with their lives within the safety of the city walls and they are happy to live in ignorance. Alvin however, soon grows bored of his Utopian existence and starts to search for ways to get outside of the city walls. Eventually he finds a hole in one of the walls and finally escapes the claustrophobic confines of the last human city. Outside of the city walls Alvin finds what he has been looking for as he discovers another community of humans who call themselves the Lys. The people of Lys are not themselves devoid of technology but they prefer to lead a simpler existence. They live close to nature and exist in small communities surrounded by the indigenous fauna. The Lys breed normally, have human life spans and die permanently but they share something so much more special in that they are all telepathic. From the moment he meets the Lys Alvin’s adventures really take off and lead him to make some shocking and mind blowing discoveries.
At first glance ’The City and the Stars’ would appear to be another standard ‘comparison of two very different civilisations’ Science Fiction story but under the surface this novel has so much more. Arthur C Clarke has always been good at painting imaginary worlds and his depiction of the haven like city of Diaspar is a fine example of his craft. This book was written in 1956 and even today the ideas and landscapes that Clarke evokes are completely alien. This is a book almost untouched by time and this is no coincidence considering Clarke’s ability to conjure up such weird and abstract concepts. Through the eyes of Alvin we see how the people of the city enjoy their lives and live without need and Clarke envisages numerous inventions that I think will still be considered Science Fiction in a hundred years. The book follows our intrepid adventurer Alvin as he tries to discover the history of the last human city and secrets that lie beyond its walls.
As the main character I found Alvin to be a little sterile and sometimes he is treated as no more than a mouthpiece through which Clarke constructs his wonderful visions. At times we get glimpses of his character and at these points the story is given a more human feel and I found that I enjoyed these parts of the book the most. In other parts the story is often abandoned as Clarke (through Alvin) rambles on about some technology or religious concept which, while intellectually engaging suffers from the lack of a human viewpoint. At times it felt like I was somehow zoomed out from the action and removed from the events that were occurring. I was able to watch what was happening but only from an elevated platform high above the action and it was during these parts that I wished Clarke had focussed in on Alvin and given us his thoughts and feelings. I suppose what I was after was something that was a little more filling but all that Clarke was offering was a light snack.
Aside from this, the story was very intriguing and I was certainly interested to find out about the origins of the last human city and how the Earth came to be in such a situation. On these points (as always) Clarke delivers and the main premise of the story is well thought out and certainly gives you food for thought. In essence that is what this book is about. Clarke uses the story as a basis for issues such as technology, culture and religion whilst for the most part ignoring the human element. Anyone looking for a story with an emotional impact will be sorely disappointed and as such I feel that this is one of Clarke’s poorer efforts.
To sum up, ‘The City and the Stars’ is a book which explores some of Arthur C Clarke’s most written about subjects and in this book we are given just a sprinkling of Clarke’s genius. Written in 1956 this is one of Clarke’s earliest novels and it certainly shows. As always though, Clarke describes his creations beautifully and his writing style is one that I have admired for many years. Even though the story lacks a distinct human element I would still recommend this book to fans of Arthur C Clarke. What you will find is a book with lots of original ideas and a central premise that is both interesting and intellectually engaging. If you are new to Arthur C Clarke however, then this is definitely not the best place to start appreciating his work. Instead I would recommend either ’Rendezvous with Rama’ or his most famous novel ’2001: A Space Odyssey.
This book is available from amazon.co.uk for £8.34 including P&P.
