The best collection ever of Arthur C. Clarke’s short fiction, including the stories on which 2001: A Space Odyssey and Childhood’s End were based.

The most celebrated collection of science fiction stories ever published. 'The Sentinel' is a book that must be read, re-read then treasured. This magnificent showcase of short fiction by one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time contains:

•
The story that inspired '2001 A Space Odyssey': THE SENTINEL
•
The real prequel to '2010 Odyssey Two': A MEETING WITH MEDUSA
•
The story that gave birth to 'Childhood's End': GUARDIAN ANGEL
•
The original version of THE SONGS OF DISTANT EARTH
•
The story originally published as '?': REFUGEE
•
A story of human chauvinism told by the tentacled Lords of the Universe: RESCUE PARTY
•
A tale of theft en route to JUPITER V
•
A Story of sailing THE WIND FROM THE SUN

'Here is new myth'
TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

'A one-man literary Big Bang, Clarke has originated his own vast and teeming futurist universe'
SUNDAY TIMES

'The colossus of science fiction'
NEW YORKER

'One of the most astounding imaginations ever encountered in print'
NEW YORK TIMES

The best collection ever of Arthur C. Clarke’s short fiction, including the stories on which 2001: A Space Odyssey and Childhood’s End were based.

The Sentinel is a magnificent retrospective showcase of Arthur C. Clarke’s finest shorter fiction. Spanning four decades of writing, this book includes many gems of a genius at the height of his powers. The title piece is the story that inspired 2001. ‘Guardian Angel’ is a rarely anthologised work that gave birth to Childhood’s End, and ‘The Songs of Distant Earth’ is the original version of Clarke’s own favourite novel.
Along with other vaulting tales of imagination are fascinating introductions telling the history of each story from conception to completion.
From one of the greatest science-fiction writers of all time. The Sentinel is one of those all-too-few collections that must be read, re-read, then treasured.