Hugo Award Best Novel Winner
The Fountains of Paradise
by Arthur C. Clarke
Summary
Arthur C. Clarke imagines the construction of a space elevator, a tower rising from an equatorial island to orbit, told through the engineer Vannevar Morgan who pursues the dream. The story blends rigorous engineering speculation with the history and spirituality of the fictional island of Taprobane, modeled on Sri Lanka. Clarke combines hard science fiction with meditations on ambition, faith, and humanity's reach toward the stars.
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Historical Context & Significance
Clarke won both the Hugo and Nebula for this novel, which helped popularize the space elevator concept in science fiction.