Jupiter Five
Encyclopedia
"Jupiter Five" is a science fiction
short story
by Arthur C. Clarke
first published in the magazine If
in 1953. It appeared again in Clarke's collection of short stories Reach for Tomorrow
, in 1956, and deals with the detection and exploration of an old spaceship from outside the Solar System
.
, Jupiter V
, is in reality a parked spaceship
of Culture X — an ancient race of reptiles that has come from outside the Solar System
, coexisted with certain insect-like Martians, and settled the smaller rocky planets and moons apart from the Moon of the Earth. The spherical metal vehicle with a diameter of 30 kilometers contains an art gallery with millions of exhibits, only one of which, but, shows the outer appearance of one of their creators and is dubbed The Ambassador.
It becomes clear that The Ambassador was intended explicitly for mankind, which the members of Culture X predicted would develop on Earth and eventually achieve space flight, as a message of greeting and goodwill spanning the enormous time between its creators' extinction and the current period of the technical rise of mankind — an intention which is even evident in the face of The Ambassador despite its alien features.
Shortly after the discovery, the science writer Randolph Mays arrives with his pilot, Donald Hopkins, and his secretary, Marianne Mitchell. Prof. Forster claims a salvage on his find in the name of the World Science Organization. Mays tries to steal The Ambassador and other objects, but is lured to the Arnold Toynbee, by the professor, and used to fool Marianne, with the tacit help of Hopkins, so that the secretary returns the items.
(1949) and "Guardian Angel" (1950), according to David N. Samuelson. Thus, it represents one of few cases in which Clarke overcame his "reluctance to tell traditional action-adventure story in the pulp tradition" due to "his literary allegiances and a desire to downplay the thoughtless romanticism evident in such tales of derring-do" (Samuelson). The work is of a rather insignificant literary meaning.
, a novel Clarke wrote two decades later.
"Jupiter Five" was the inspiration for The Diamond Moon, the fifth novel in the Venus Prime
series by Paul Preuss.
It has been suggested that "Jupiter Five" may have influenced the Toynbee tiles
.
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 magazine If
If (magazine)
If was an American science fiction magazine launched in March 1952 by Quinn Publications, owned by James L. Quinn. Quinn hired Paul W. Fairman to be the first editor, but early circulation figures were disappointing, and Quinn fired Fairman after only three issues. Quinn then took over the...
in 1953. It appeared again in Clarke's collection of short stories Reach for Tomorrow
Reach for Tomorrow
Reach for Tomorrow is a collection of short stories by science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. The stories all originally appeared in a number of different publications.-Contents:...
, in 1956, and deals with the detection and exploration of an old spaceship from outside the Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
.
Plot summary
Professor Forster, a distinguished scientist, ascertains on an expedition with the Arnold Toynbee that the innermost known satellite of JupiterJupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
, Jupiter V
Amalthea (moon)
Amalthea is the third moon of Jupiter in order of distance from the planet. It was discovered on September 9, 1892, by Edward Emerson Barnard and named after Amalthea, a nymph in Greek mythology. It is also known as '....
, is in reality a parked spaceship
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
of Culture X — an ancient race of reptiles that has come from outside the Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
, coexisted with certain insect-like Martians, and settled the smaller rocky planets and moons apart from the Moon of the Earth. The spherical metal vehicle with a diameter of 30 kilometers contains an art gallery with millions of exhibits, only one of which, but, shows the outer appearance of one of their creators and is dubbed The Ambassador.
It becomes clear that The Ambassador was intended explicitly for mankind, which the members of Culture X predicted would develop on Earth and eventually achieve space flight, as a message of greeting and goodwill spanning the enormous time between its creators' extinction and the current period of the technical rise of mankind — an intention which is even evident in the face of The Ambassador despite its alien features.
Shortly after the discovery, the science writer Randolph Mays arrives with his pilot, Donald Hopkins, and his secretary, Marianne Mitchell. Prof. Forster claims a salvage on his find in the name of the World Science Organization. Mays tries to steal The Ambassador and other objects, but is lured to the Arnold Toynbee, by the professor, and used to fool Marianne, with the tacit help of Hopkins, so that the secretary returns the items.
Role within Clarke's œuvre
"Jupiter Five" belongs among Clarke's "few attempts at melodrama", together with his short stories "Breaking Strain"Breaking Strain (short story)
"Breaking Strain," also known as "Thirty Seconds Thirty Days," is a short story by Arthur C. Clarke, first published in 1949. It was adapted into a movie in 1994 under the title .-Plot summary:...
(1949) and "Guardian Angel" (1950), according to David N. Samuelson. Thus, it represents one of few cases in which Clarke overcame his "reluctance to tell traditional action-adventure story in the pulp tradition" due to "his literary allegiances and a desire to downplay the thoughtless romanticism evident in such tales of derring-do" (Samuelson). The work is of a rather insignificant literary meaning.
Influence
There are a lot of similarities between "Jupiter Five" and Rendezvous with RamaRendezvous with Rama
Rendezvous with Rama is a novel by Arthur C. Clarke first published in 1972. Set in the 22nd century, the story involves a cylindrical alien starship that enters Earth's solar system...
, a novel Clarke wrote two decades later.
"Jupiter Five" was the inspiration for The Diamond Moon, the fifth novel in the Venus Prime
Venus Prime
Venus Prime is a series of six science fiction novels written by Paul Preuss, based on characters and locations in Arthur C. Clarke's short stories....
series by Paul Preuss.
It has been suggested that "Jupiter Five" may have influenced the Toynbee tiles
Toynbee tiles
The Toynbee tiles are messages of mysterious origin found embedded in asphalt of streets in about two dozen major cities in the United States and four South American capitals. Since the 1980s, several hundred tiles have been discovered. They are generally about the size of an American license...
.