Earthlight (short story)
Encyclopedia
"Earthlight" is a science fiction
short story
by Arthur C. Clarke
first published in the August 1951 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories. It was later expanded into the novel Earthlight
in 1955.
as a battle rages between the forces of Earth
and the Federation of the outer planets of the solar system over possession of the Moon's supply of uranium
. Differs dramatically from the novel in chronology - the story is set in c.2015, while the novel is c.2175. In most other respects the plot of the short-story is retained by the novel.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
first published in the August 1951 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories. It was later expanded into the novel Earthlight
Earthlight
Earthlight is a science fiction novel by British writer Arthur C. Clarke, published in 1955. It is an expansion to novel length of a short story that he had published four years earlier.-Overview:...
in 1955.
Plot summary
The short story details two astronomers caught outside their base on the MoonMoon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
as a battle rages between the forces of Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and the Federation of the outer planets of the solar system over possession of the Moon's supply of uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
. Differs dramatically from the novel in chronology - the story is set in c.2015, while the novel is c.2175. In most other respects the plot of the short-story is retained by the novel.