Well, they believe that when they have listed all his names and they reckon that there are about nine billion of them god s purpose will have been achieved. The nine billion names of god arthur c clarke author. I don t wish to be inquisitive, but i should hardly have thought that your. Nepalese monks hire an ibm computer to print all possible nine letter words in a special language which could be the name of their god.
God i radio drama based on the 1967 science fiction story by arthur c. C listed in contentos top ten most reprinted stories. Experten stellen ausgewahlte science fictionstories vor. The nine billion names of god is a collection of short stories from acclaimed sciencefiction author arthur c. Mar 18, 2008 the nine billion names of god follows three employees of a computer company as they sell, deliver and maintain a relatively large and fast computer to a group of tibetan monks. There are also some stories that are precursors for.
For such a short story, the nine billion names of god has a lot to say about faith, fate, and hubris while leaving a lot to the imagination. I do not know who gave the nebula its name, which seems to me a very bad one. Apr 06, 2007 since this is amongst the most collected stories of clarke, opinions on it are bound to differ. Read hundreds of free scifi stories from asimov, lovecraft. Ive found the nine billion names of god as a nicelypresented free pdf download here this link has four short stories. For the rest nine pieces 2, 4, 17, 29, 30, 112, 114116 this is either first appearance in book form at all or first appearance in a book by arthur c. The monks could have been compiling this list of nine billion separate nineletter words that were something other than the true names of god, but to what end. Collection of the best science fiction of arthur c. But for a really quick, easy and quite enjoyable fiveminute online read, check out arthur c. This story appeals to me on so many levels, but the thing that sticks with me the most is the very last line of the story. The nine billion names of god summary supersummary.
Clarke finally won a retrospective hugo award for best short story. The nine billion names of god audiobook by arthur c. Clarke 19172008 is regarded as one of the mostinfluential science fiction writers of all time. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. There is a 4book set of clarke short stories on kindle, but as far as i can tell the collections do not specify which stories are in each book, and id rather not buy. The nine billion names of god is a science fiction short story by arthur c.
The nine billion names of god follows three employees of a computer company as they sell, deliver and maintain a relatively large and fast computer to a group of tibetan monks. Scribd is the worlds largest social reading and publishing site. The lion of comarre 17, although published in magazine as early as 1949, first appeared in book form in 1968, in an omnibus edition together with. You can read the 9 billion names of god for free with this pdf. Arthur c clarkes the nine billion names of god close. Science fiction friday the nine billion names of god by arthur c. Clarke walks the line between science and mysticism in this thoughtprovoking tale. Theyre quick to read and a good way for an author to capture and explore a thought that wouldnt support an actual novel. Clark content the nine billion names of god the secret the wall of darkness no morning after the. I think this must be the first time that anyone has been asked to send an automatic sequence computer to a. This is a science fictive short story where we meet a group of lamas who wants to write the nine billion names of god.
The nine billion names of god was the first arthur c clarke story i ever read, and within a week of reading it i was devouring his work. He was named a grand master by the science fiction and fantasy writers of america, and was inducted into the science fiction and fantasy hall of fame. Clarke has written over a hundred short stories, most of which have been anthologized before. Note that it saves the file as arthur without a filetype suffix. Wagner, with what he hoped was commendable restraint. The nine billion names of god i remember babylon trouble with time rescue party the curse summertime on icarus dog star hide and seek out of the sun the wall of darkness no morning.
Read online the nine billion names of god arthur c clarke the nine billion names of god arthur c clarke. Since this is amongst the most collected stories of clarke, opinions on it are bound to differ. To include a little background from clarkes forward in his 1974 reprise anthology the nine billion names of god signet, the new american library inc. Arthur c clarke the nine billion names of god and other stories audiobook duration. Dear reader, subsequent to you are hunting the the nine billion names of god arthur c clarke gathering to gain access to this day, this can be your referred book. The nine billion names of god i remember babylon trouble with time rescue party the curse summertime on icarus dog star hide and seek out of the sun the wall of darkness no morning after the possessed death and the senator whos there. Astronomy, totally rad science fiction friday the nine billion names of god by arthur c. Now i have seen that handiwork, and my faith is sorely troubled. One thing that stood out was the humor of the stories something i dont necessarily associate with clarke. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the nine billion names of god by arthur c.
This collection of science fiction short stories inc. Analysis and interpretation the nine billion names of god. We see the result of the mark vs labors, in that at the end of the listingrecitation, the stars wink out of the sky, indicating that the entire universe is disappearing. Now there are classic science fiction stories, and then there are classic science fiction stories used by educators to introduce young impressionable readers and writers to the age old argument of science and religion. Clarke is available in the public domain, and a link to the full text is available below. The nine billion names of god is a 1953 science fiction short story by british writer arthur c. Analysis and interpretation the nine billion names of god in 1953 arthur c. Atypically, the lamas will not use the normal alphabet. There are some stories about antigravity, new worlds, horse like creatures who meet tiny creatures who may outsmart them before too long. Clarke the nine billion names of god signetnew american library, paperback, 1980. Nepalese monks hire an ibm computer to print all possible nine letter words in a special language which could be the name of 0451083814 nine billion names of god by clarke, nine billion names of god.
