{"id":8277,"date":"2024-10-30T00:01:54","date_gmt":"2024-10-30T05:01:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/?p=8277"},"modified":"2024-11-01T15:14:22","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T20:14:22","slug":"prometheus-hall-of-fame-nominees-capsule-reviews-of-an-arthur-c-clarke-short-story-and-a-mack-reynolds-novella","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/prometheus-hall-of-fame-nominees-capsule-reviews-of-an-arthur-c-clarke-short-story-and-a-mack-reynolds-novella\/","title":{"rendered":"Prometheus Hall of Fame nominees, part 2: Capsule reviews of an Arthur C. Clarke short story and a Mack Reynolds novella\u2028"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Michael Grossberg<\/a><\/p>\n

Coincidentally, both Arthur C. Clarke\u2019s short story \u201cDeath and the Senator\u201d and Mack Reynolds\u2019 novella \u201cUltima Thule\u2019 were first published in 1961.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Of the 10 classic works of speculative fiction nominated for potential induction next year into the Hall of Fame, these two shorter works rank among the oldest.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Hall of Fame, which focuses on older works of SF\/fantasy that have endured and taken on the patina of classics, is open to nomination of speculative fiction of almost any type, length or format (published, performed, staged, screened or broadcast) that first appeared in some form at least twenty years ago.<\/p>\n

So why was each of these works of fiction nominated?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Which each work reflects its era in some ways, each is very different in focus, setting, theme and tone – and their themes in particular prompted their nomination for the next Prometheus Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nUnder long-established LFS awards rules, any LFS member in good standing may nominate any eligible work for any category of the Prometheus Awards – an important step and prerequisite that broadens our purview and helps ensure that worthy candidates are not overlooked.<\/span><\/p>\n

The next step in our awards process, now underway, involves the LFS members who have volunteered to judge the Hall of Fame nominees, and who are now reading and discussing their merits, with the goal of voting to select a slate of finalists, which will be announced in December.
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n\"\"<\/a>The Prometheus Blog previously launched our series of capsule descriptions and reviews of this year\u2019s slate of Hall of Fame nominees with the two oldest works: Rudyard Kipling\u2019s novelette \u201cAs Easy as A.B.C.,\u201d published in 1912; and C.S. Lewis\u2019 novel That Hideous Strength, <\/i>published in 1945.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Here, in part two of the series, are capsule descriptions of the next two nominees, in chronological order of publication:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Author Arthur C. Clarke (Creative Commons license)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

CLARKE\u2019S “DEATH AND THE SENATOR”
\n<\/b>
\n\u201cDeath and the Senator,\u201d a 1961 (Analog)<\/i> story by Arthur C. Clarke, underlines the dangers of government blocking the path to the stars.<\/p>\n

Short-term thinking, power-seeking and other negatives of politics are contrasted with the positives of family, science, technology and space exploration.<\/p>\n

With both ironic and tragic dimensions, the story revolves around an aging U.S. senator, long ambitious to become President, who receives a terminal medical diagnosis giving him few months to live. Now realizing he hasn\u2019t spent enough time with his family and grandchildren, the Senator regrets his actions preventing the development of an orbiting medical-research facility that might have saved or extended his life.<\/p>\n

A strong advocate of reason, science and humanity\u2019s expansion into space during at a critical juncture in the 1960s, Clarke didn\u2019t really question the devil\u2019s bargain of government funding of the space program (or of other scientific research) and how that might lead to centralization, corruption, stagnation and the politicization of science.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
SpaceX starship taking off File photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nor did Clarke truly consider less problematic alternatives, especially the support and innovation possible through private enterprise – something that in real life eventually is spurring significant space exploration and development, but which is entirely absent from Clarke\u2019s vision in this story.<\/p>\n

Yet, many LFS members and other freedom-loving SF fans share Clarke\u2019s hopes of humanity expanding into outer space, with all of its potential benefits, a dream Clarke makes palpable in this story. And<\/p>\n

Overall, \u201cDeath and the Senator\u201d offers an important reminder that too much politics actually undermines progress and innovation, with perverse and unintended consequences.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Mack Reynolds in 1953 (Creative Commons license)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

REYNOLDS\u2019 \u2018ULTIMA THULE’
\n<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cUltima Thule,\u201d a 1961 (Analog)<\/i> novella by Mack Reynolds, explores the benefits of freedom and innovation amid the fragility of different societies and their relationship to technological progress in an interstellar future.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>A young man gets his dream job as a United Planets investigating agent visiting different planets with a secret mission: to track down the elusive Tommy Paine.<\/p>\n

The legendary revolutionary has been disrupting the status quo in many authoritarian and\/or primitive human colonies settled by an explosion of humanity to the stars to create their own radically different utopias – many of which have become stagnant or repressive.<\/p>\n

