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Content snapshot
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Violence
None
No violence; mild adventure in the far-future exploration context
Language
None
No profanity
Sexual Content
None
No sexual content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Barely any
The philosophical question of whether perfect safety and comfort are worth the death of human curiosity creates the novel's gentle intellectual weight
What this book is about
Arthur C. Clarke's revised and expanded version of Against the Fall of Night follows Alvin, who lives in Diaspar — a city kept perfect and eternal by its computers, populated by people who have lived so long they've forgotten to dream. Alvin is unique: he wants to leave. Clarke's philosophical science fiction asks large questions about civilization, stagnation, and the fear of change with his characteristic clarity and optimism.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
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