In The Fountains of Paradise, Clarke attempts to forecast a future where technology has again become man's hope for salvation. The hero of the novel, a scientist-cum-Siddhartha by the name of Vannever Morgan, has a vision that he can link the earth with the rest of the solar system by means of a towering "sky elevator."…

If Morgan's ambition seems Promethean, Clarke cheats himself and his readers by not giving the scientist the complexity of character—a fatal flaw, at least—that would make him a tragic figure heading for a fall…. Morgan's petty narcissism wouldn't be so bad if Clarke didn't want us to admire the poor fellow, who really is nothing more than a machine minus the shiny covering. Without a trace of irony, the author has created a world where the rage for order has robbed even its heroes of personality.

Writing in a genre...