Arthur C. Clarke
Bantam Books, New York
1990
Paperback
$5.99 US
Arthur C. Clarke is one of the authors that I grew up reading. My wife recently bought this book for me at a used book store. It's one of the few Clarke books I had not read.
Actually, I guess I hadn't read much of Clarke's work since the early '80's. This was a treat. The story of the Titanic has always been an intriguing one and Clarke's futuristic version of the attempted raising of this legend was just as interesting as many of his earlier stories were.
The one thing that always excites me about Clarke's work is his inclusion of science fact with science fiction. His blending is so well done that many times you can get confused as to differentiating line between fact and fiction. I also enjoy his synopsis at the end of his books where he discusses the science that serves as the basis for his story.
I was slightly disappointed at the ending which seemed to just come out of nowhere.The story was going along so well and it seemed like Clarke's editor told him the book had a page limit.
The Los Angeles Time Book Review said this book was "filled with remarkable moments." I agree totally. While not one of Clarke's best in my opinion, the story retained my interest and was enjoyable to read. I recommend it to all ACC fans.