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Reach For Tomorrow by Arthur C Clarke
01/02/2004 . Source: Paul Skevington 
pub: Gollancz. 166 page paperback. Price: £ 6.99 (UK). ISBN: 0-575-60046-2. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. check out website: www.orionbooks.co.uk
There isn't much that can be said about Arthur C. Clarke that hasn't been said before. Despite this fact, I'm going to bite the bullet and give it a go anyway.
The book in question is a collection of short stories that cover the earlier stages of Clarke's career with original publishing dates that circle mainly around the fifties.
With many other authors I might at this point have been worried that the volume in front of me was going to principally contain off-cuts and pieces so poorly written they were consigned to the authors' pre-history, until an enterprising editor decided to dredge them up for a bit of moolah.
But, hey folks, this is Clarke! Fear not the poorly put together cash-in! This is the real deal.
Some articles and reviews that I have read on Clarke have suggested that he forgets about characterisation in his attempts to present the amazing ideas that he has. I have always strongly disagreed with this but will concede that in this collection the characters are quite broadly drawn.
With so much to fit into so little space, certain elements of a tale that are more easily considered within the wide expanses of the novel will suffer. However, Clarke almost always manages to give us just enough to make us care about the scientific gubbins that underpins his tales.
Having said this, it is the ideas that fuel this collection and, more importantly, the reality of the ideas. By this I don't just mean their technical possibility but also the degree to which we can imagine ourselves in a situation where these events are fact and not fiction.
A case in point would be my own personal favourite of the book 'Technical Error'. I cannot stress how great this short story is. I would advise buying the collection for this piece alone. The tension created by the steady pace and catastrophically horrifying ending is fantastic.
The overall impression is of a science lesson gone horribly wrong, like turning up for Chemistry 101 and finding out that the teacher has just finished turning into Mr Hyde and is in the mood for a bit of fun. It is quite simply everything I would want out of an SF short story.
Whilst this is the collection's brightest moment, it is not the only highlight. 'Times Arrow' is an enjoyable tale with a grim ending that may seem a little over-used in today's time travel saturated market. Despite this, it still does not fail to send a chill down the spine of the reader. 'The Fires Within' is also an entertaining read and is a masterpiece of misdirection.
Certainly there are a couple of tales that fall short of the mark. 'A Walk In The Dark' is a story that is teetering on the edge of the abyss that leads to the dark land of Ham. It is perhaps a weak idea stretched a little beyond its narrative tensile strength. 'Trouble With The Natives' is kind a comedic tale that is funny in places but flounders like a socially inept cousin at a family barbecue when placed in context with the other stories.
The majority of the pieces are brilliant though and even the poorer works are far superior to the mass of work produced by many other less talented authors. Clarke has a seemingly in-built instinct for the punchline, for the big delivery and he never fails to provide it to us.
It is those jaw-dropping moments that mean that you need to be clearing a little space on your shelves for this book. This is what SF is all about.
Paul Skevington
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