The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke

This 966-page edition contains over 100 of Mr. Clarke's short stories. This is the definitive collection, comprised of stories from 1937 to 1999. Clarke is among the elite authors of science fiction, and his prowess is displayed in the quality of writing evident in this collection. While some of the earlier stories are clearly dated, they are enjoyable reading nonetheless.

I recommend this book to any serious science fiction fan--and at less than $20 it's a steal. For more casual fans I hesitate to recommend it; many of the stories are great, but many are merely average. Furthermore, so much material from one author gets a little tedious. It has taken me months to read this book. I'd say that casual fans should pick up a collection of stories from various different authors--maybe a recent copy of L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future, which collects the winners of Mr. Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest. But for serious sf fans, this collection is a must-read, and at a reasonable price.