Few masters of science fiction have brought us glimpses of the near future as vividly as Arthur C. Clarke. It is the startling realism of his vision that has made classics of his CHILDHOODS END and 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEYand Clarke himself one of the genres most successful writers. Here is a brilliant collection of Clarkes highest caliber short fiction. Among the ten stories included in this volume are: The Sentinel: The story that inspired 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, one of the most famous SF movies of all time. Guardian Angel: The rarely-glimpsed work that gave birth to CHILDHOODS END. The Songs of Distant Earth: A fantastic tale of first contact with an alien world, which became the basis for one of Clarkes most successful novels. Breaking Strain: The inspiration for the popular book series Arthur C. Clarkes VENUS PRIME.