Arthur c clarke the nine billion names of god and other stories audiobook. Nepalese monks hire an ibm computer to print all possible nine letter words in a special language which could be the name of their god. Clarkes the nine billion names of god for his own short story of the same name. So when a group of monks seek to enlist modern technology in their quest to list all nine billion names of god, there is no telling what may. The nine billion names of god was written by the venerable sir arthur c. Apr 25, 2016 another science fiction writer actually borrowed arthur c. Contents introduction the nine billion names of god 1953 i remember babylon 1960 trouble with time 1960 rescue party 1946 the curse 1946 summertime on icarus 1960. Gc mckays snuggling up with some scifi with the nine billion names of god by arthur c.
So when a group of monks seek to enlist modern technology in their. The nine billion names of god, published in 1953 was about a tibetan monastery whose monks sought to list every imaginable name of god. Although there are a few flaws, in that there are a couple stories that get. So when a group of monks seek to enlist modern technology in their quest to list. The monks want the computer to help them print out all the possible names of god, of which they believe there are about nine billion. Dec 16, 2016 01the nine billion names of god this tale describes a mishmash of religious views researched and encouraged by tibetan buddhist monks, and it ends o. This story appeals to me on so many levels, but the thing. The nine billion names of god music in dedication to the panoply of mystical names of the creator. They ask for a super computer named the mark v to be. Why nine billion names of god in one of the best ones.
The nine billion names of god challenges the popular rationalist resonances of the mid1950s, which emerged partly out of the first groundbreaking advances in computation. The sentinel was first published in the spring 1951 issue of 10 story fantasy. The nine billion names of god audible audiobook unabridged arthur c. This is carter scholz, who incorporates science and theology into a different type of literary genre that is not quite science fiction. Clarkes the nine billion names of god was produced by dercum audio its that signature opening, that terrific, haunting music that begins at the. The nine billion names of god 1967 is a collection of science fiction short stories by arthur c. The purpose of the ending is to surprise and unsettle the reader, rather than to indicate some underlying truth or convey some significant message. A tibetan monk rents an automatic sequence computer. The nine billion names of god audible audio edition. Clarkes the nine billion names of god was produced by dercum audio its that signature opening, that terrific, haunting music that begins at the ten second mark thats the giveaway.
The nine billion names of god and other stories sacramento. The title story is quietly remarkable as tibetan monks complete their lifes work with the aid of a computer and the star also makes an unsettling comment on religion. Nonfictional story from clarke about his conversation with a telecommunications traitor to the ussr and their plans for the unrestricted american airwaves. The nine billion names of god and other stories, the third volume in the collected stories of arthur c clarke, is comprised of those 22 stories which clarke considered personal favorites. Jan 10, 2018 andy weir shot to fame with his previous novel the martian, which garnered huge success not only as a book but also as an audiobook and a film. Etext library the nine billion names of god the nine billion names of god arthur c. Clarke 19172008 is regarded as one of the mostinfluential science fiction writers of all time. The nine billion names of god is basically a horror story. A sect of tibetan monks were researching every possible name of god. The nine billion names of god i remember babylon trouble with time rescue party the curse summertime on icarus dog star hide and seek out of the sun the wall of darkness no morning.
Discussion questions for the nine billion names of god. For such a short story, the nine billion names of god has a lot to say about faith, fate, and hubris while leaving a lot to the imagination. In the same vein as the rc5 and desii challenges, we will attempt to harness the idle computing power of the world to find the 9 billion names of god and bring about the destruction of the universe through the. Analysis and interpretation the nine billion names of. But these are his twentyfive favorites and they combine to make fine reading.
Science fiction friday the nine billion names of god by arthur c. The nine billion names of god and other stories snoisle. While doing some research the other day, i came across a fictional story by an author named arthur c. In this way its a lot like a ghost story or urban legend. Mar 18, 2008 the nine billion names of god follows three employees of a computer company as they sell, deliver and maintain a relatively large and fast computer to a group of tibetan monks. And in homage to the 1953 short story of the same name by arthur c. Daniel barker daniel is the founder of you can science, and also the producer of a science podcast called uncertainty principle, which this website hosts. As far as i know, its the vrst time anyones been asked to supply a tibetan monastery with an automatic sequence computer.
Astronomy, totally rad science fiction friday the nine billion names of god by arthur c. Feb 15, 2014 in nine billion names of god a group of monks have been writing down possible names for god for three centuries. Science fiction friday the nine billion names of god by. Atypically, the lamas will not use the normal alphabet.