The twisty story questions the consequences of the United Planets\u2019 ethic of noninterference and more broadly, the sociopolitical assumptions behind a variety of forms of governance, from theocracy to communism.<\/p>\n

* For capsule review\/descriptions of the two oldest works nominated, check out the recent Prometheus Blog post<\/a> about Rudyard Kipling\u2019s 1912 novelette \u201cAs Easy as A.B.C.\u201d and C.S. Lewis\u2019 1945 novel That Hideous Strength.<\/i><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Gold coins are part of the Prometheus Awards prize<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

THE FULL LIST OF HALL OF FAME NOMINEES<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here, for the record, are the 10 Hall of Fame nominees for the 2025 Prometheus Awards, listed in chronological order of publication or recording:<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Easy as A.B.C.,” by Rudyard Kipling (1912), a novelette<\/p>\n

That Hideous Strength,<\/i><\/b> <\/i>by C.S. Lewis (1945), a novel<\/p>\n

“Death and the Senator,” by Arthur C. Clarke (1961), a short story<\/p>\n

“Ultima Thule,” by Mack Reynolds (1961), a novella<\/p>\n

“Conquest by Default,” by Vernor Vinge (1968), a novelette<\/p>\n

The Demon Breed,<\/i><\/b> by James H. Schmitz (1968), a novel<\/p>\n

“The Trees,” by Rush (1978), a song<\/p>\n

Orion Shall Rise,<\/i><\/b> by Poul Anderson (1984), a novel<\/p>\n

Between the Rivers<\/i><\/b>, by Harry Turtledove (1998), a\u00a0 novel<\/p>\n

Singularity Sky,<\/i><\/b> by Charles Stross (2003), a novel<\/p>\n

For more information about all 10 works listed above, visit the Prometheus Blog\u2019s announcement<\/a> of the Hall of Fame nominees.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE PROMETHEUS AWARDS:<\/b><\/p>\n

* Prometheus winners:\u00a0For the full list of Prometheus winners, finalists and nominees \u2013 including the annual Best Novel and Best Classic Fiction (Hall of Fame) categories and occasional Special Awards \u2013 visit the enhanced\u00a0Prometheus Awards page<\/a>\u00a0on the LFS website, which now includes convenient links to all published essay-reviews in our Appreciation series explaining why each of more than 100 past winners since 1979 fits the awards\u2019 distinctive dual focus on both quality and liberty.<\/p>\n

* Read \u201cThe Libertarian History of Science Fiction,\u201d<\/a> an essay in the international magazine\u00a0Quillette<\/i>\u00a0that favorably highlights the Prometheus Awards, the Libertarian Futurist Society and the significant element of libertarian sf\/fantasy in the evolution of the modern genre.<\/p>\n

*\u00a0Watch videos of past Prometheus Awards ceremonies (including the recent 2023 ceremony<\/a> with inspiring and amusing speeches by Prometheus-winning authors Dave Freer<\/a> and Sarah Hoyt)<\/a>, Libertarian Futurist Society panel discussions with noted sf authors and leading libertarian writers, and other LFS programs on the Prometheus Blog\u2019s\u00a0Video page.<\/a><\/p>\n

* Check out the Libertarian Futurist Society\u2019s Facebook page<\/a> for comments, updates and links to Prometheus Blog posts.<\/p>\n

*\u00a0Join us! To help sustain the Prometheus Awards and support a cultural and literary strategy to appreciate and honor freedom-loving fiction, \u00a0join<\/a> the Libertarian Futurist Society, a non-profit all-volunteer association of freedom-loving sf\/fantasy fans.<\/p>\n

Libertarian futurists believe that culture matters! We understand that the arts and literature can be vital in envisioning a freer and better future – and in some ways can be even more powerful than politics in the long run, by imagining better visions of the future incorporating peace, prosperity, progress, tolerance, justice, positive social change, and mutual respect for each other\u2019s rights, individuality and human dignity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Michael Grossberg Coincidentally, both Arthur C. Clarke\u2019s short story \u201cDeath and the Senator\u201d and Mack Reynolds\u2019 novella \u201cUltima Thule\u2019 were first published in 1961. Of the 10 classic works of speculative fiction nominated for potential induction next year into the Hall of Fame, these two shorter works rank among the oldest. The Hall of … Continue reading Prometheus Hall of Fame nominees, part 2: Capsule reviews of an Arthur C. Clarke short story and a Mack Reynolds novella\u2028<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[31,1125,8],"tags":[1636,2510,2504,2508,2509],"class_list":["post-8277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-awards-news","category-updates","category-review","tag-arthur-c-clarke","tag-death-and-the-senator","tag-mack-reynolds","tag-prometheus-hall-of-fame-nominees","tag-ultima-thule"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pe8nGl-29v","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8277"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8318,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8277\/revisions\/8318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}