Yeah, even many books are offered, this book can steal the reader heart. As far as i know, its the vrst time anyones been asked to supply a tibetan monastery with. All the many names of the supreme being god, jehovah, allah, and so on they are only manmade labels. The nine billion names of god the secret the wall of darkness no morning after the songs of distant earth the first chapter of the novel, presented as a short story. Analysis and interpretation the nine billion names of. The monks want the computer to help them print out all the possible names of god, of which they believe there are about nine billion. If it contains a prophecy, it is one that cannot be verified for several billion years. The machine that killed the stars the 9 billion names of. The title story is quietly remarkable as tibetan monks complete their lifes work with the aid of a computer and the star also makes an unsettling comment on religion. If you have an original short story that you would like us to consider. Clarke this is a slightly unusual request, said dr. So when a group of monks seek to enlist modern technology in their quest to list all nine billion names of god, there is no telling what may happen. Theres a complication with this interpretation as mentioned in the wikipedia article. Nonfictional story from clarke about his conversation with a telecommunications traitor to the ussr and their plans for the unrestricted american airwaves.
The story was among the stories selected in 1970 by the. The others range from the tall fantasy tales from the. Clarke 1953 this is a slightly unusual request, said dr. Im interested in reading this short story by arthur c clarke, but i cant find a kindle version, which would be my ideal way to read it. The nine billion names of god published in 1953 demonstrates just this, in which the storys main characters are caught between their logic and that of another group. Daniel barker daniel is the founder of you can science, and also the producer of a science podcast called uncertainty principle, which this website hosts. Clark content the nine billion names of god the secret the wall of darkness no morning after the songs of distant earth the nine billion names of god this is rather unusual, said dr wagner, trying very hard to hide his amazement. Clarke left the conclusion of the nine billion names of god openended. Clarke, first published in 2001, is a collection of almost all science fiction stories written by arthur c. Clarke, follows two computer technicians who are consulted to program a customized. As far as i know, its the first time anyones been asked to supply a tibetan monastery with an automatic sequence computer.
Etext library the nine billion names of god the nine billion names of god arthur c. The nine billion names of god collection wikipedia. The deep range pdf 10 pages the nine billion names of god pdf 8 pages. The machine that killed the stars the 9 billion names. Arthur c clark nine billion names of god free download as pdf file.
Mar 07, 2020 we cover the famous science fiction short story the 9 billion names of god by arthur c clarke on todays scifi discussion video. The monks could have been compiling this list of nine billion separate nine letter words that were something other than the true names of god, but to what end. The nine billion names of god 1967 is a collection of science fiction short stories by arthur c. Search the history of over 426 billion web pages on the internet. The nine billion names of god is another religiously rooted story about monks getting a supercomputer to find all names of god to be ready when he comes.
Clarkes short story addresses the conflict between technology or science and religion. Feb 28, 2018 the nine billion names of god by arthur c. We cover the famous science fiction short story the 9 billion names of god by arthur c clarke on todays scifi discussion video. Mar 18, 2014 for such a short story, the nine billion names of god has a lot to say about faith, fate, and hubris while leaving a lot to the imagination. Contents introduction the nine billion names of god 1953 i remember babylon 1960 trouble with time 1960 rescue party 1946 the curse 1946. But these are his twentyfive favorites and they combine to make fine reading. The nine billion names of god voted into the science fiction hall of fame by science fiction writers of america, i remember babylon, trouble with time, rescue party, the curse, summertime on icarus, dog star, hide and seek, out of the sun, the wall of darkness, no morning after, the possessed, death and the senator, whos. The sentinel short story, bbc radio 4 extra, the nine billion names of god, books on the radio, encounter in the dawn, transience short story, arthur c. The story was among the stories selected in 1970 by the science fiction writers of america as one of the best science fiction short stories published before the creation of the nebula awards. The nine billion names of god i remember babylon trouble with time rescue party the curse summertime on icarus dog star hide and seek out of the sun the wall of darkness no morning after the possessed death and the. It is about an order of tibetan monks who purchase a computer for the purpose of transcribing every possible name of god according to a formula of their own devising, a purpose they have been working toward for centuries and that was expected to take a further 15,000.
Im a big fan of clarkes and aasimovs short stories. The nine billion names of god arthur c clarke keywords. The human race will have finished what it was created to do. Science fiction friday the nine billion names of god by. The nine billion names of god i remember babylon trouble with time rescue party the curse summertime on icarus dog star hide and seek out of the sun the wall of darkness no morning after. It was reprinted in the science fiction hall of fame, volume one, 19291964.