The Deep Range by Arthur Clarke is a non-standard sf plot by one of sf's best classic authors. Some people may not like this book because of it's leaning towards the viewpoint of Greenpeace, but I liked it despite that, probably because of it's distinctiveness.

The story is about sea farming and one man's determination to keep it alive. I guess it can be called more of a collection of shorts than a novel because each incident in the book has it's own climax and resolution. The part which I remember most is at the end and is about a vegetarian group gaining control over the new World Government. The group doesn't want whales to be raised for slaughter and is willing to do anything to bring this about. I don't think I can say anything more without this becoming a political statement, and I certainly don't want that.

I think that I've mentioned recently a couple of Clarke's best novels, but I don't think I've said anything about his short story collections. I don't know what else I can do except to recommend them. They're a bit more than light reading and pretty consistent quality, but the titles are so forgettable that there's no point in listing them here.

Click here to return to the SIGMA mainpage.

This page maintained by Greg Armstrong