Prelude to Space
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Prelude to Space is Arthur C. Clarke's first published science fiction novel. While he was already popular as a short story writer and as a magazine contributor, Prelude to Space was also a prelude to Clarke's becoming one of the world's foremost writers of science fiction novels.
Written in 1947 in a mere 20 days, it was not until 1951 that it first appeared in magazine format from Galaxy Publishing Corp. Sidgwick & Jackson published it in novel form for the British readership in 1953, followed the next year by a US hardcover edition from Gnome Press and a paperback from Ballantine Books.
Prelude to Space recounts the events leading up the launch of Prometheus, the world's first spaceship. Since it was written well before the Apollo missions landed men on the moon, Clarke wrote a new preface in 1976, in which he admits that he had some propagandist goals in writing "Prelude to Space" – he was an influential member of the astronautics community when the idea of rockets leaving earth's atmosphere was scoffed at by many scientists. So, in classic Clarke fashion, Prelude to Space is chock-full of real details to show the reader that space travel is not only possible, but within our grasp.
Note: Prelude to Space has also been published under the titles Master of Space and The Space Dreamers.de:Aufbruch zu den Sternen