Edited by JOSEPH D. OLANDER and MARTIN HARRY GREENBERG arthur c. TAPLINGER PUBLISHING COMPANY I NEW YORK Writers of the 21st Century ARTHUR C. CLARKE Also avalable in the Writers of the 21st Century Series: ISAAC ASIMOV PHILIP K. DICK (in preparation) RAY BRADBURY (in preparation) ROBERT A. HEINLEIN URSULA K. LE GUIN (in preparation) Also co-edited by Joseph D. Olander and Martin Harry Greenberg: TOMORROW, INC.: SF STORIES ABOUT BIG BUSINESS RUN TO STARLIGHT: SPORTS THROUGH SCIENCE FICTION (with Patricia Warrick) THE CITY 2000 A.D.: URBAN PROBLEMS THROUGH SCIENCE FICnON (with Ralph Clem) THE NEW AWARENESS: RELIGION THROUGH SCIENCE FICnON (with Patricia Warrick) First Edition PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES IN 1977 BY TAPLINGER PuBLISHING COMPANY, INC. NEW YORK, NEW YORK Copyright @ 1977 by Joseph D. Olander and Martin Harry Greenberg All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast. Published simultaneously in Canada by BURNS" MACEACHERN, LIMITED, ONTARIO Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Main entry under title: Arthur C. Clarke. (Writers of the 21st century) Bibliography: p Includes index. 1. Clarke, Arthur Charles, 1917- -Criticism and interpretation -Addresses, essays, lectures. I. Olander, Joseph D. II. Greenberg, Martin Harry. III. Series PR6005.L36Z56 823'.9'14 7~11052 ISBN 0-8008-0402-3 ISBN 0-8008-0401-5 pbk. Designed by MANUEL WEINSTEIN CONTENTS Introduction Joseph D. Olander and Martin Harry Greenberg 7 1. Three Styles of Arthur C. Clarke: The ProJector, the Wit, and the Mystic PETER BRIGG 15 2. The Cosmic Loneliness of Arthur C. Clarke THOMAS D. CLARESON 52 3. The Outsider from Inside: Clarke's Aliens E. MICHAEL THRON 72 4. Of Myths and Polyomlnoes: Mythological Content In Clarke's Fiction BETSY HARFST 87 5. Sons and Fathers In A.D. 2001 ROBERT PLANK 121 .- 6. Expectation and Surprise In Childhood's End ALAN B. HOWES 149 7. Contrasting Views of Man and the Evolutionary Process: Back to Methuselah and Childhood's End EUGENE TANZV 172 8. Childhood's End: A Median Stage of Adolescence? DAVID N. SAMUELSON 196 9. From Man to Overmlnd: Arthur C. Clarke's Myth of Progress JOHN HUNTINGTON 211 Notes 223 Selected Bibliography 237 CONTENTS 6 Biographical Note 245 Contributors 247 Index 249 Introduction Joseph D. Olander and Martin Harry Greenberg A propagandist for space exploration . . . a brilliant "hard science fiction" extrapolator ... a great mystic and modern myth-maker ... a market-oriented, commercially motivated, and "slick" fiction writer. Ar thur C. Clarke is one of the world's most well known science fiction writers, and these-and other-images of him are woven throughout the essays in this book, principally to develop alternative perspectives about his science fiction. In an earlier volume of essays devoted to the science fiction of Isaac Asimov in this Series, one of the dominant images about Asimov was that of "social science fiction" writer. In this volume, one of the major images which emerges about Arthur C. Clarke is that of "hard science fiction" writer. When all is said and done, Clarke's authentic commitment seems to be to the universe and, like Asimov, to the underlying sets of laws of behavior by which the mystery inherent in it will probably be explained. How is it, then, that he is associated with mysticism, mythology, theological speculation, and "cosmic loneliness"? Hard science fiction, if nothing else, usually needs to come to closure, in its qualities of validity and consistency, with specific explanations and scientific justifi cations. Yet much of Clarke's fiction pushes the mind outward and ever open. If this is accomplished by an explication of assumed or searched for universal laws, it is understandable and consistent with science-based extrapolation. But this is substantially different from the overall impression actually left upon most readers of Clarke's science fiction-that there is a search underway for universal ideas which transcend time, space, and cultures. If these ideas exist, the way to discover them may not be through the explication of universal laws but rather through the discovery of root metaphors and symbols. The universe may not appear, therefore, as 7 INTRODUCTION 8 simply a set of problems to be solved rationally but rather as a still mysterious place, to be creatively-and respectfully-explored and ap preciated. In this sense, one of Clarke's familiar, if not quintessential, themes-that humanity's loneliness in the universe will be remedied by contact with other-world living beings-can be reinterpreted to mean that living things are really not separated by space but by consciousness. This perspective implies that the human being is not homo sapiens the rational being-but that the human being is homo Iude ns-the