The Songs of Distant Earth

by Arthur C. Clarke

First published 1986

On the lush, oceanic world of Thalassa, a fragile utopia teeters on the brink. Beneath the tranquil seas, an evolutionary event stirs. In orbit, a spacecraft of refugees from Earth—destroyed when its sun went supernova—drifts ominously. Now, the arrival of five million Earthlings in suspended animation, along with their uncensored cultural legacy, threatens to upend Thalassa's paradise. Can this pristine world withstand the influx of humanity's baggage—or will the planet's delicate balance be shattered forever?

Genres: fiction, science-fiction, adventure, space-opera

Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family

Setting: Thalassa, Earth

Period: 20th-century

319 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Del Rey/Ballantine Books

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