The City and the Stars (Unabridged)
-
-
4.1 • 22 Ratings
-
-
- $9.99
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
A journey of discovery that will shake the foundations of everything the people of Earth have ever believed...
Diaspar is Earth's last city - surrounded by deserts, on a world where the oceans have long since dried up. It is a domed, isolated, technological marvel run by the Central Computer. Diaspar has conquered death. People are called forth from the Hall of Creation; they live for 1,000 years and then are recalled, stored in the Central Computer's memory, to be born thousands of years later, over and over again, with memories of earlier lives intact.
No one has entered or left Diaspar since anyone can remember. Its people have an unreasoning dread of the unknown, of the world outside the city. And no child has been born for at least 10 million years.
Until Alvin. He is unique. He has no past lives, no past memories. He also has no fear of the outside world. In fact he has an overwhelming curiosity, a drive to explore, to see what lies beyond the sterile boundaries of the city.
When he finally escapes, he discovers a place he could hardly have imagined: a country called Lys. Its people are telepathic. They know life and death. In Lys, Alvin finds friendship and love. And he begins his fateful journey to the stars and back. On his return he brings with him something so strange, so alien and powerful, that it will change the world forever. But for better or worse, not even Alvin can guess.
Customer Reviews
Good Book
The story is one of Clarke's best. This recording is not performed by one reader which I really prefer. It has readers for each character and some small sound effects which I do not prefer. This is a personal preferance though and the only reason I gave it 4 stars not 5. In either case I really enjoyed this book.
Review in 2024
Being honest in 2024, this book has a slow start, but once you get going it flows fluidly. As with many other books by this author, it demonstrates a sight of future technological advancement in a way that seems not only logical, but follows the true way of human thinking. Not only solving some of our worst problems, death-labors-famine-war, but we also see that we should be careful what we wish for.
This is not an audiobook so much as a puppet show.
I try to remember to preview.
I didn't.
Some say this is a great work but I just can't get through the first 45 mins. It is not read; it is performed. There is a troupe of some 20 or so readers along with an effects track and music. It that weren't bad enough, the entire performance speaks to us as if we were children aged 7, constantly inflecting their voices with astounding amazement and absurd innocence. This is not an audiobook so much as a puppet show.
If you want to really enjoy a Series from A.C. Clarke, then check out the Time Odyssey series written with Steven Baxter. Time's Eye, Sunstorm, and Firstborn. They are wonderful, read by John Lee, and I can't imagine anyone reading Clarke's works better than he. Each is a joy of itself but the series is compelling. Be prepared for the cliff hanger because Clarke passed away before finishing the story arc.