His greed kept him from sharing his project with anyone, and it went lost and forgotten for centuries after his death.Ĭompared to him is the book's protagonist, Vannevar Morgan, a brillitant structural engineer, perhaps the greatest of his lifetime. His vision cost many men their lives, including his own father, and severed his relationship to his brother. On the one hand is Kalidasa, the ancient, cruel king of Taprobane, whose vision was for a paradise on Earth, and a palace in the heavens, just to prove to the Gods that he could. The book is really a contrast between two types of ambitions and ambitious people. Clarke set out to give a realistic, but still highly engaging, portrayal of the obstacles and challenges presented to people with bold visions, far ahead of their time. Clarke's tale of two men's ambitions - both fantastical, both in the same revered place, but 2 millennia apart - is exactly what science fiction can really be all about. I am glad The Fountains of Paradise ended up being what I purchased. So when I went to pick out the next book to read, I didn't go with one I particularly was excited to read, but just whatever happened to be the cheapest one on my list. I had just finished The Forever War by Joe Haldeman which I had so been looking forward to, but didn't end up enjoying very much. I was not actually looking forward to reading this book when I got it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |