The Fountains of Paradise

The Fountains of Paradise

by Arthur C. Clarke

4.3 (1,797)

4.3 stars from 1,797 reviews. Top 82% of Literary Fiction books we track.

260 pages~4.3 hr readPublished by Amereon LtdPublished 1978-01-01

$8.9925% off peak

Last checked: May 24, 2026

Price history: $1.99 $11.99

While not the biggest discount we've seen for this book, it's still a great deal and we recommend grabbing it before price returns to its normal range.

Price range: $1.99 $11.99

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Fans of these authors will like this...

  • Isaac Asimov
  • Greg Egan
  • Kim Stanley Robinson

Fans of these books will like this...

  • Rendezvous with Rama
  • The Martian
  • Neuromancer

Perfect for you if...

  • You love hard science fiction where the engineering details feel real and possible, not magic disguised as tech.
  • You appreciate stories about visionary protagonists who must navigate politics and philosophy alongside physics.
  • You want ambitious, sweeping narratives that span decades and grapple with what progress actually costs.

Maybe not for you if...

  • You prefer character-driven narratives over concept-driven ones. This book puts the idea of the space elevator at its heart.
  • You want fast-paced, plot-heavy thrillers. This is meditative and philosophical despite its grand scale.
  • You're looking for contemporary settings or familiar Earth politics. The future world-building requires patience to absorb.

About this book

Renowned structural engineer Dr. Vannevar Morgan conceives of a space elevator—a structure that would connect Earth to an orbiting satellite 22,300 miles above the planet's surface. By lifting interstellar spaceships into orbit without rockets, the elevator would make space travel easier and more cost-effective. The only suitable location for the elevator's base is atop a mountain inhabited by an ancient order of Buddhist monks who oppose the project. Morgan must overcome their resistance along with significant technical, political, and economic obstacles to realize his vision. This novel spans twenty decades and follows Morgan's ambitious undertaking to link Earth to the stars. It won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

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Free$6.00$11.99Apr '21Sep '23May '24May '26
$1.99$11.99

Currently on sale at $8.99 — 25% off peak. Price has dropped 33 times over the last 5 years. Goes on sale roughly every 57 days. Typically stays discounted for 8 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

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#390#252,054#503,717Apr '19Oct '23Aug '25May '26

Currently around #11K in the Kindle store — a steady mid-list seller.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

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3.5★4.3★5.0★May '23Jan '24Aug '24Mar '26RatingReviews

Currently 4.3★ from 1,797 reviews

Gaining approximately 12 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.3 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

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Free$6.00$11.99Apr '21Sep '23May '24May '26PredictedMay '26

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $8.99. It typically returns to around $11.99.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.

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Arthur C. Clarke

1 book on Vagrant Press

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