playing thing. Although homo ludens seems to imply a more creative, open role for the human being in the face of a universe which is imperfectly understood, Clarke's fiction, or at least much of it, seems to suggest that the universe may be playing with humanity. It is in this connection that contradictions arise between Clarke's optimism and pessimism concern ing human destiny. Clarke's optimism is not that of a scientific expert convinced of the effectiveness of his tools, confident of the knowledge upon which he stands, and certain of the existence of universal laws which, if only discovered, can further explain remaining mysteries. Instead, his opti mism is that of a mystic, convinced of the inevitability of the transcen dent and sure of the positive direction in which it moves. And his pessi mism is not that of the scientist who has lost faith in the usefulness and efficacy of his tools; rather, it is the pessimism of one who appreciates the awesomeness of the universe and is able to anticipate the "tricks" and surprises which it may have in store for humanity. Moreover, it is not the pessimism of "I have seen the future-and it doesn't work!"; rather, it is the pessimism of "I have seen the future-and it is all too familiar, but I am not sure that humanity can stand the potential sur prises!" Just as Clarke's fiction portrays the human being in multiple perspec tives, so, too, these essays provide multiple perspectives about Clarke's fiction. In addition to coming to grips with the multifaceted Clarke, the reader will be forced to think about fundamental questions which under pin any analysis of the work of a single science fiction writer: What constitutes a successful science fiction novel or short story? Is it form or substance, style or ideas? What do we expect from science fiction as literature? What does it do for us? And, finally, what is Clarke's overall contribution to answering these questions? As a start toward answering these questions, Peter Brigg leads off with his chapter on "Three Styles of Arthur C. Clarke: The Projector, INTRODUCTION 9 the Wit, and the Mystic." He first assesses the "hard science" dimension of Clarke's fiction as he examines three major styles which he believes characterize Clarke's corpus of fiction. Although he finds weaknesses in this style, he ascribes these to the nature of the limited purposes of the stories rather than to Clark~'s ability as a writer. The second style which Brigg examines is that of the wit-the "comic mode." Although the fiction which can be classified within this style may be based upon (or may camouflage) "hard scientific ideas," these stories reveal Clarke's cynicism about human nature, which is always considered to playa very small role in the cosmic drama. The third style-that of the mystic underlies Clarke's disappointment in the empirical and demonstrates a desire for exploring "the unknown." This longing reflects itself in the kind of expansive and long-ranging perspective so identified with Olaf Stapledon, to whom, according to Brigg, Clarke is indebted. There is an evolutionary growth in the ability of the human being to appreciate the wonder of the universe, and Brigg portrays Clarke's contradictory notes of pessimism and optimism in this connection. Brigg does not attempt to develop a hard and fast taxonomy of Clarke's novels and shorter fiction along the lines of the major styles he examines, but he suggests that Clarke's science fiction contains mixtures of all three styles and offers Rendezvous with Rama and Imperial Earth as the best examples. Whereas Brigg deals with Clarke's major styles, Thomas D. Clareson attempts to outline the quintessential vision of Clarke. "The Cosmic Loneliness of Arthur C. Clarke" suggests that the content of this vision concerns the implications of the great "space adventure" for humanity. At the core of this vision is the idea that the exploration of space will liberate humankind from the imperfections and limitations of earth civi lization as we now know it. Clareson indicates that Clarke's wonder about the diversity and multiplicity oflife forms on earth is extrapolated to space in the hope that man's feeling ofloneliness in a hostile universe would be eliminated upon first contact with extraterrestrial beings. Clarke's fiction, in short, represents our collective hopes and search for a "sentinel." Like others before him, E. Michael Thron, in his "The Outsider from Inside: Clarke's Aliens," implies that Clarke is a propagandist for space exploration in the context of his fiction. But his essay goes a long way in the suggestion of another, equally important purpose in Clarke's fiction-to provide an appropriate stage for "the alien and surprising idea." Thron's essay examines what happens when the mundane-the