Against the Fall of Night
Living in the 10-billion-year-old city of Diaspar, Alvin is the last
child born of humanity. He is intensely curious about the outside world. According to the oldest histories kept by the city fathers, however,
there is no outside world — it was destroyed by the Invaders millions of
years ago.
One day, Alvin finds a rock with an inscription
seemingly meant for him: “There is a better way. Give my greetings to
the Keeper of the Records. Alaine of Lyndar.” This cryptic message takes Alvin on a quest to discover humanity’s true past — and its future.
Originally published in the November 1948 issue of Startling Stories, Against the
Fall of Night is a rich and intensely poetic vision of a distant future
that’s sure to delight fans of Clarke and science fiction as a genre.