Praise god, the almighty is not as silly and simplistic as described here. Clarke this is a slightly unusual request, said dr. What does the end of nine billion names of god signify. In the arthur clarke story, tibetan monks in a monastery high in the himalayas use a computer program to discover and list the nine billion names of god and they are successful. Editions of the nine billion names of god by arthur c. The nine billion names of god published in 1953 demonstrates just this, in which the storys main characters are caught between their logic and that of another group. Listen to the nine billion names of god audiobook by arthur c. Bleiler 1983 in the guide to supernatural fiction pages 295 454. Their centurieslong project to write out all of gods names could be sped up by thousands of years. The nine billion names of god arthur c clarke this is a slightly unusual request, said dr.
Clarke in 1953 and is included in his science fiction anthology of the same name. The nine billion names of god is a 1953 science fiction short story by british writer arthur c. The nine billion names of god summary supersummary. Daniel barker daniel is the founder of you can science, and also the. Every story has a great end, especially the nine billion names of god, rescue party, and the wall of darkness. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. Oct 18, 2012 the nine billion names of god by arthur c. The others range from the tall fantasy tales from the.
The story was among the stories selected in 1970 by the science fiction writers of. So when a group of monks seek to enlist modern technology in their quest to list all nine billion names of god, there is no telling what may happen. The authors hand picked entries include six early club tales from tales from the. To include a little background from clarkes forward in his 1974 reprise anthology the nine billion names of god signet, the new american library inc. The monks could have been compiling this list of nine billion separate nineletter words that were something other than the true names of god, but to what end. The nine billion names of god and other stories by arthur c. The nine billion names of god the intelligence people. The nine billion names of god signetnew american library, paperback, 1980. Aug 15, 20 theres a science fiction story i first read in the early 1970s. It later served as the starting point for the film and novel, 2001. The nine billion names of god and other stories hennepin. They worked out there were nine billion different ways of writing his name. Nine billion names of god summaryopinion yourshiningknight. Experten stellen ausgewahlte science fictionstories vor.
The sentinel short story, bbc radio 4 extra, the nine billion names of god. The nine billion names of god i remember babylon trouble with time rescue party the curse summertime on icarus dog star hide and seek out of the sun the wall of darkness no morning after the possessed death and the senator whos there. The nine billion names of god audiobook by arthur c. Analysis and interpretation the nine billion names of god. This is a science fictive short story where we meet a group of lamas who wants to write the nine billion names of god. Clarke wrote a story called the nine billion names of god, which is about a group of monks in the himalayas who believe that the task of man is to name the 9. Wagner, with what he hoped was commendable restraint. Clarke in which a group of monks buys a computer to calculate all the names of god theres even a distributed computing webpage which proposes this project. The nine billion names of god collection wikipedia. Search the history of over 426 billion web pages on the internet. This robinson crusoe in space established weir as a name in science fiction, with a penchant for rigorous research and process akin to kim stanley robinson, as well as a dry sarcasm which cuts through tensions at the heart of the book to allow you. The nine billion names of god is another religiously rooted story about monks getting a supercomputer to find all names of god to be ready when he comes.
The story was among the stories selected in 1970 by the science fiction writers of america as one of the best science fiction short stories published before the creation of the nebula awards. What modification does the lama want to make to the mark v computer. Their centurieslong project to write out all of gods. Clarke from dercum audio, 1991 thursday, october 18, 2012 jesse willis news this recording of arthur c. The invention of computers was a godsend to the obscure monks deep in the himalayas. In nine billion names of god a group of monks have been writing down possible names for god for three centuries. The nine billion names of god and other stories, the third volume in the collected stories of arthur c clarke, is comprised of those 22 stories which clarke considered personal favorites among his own work at the time. One thing that stood out was the humor of the stories something i dont necessarily associate with clarke. A sect of tibetan monks were researching every possible name of. Full text of this story is available online link via best science. The nine billion names of god is a collection of short stories from acclaimed sciencefiction author arthur c. As far as i know, its the first time anyones been asked to supply a tibetan monastery with an automatic sequence computer. The nine billion names of god was the first arthur c clarke story i ever read, and within a week of reading it i was devouring his work. The nine billion names of god follows three employees of a computer company as they sell, deliver and maintain a relatively large and fast computer to a group of tibetan.
The nine billion names of god arthur c clarke ministry of. This task is a variation of the short story by arthur c. Arthur c clarke the nine billion names of god and other stories. Blender, the ai chatbot thats as likely to swear at you. The purpose of the ending is to surprise and unsettle the reader, rather than to indicate some underlying truth or convey some. Clarke has written over a hundred short stories, most of which have been anthologized before. There are some stories about antigravity, new worlds, horse like creatures who meet tiny creatures who may outsmart them before too long. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.