Of Time and Stars by Arthur C Clarke

Rarely have I read short fiction in any genre, but since I recently read a large amount of Asimov short stories I have developed a new found love of them. They fit into my lifestyle a bit more now I suppose. It is difficult to find the time to devote to 700 page epics when work and family life take up so much time.

This collection has a varied range from Hard Sci-Fi to comic capers and as a collection were a very enjoyable read. My highlights:

The Nine Billion Names of God - probably one of ACC's most famous tales and rightly so. Are computers a good thing?

Trouble with the Natives - very funny story about visiting aliens who get an impression of human life based on a radio play.

Encounter at Dawn - space travelling humans make contact with ancient civilisation.

The Sentinel - the basis for 2001: A Space Odyssey and another classic piece of Sci-Fi.

There was hardly a disappointing story among them. They all left their mark and make me think about so many things in different ways - like all good Science Fiction should do.