Of Time And Stars: Arthur C. Clarke

Eighteen shorts by the master of sci-fi: In this volume: The Nine Billion Names of God: A Tibetan monastery hires a super-computer to list the nine billion names of God - with horrific results. All the Time in the World: Time is altered so that the world's treasures can be stolen. But who's behind it? Encounter at Dawn: A survey starship with three scientists aboard find a planet on the far rim of the Milky Way, inhabit by bipeds very similar to themselves, but with vastly lower levels of technology. The Sentinel: A lunar exploration mission stumbles across a sentinel left by an ancient space-faring civilisation. Into the Comet: A space ship exploring the nucleus of a comet experiences a dangerous computer malfunction. 'If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth...': A young lad living in a lunar colony is curious about his home planet of Earth.The Forgotten Enemy: After the solar system dives into a cloud of cosmic dust and Britain's climate turns from temperate to arctic, a professor who has elected to stay with his books gets to observe some very sudden changes.The Reluctant Orchid: Keating, a timid orchid breeder with an overbearing aunt, comes across a carnivorous orchid - can he use it to commit the perfect murder and get rid of his hateful aunt? Security Check: A set designer for a science fiction TV programme seems to get too close to the truth. No Morning After: An advanced alien race attempts to warn humans that the Sun is about to explode - but the only human they can find is a drunk! Who's There? A space-station supervisor, receives a call that there is a small object in the same orbital projectory and that someone needs to go retrieve it. He decides to go himself - but has he just put on a haunted space-suit? Hide and Seek: During an interplanetary war, an agent must outrun the enemy and get his vital information to his mother ship. Robin Hood, FRS: A tale of the efforts by the joint expedition members to recover an automatic supply rocket that has landed just out of reach, through a very unorthodox method. Feathered Friend: Sven, a space construction worker, smuggles his pet canary aboard the space station. An Ape About the House: A bored housewife encourages her laboratory-bred serving ape to take up painting - and astonishes the art world. Green Fingers: A Russian team member - a botanist - secretly engineers plant life that could survive on the Moon's surface. Trouble with the Natives: Aliens visit a small English village and get frustrated with trying to communicate! Cover art by Peter Elson.