The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke

I read The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke a while ago and really enjoyed it but never got around to writing a review. Now I’m thinking about reading some of his other books and wanted to get down some of my thoughts and favorite quotes from this one first! Often considered one of Clarke’s finest novels, The City and the Stars is an interesting take on what humanity might be like in the distant future!

Book Stats

• Title: The City and the Stars
• Author: Arthur C. Clarke
• Genre: Science Fiction
• Publication Date: January 27, 1956
• Pages: 254
• Est. Reading Time: 8 hours
• My Rating: 5/5 Stars
• Buy Now: Amazon

The City and the Stars: Plot Summary

One billion years in the future, Earth’s oceans have dried up and most of humanity has moved on. The domed city of Diaspar is all that remains, completely cut off from the outside world. In Diaspar, technology precisely controls everything, eliminating aging, disease, death, and birth. While there are no new births in Diaspar, only a portion of the population is awake at any one time while most people’s consciousnesses are stored in the Central Computer. Everyone is content with life in Diaspar until Alvin is awakened by the Central Computer.

Unlike everyone else, Alvin begins to question everything about Diaspar and wishes to find a way to leave the dome and explore the outside world. In doing so, he discovers much about humanity’s past and, perhaps, about their future.

“What was beyond the walls of the city was no concern of theirs; it was something that had been shut out of their minds. Diaspar was all that existed, all that they needed, all that they could imagine. It mattered nothing to them that Man had once possessed the stars.”

– Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars

The City and the Stars: My Thoughts

“Diaspar might be sufficient for the rest of humanity, but it was not enough for him.”

– Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars

One of the major themes of the book is Alvin’s insatiable curiosity and how it makes him different from everyone else in Diaspar. To maintain order, everyone seems to be conditioned with a fear of leaving the dome or even thinking of anything outside Diaspar. Unfortunately, this same subject is what most fascinates Alvin, often leading others to feel unconformable around him.

“Unique. It was a strange, sad word—and a strange, sad thing to be. When it was applied to him—as he had often heard it done when no one thought he was listening—it seemed to possess ominous undertones that threatened more than his own happiness.”

– Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars

Diaspar: Utopia or Dystopia?

Counter to Alvin’s uniqueness is the order and control of Diaspar’s society which has been carefully designed to stay self-enclosed for millennia. Alvin’s point of view shows there can be a fine line between a utopian and dystopian society. While Diaspar’s citizens are happy and well provided for, their choices and free will are somewhat limited. This leads to a fairly stagnant culture flitting between art styles and preferences but never really changing and relying on one citizen, known as the jester, to spice things up every now and then with what typically amounts to a practical joke.

“Long ago it had been discovered that without some crime or disorder, Utopia soon became unbearably dull. Crime, however, from the nature of things, could not be guaranteed to remain at the optimum level which the social equations demanded. If it was licensed and regulated, it ceased to be crime.”

– Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars

Sex

Part of Diaspar’s society that I found particularly interesting was sex. Now that the human population was stagnant and sterile there was no need for procreation but yet sex remained. Alongside the sagas (virtual reality experiences), sex seems to be one of the main forms of entertainment, particularly among the newly awakened citizens. Diaspar’s technological advancements and genetic engineering resulted in several of my favorite quotes being about sex:

“He might even have been tempted to assume that there was no longer any difference [between sexes], which would have been a grave error. In the appropriate circumstances, there was no doubt about the masculinity of any male in Diaspar. It was merely that his equipment was now more neatly packaged when not required; internal stowage had vastly improved upon Nature’s original inelegant and indeed downright hazardous arrangements.”

– Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars

“It had never occurred to Alvin that Alystra was beautiful, for he had never seen human ugliness. When beauty is universal, it loses its power to move the heart, and only its absence can produce any emotional effect.”

– Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars

Sexism

While gender norms are not really addressed, the sexes are considered equal with technology providing everything they need. This led to another interesting quote regarding sex and chivalry:

“Since her discomfort was entirely his fault, he handed over his cloak without a word. There was no trace of gallantry in this; the equality of the sexes had been complete for far too long for such conventions to survive. Had matters been the other way round, Alystra would have given Alvin her cloak and he would have as automatically accepted.”

– Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars

The City and the Stars: Favorite Quotes

“If the artist did not know his goal, even the most miraculous of tools could not find it for him.”

– Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars

“There were some things that could not be communicated; one either knew them, or one did not.”

– Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars

“It seemed to Alvin that mystery was piling upon mystery, and that for all his efforts he was getting further and further from any understanding of the truths he sought.”

– Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars

“Faith in one’s own destiny was among the most valuable of the gifts which the gods could bestow upon a man, but Alvin did not know how many it had led to utter disaster.”

– Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars

“They may have much to teach us, but we also have much to teach them. If we both believe that we have nothing to learn from the other, is it not obvious that we will both be wrong?”

– Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars

The City and the Stars: Final Thoughts

I found Arthur C. Clarke’s take on what Earth’s distant future might look like to be at once fantastical, believable, and interesting! Alvin’s quest to discover more about humanity’s past and what lies beyond Diaspar’s walls is quite the adventure.The more Alvin uncovers, the more questions he finds to ask. Will he ever be satisfied in his quest of discovery, and if he is, what will he do then?

“Alvin was an explorer, and all explorers are seeking something they have lost. It is seldom that they find it, and more seldom still that the attainment brings them greater happiness than the quest.”

– Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars

I really enjoyed reading The City and the Stars and hope you do too! If you’ve already read it, what did you think? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!