I was not actually looking forward to reading this book when I got it. 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. 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 am glad The Fountains of Paradise ended up being what I purchased. 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. 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.

The book is really a contrast between two types of ambitions and ambitious people. 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. His vision cost many men their lives, including his own father, and severed his relationship to his brother. His greed kept him from sharing his project with anyone, and it went lost and forgotten for centuries after his death.

Compared to him is the book's protagonist, Vannevar Morgan, a brillitant structural engineer, perhaps the greatest of his lifetime. While Kalidasa was motivated by greed and a pursuit of aesthetic perfection not to be shared, Morgan is motivated by being the person to bring humanity to its next stage of evolution. He wants to be the one to accomplish great things, and in a way does make him as egotistical as Kalidasa at times, but his pursuits are ones to be shared with the world, accessible to everyone. His elevator to the stars is not made as fanciful adventure for the rich and influential; it is made to be a economical way for every man, woman, and child to have the ability to be among the stars and colonize worlds far away from current human abilities.

The book deals with all the mountains, both figurative and literal, of obstacles one must overcome in such grand pursuits, and gives the book the feeling that it is real, human. Going up against budgets, bureaucracies, technical challenges, and PR problems are all very real facets of projects, and seeing Morgan overcome them feels like real victory. But even Morgan, with all his brilliance and careful planning, has to rely on a bit of luck and superstition, things he personally does not seem to believe in, in order to reach the end of his goals. “There is something very strange about a universe where a few dead butterflies can balance a billion-ton tower.” ( )

Entertaining sci-fi story about a man's daring engineering project. Many of the characters were interesting, & I really enjoyed the setting. The subplot involving the Starholmer was especially fun, though I wish that was incorporated into the main story more. I thought it was a shame that some of (what I thought were) the most interesting plot elements were nearly completely dropped partway through. I also found some parts of the story difficult to believe. But overall, I did enjoy reading this book. ( )

I felt that I learned a bit about how a space elevator would work, but overall, I think the story was lacking, and incomplete. I'm not even sure why some things were even added. There was a visit from far away, that didn't really seem to fit in. The space elevator story kind of fizzled out and never went anywhere (literally). I just felt the book never went anywhere. ( )

História da construção do primeiro elevador espacial, ponte vertical de engenharia futura, a transportar pessoas e materiais de modo prático e ágil, da Terra até a órbita, facilitando a expansão espacial. Escrita muito bem balanceada, embora previsível, evocando uma história antiga de conquista do céu, um precedente recente de engenharia (uma enorme ponte), dificuldades políticas, técnicas e éticas, e eventuais contratempos imprevistos. Intercala também a passagem de uma sonda espacial alienígena, que desconstrói a ideia de religião dos humanos, ao permitir alguma teologia comparada. A ligação aqui é tênue, mas relevante, a história social e técnica se alimentam, e até os monges devem admitir sua própria impermanência.

Vencedor do prêmio Hugo 1980. ( )

Ésta es la historia de Vannevar Morgan, el mayor ingeniero de su época: el siglo XXII. Tras construir un puente sobre el estrecho de Gibraltar, sueña con un logro aún mayor, una suerte de puente hacia las estrellas: un ascensor espacial. Para ello, proyecta tender un cable que se extienda desde el ecuador hasta un satélite en órbita geosincrónica. Pero en su empeño Morgan encontrará diversos obstáculos: ante todo, la oposición de los monjes que ocupan el punto ideal de anclaje del cable, una montaña en la isla de Taprobana. También debe encontrar financiación, resolver problemas políticos, convencer a los escépticos y finalmente solucionar las inevitables crisis de ingeniería que acompañan a la construcción del ascensor. La hazaña de Morgan se entrelaza con la historia antigua de Taprobana, cuyo legendario rey Kalidasa construyó un palacio fabuloso en las alturas intentando alcanzar la divinidad; y con el relato contemporáneo de la visita al sistema solar de una sonda extraterrestre que pone fin a la vieja duda existencial: no estamos solos en el universo. Arthur C. Clarke, uno de los grandes maestros de la ciencia-ficción y universalmente conocido como autor de 2001: una odisea del espacio, obtuvo con Las fuentes del paraíso los premios Hugo y Nebula, los más importantes del género.