Clarke, Arthur C. The Fountains of Paradise. NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1979. xii+261pp. $10.00. 78-14072. ISBN 0-15-132773-4. C.I.P.
Clarke is one of the masters of "hard" science fiction. In fact, he proposed the use of communication satellites years before Sputnik. In this novel, Clarke explores the engineering, as well as the cultural and even religious difficulties, in building an "elevator to the stars." Engineer Vannevar Morgan plans to orbit a geosynchronous platform, from which will extend a tower down to a site on the Earth's surface and "up" to a point nearly 50,000 km above the surface. The best site turns out to be the top of a sacred mountain in the fictional equatorial country of Taprobane. (The country is in fact based on Sri Lanka, where Clarke lives.) In order to build his tower, Morgan must convince the Buddhist monks who live on the mountain to leave. Interwoven with this tale are the exploits of another builder, King Kalidasa, who 2,000 years before had attempted to take the mountain forcibly from the monks. Kalidasa died in the process, and Morgan very nearly meets the same end. Like many of Clarke's works, The Fountains of Paradise expresses a deep confidence that science and technology, when thoughtfully applied, can result in great benefits. It is rich in verisimilitude and Clarke's own understanding of engineering. The book is suitable for junior high school and older readers.—John J. Wheaton, St. Francis High School, Louisville, KY
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