The Fountains of Paradise (1979) Signed First Edition Reference

The Fountains of Paradise won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards. Published by Gollancz in the UK and Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in the US in 1979, the novel follows Vannevar Morgan, an engineer attempting to build a space elevator — a cable from the surface of a Sri Lankan mountain to geosynchronous orbit. Clarke drew on his own residence in Sri Lanka and his expertise in communications satellite theory to create one of hard SF’s most plausible and inspiring engineering visions.

First Edition Identification

UK first: Victor Gollancz, London, 1979 US first: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, New York, 1979

Signed Copy Market Values

• Signed first edition, fine/fine: $100–$300
• Unsigned first edition: $20–$50

A beautiful late-career Clarke novel that demonstrates his enduring ability to make engineering visionary. The space elevator concept has since become a genuine subject of engineering research.