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The fountains of Paradise
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The fountains of Paradise

Author: Arthur C Clarke
Publisher: New York : Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, ©1979.
Edition/Format: Book : Fiction : English : 1st edView all editions and formats
Summary:

In this, which many consider this to be Clarke's best novel, Vannevar Morgan is the greatest civil engineer of the mid-22nd century. Having built a bridge across the Straits of Gibraltar, he dreams of an even greater accomplishment, a bridge to space: a "skyhook," or "space elevator." This will be a cable stretching from the Earth's equator to an anchoring satellite in geosynchronous orbit. First Morgan must deal wit Read more...

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Details

Genre/Form: Science fiction.
Material Type: Fiction
Document Type: Book
All Authors / Contributors: Arthur C Clarke
ISBN: 0151327734 9780151327737
OCLC Number: 4606759
Description: xii, 261 p. ; 22 cm.
Responsibility: Arthur C. Clarke.

Abstract:

In this, which many consider this to be Clarke's best novel, Vannevar Morgan is the greatest civil engineer of the mid-22nd century. Having built a bridge across the Straits of Gibraltar, he dreams of an even greater accomplishment, a bridge to space: a "skyhook," or "space elevator." This will be a cable stretching from the Earth's equator to an anchoring satellite in geosynchronous orbit. First Morgan must deal with the monks who own the ideal real estate, a mountaintop on the fictional island of Taprobane (a version of Clarke's adopted home of Sri Lanka, moved south so that it lies on the equator). He also has to work on the financing, solve various political problems, deal with skeptics, and finally solve some critical engineering issues and deal with the inevitable crises accompanying the actual building of the elevator.

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