THE NINE BILLION NAMES OF GOD

Clarke has written over a hundred short stories, most of which have been anthologized before. But these are his twenty-five favorites and they combine to make fine reading. The title story is quietly remarkable as Tibetan monks complete their life's work with the aid of a computer and The Star also makes an unsettling comment on religion. The others range from the tall fantasy tales from the White Hart to the Superiority of Clarke's views on certain kinds of progress (this story has been required reading for one MIT course). Clarke is a contented "prophet with a small p." The reader will find much to entertain...and challenge.