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The Last Theorem

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Authors: Arthur C. Clarke, Frederik Pohl
Publisher: Del Rey
Category: Book

List Price: ~~$27.00~~
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Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars

29 reviews
Sales Rank: 30126

Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.2

ISBN: 0345470214
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780345470218
ASIN: 0345470214

Publication Date: August 5, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: Brand New. 100% money back guarantee. All books shipped from Strand Bookstore, New York City, USA.

Also Available In:

•	Paperback - Last Theorem
•	Audio Download - The Last Theorem (Unabridged)
•	Kindle Edition - The Last Theorem

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Two of science fiction’s most renowned writers join forces for a storytelling sensation. The historic collaboration between Frederik Pohl and his fellow founding father of the genre, Arthur C. Clarke, is both a momentous literary event and a fittingly grand farewell from the late, great visionary author of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The Last Theorem is a story of one man’s mathematical obsession, and a celebration of the human spirit and the scientific method. It is also a gripping intellectual thriller in which humanity, facing extermination from all-but-omnipotent aliens, the Grand Galactics, must overcome differences of politics and religion and come together . . . or perish.

In 1637, the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat scrawled a note in the margin of a book about an enigmatic theorem: “I have discovered a truly marvelous proof of this proposition which this margin is too narrow to contain.” He also neglected to record his proof elsewhere. Thus began a search for the Holy Grail of mathematics–a search that didn’t end until 1994, when Andrew Wiles published a 150-page proof. But the proof was burdensome, overlong, and utilized mathematical techniques undreamed of in Fermat’s time, and so it left many critics unsatisfied–including young Ranjit Subramanian, a Sri Lankan with a special gift for mathematics and a passion for the famous “Last Theorem.”

When Ranjit writes a three-page proof of the theorem that relies exclusively on knowledge available to Fermat, his achievement is hailed as a work of genius, bringing him fame and fortune. But it also brings him to the attention of the National Security Agency and a shadowy United Nations outfit called Pax per Fidem, or Peace Through Transparency, whose secretive workings belie its name. Suddenly Ranjit–together with his wife, Myra de Soyza, an expert in artificial intelligence, and their burgeoning family–finds himself swept up in world-shaking events, his genius for abstract mathematical thought put to uses that are both concrete and potentially deadly.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to anyone on Earth, an alien fleet is approaching the planet at a significant percentage of the speed of light. Their mission: to exterminate the dangerous species of primates known as homo sapiens.

Customer Reviews: Read 24 more reviews...

3 out of 5 stars

From J. Kaye's Book Blog October 11, 2008
"The Last Theorem" by Arthur C. Clarke and Frederik Pohl was Clarke's last book; he died a few days after reviewing the final manuscript.

The title refers to Fermat's Last Theorem, which has never been adequately proven. Now what is the last theorem and why is should be proven is one of the themes well explained in the book.

Typical of Clarke's and Pohl's books, Last Theorem had really strange aliens that impact the human race, this time for good. The story also includes new human technology that is used to help improve certain country's governments. Silent Thunder is a weapon used by a secret branch in the United Nations to overthrow fanatical third world governments. A recurring idea is the space elevator which Clarke used in his 1979 book, The Fountains of Paradise.

This book is full of interesting details such as a brief history of Sri Lanka, Russian multiplication, and other math tricks. Also lava tubes in the moon where the new sport of flying takes place and solar sailing. The people in the story were, for the most part, intelligent and bright and caring.

All in all, it was a well written, pleasant and informative read. The science and math was explained enough to get the idea of it, but not bogging down in detail. It was enjoyable.

2 out of 5 stars

Promises, promises September 24, 2008
I have been reading Clarke for 45 years, and until this book, always enjoyed his work.

It gets off to a promising start, and then just sort of wanders around. Though while wandering, Clarke presents his idea of a Congress composed of individuals randomly selected by computer from the population, and the UN taking a hyper-aggressively proactive approach towards world peace by dropping non-lethal EMP bombs on rogue countries.

All in all, not really recommended as a good sci fi read.

2 out of 5 stars

meh September 22, 2008
Seemed like two separate but equally slow stories that never tied together. I think it had a lot of potential, though. Too bad.

3 out of 5 stars

Last effort falls short September 21, 2008
Clarke has been a favorite for many years. His passing was a loss to fans around the world. While the concept for his last book held out great promise it failed to deliver the depth of his previous library of work. The story line wandered and lacked the coordination readers had come to expect. While reading it seemed as if sections were missing. I assume that Pohl attempted to stay close to the story line is the few thin notes Clarke left. The infirmities of age show in this not quite finished last effort.

4 out of 5 stars

A Fine Going-Out September 20, 2008
"The Last Theorem" makes a lovely swansong for Arthur C. Clarke, who was one of the greatest masters of science fiction. Much of Clarke's work over the last quarter-century has been in collaboration with others, notably Gentry Lee and Stephen Baxter; this last effort is a collaboration with Frederik Pohl, himself a major science fiction author. I do not know this for sure, but it is my impression that in these collaborations the ideas were essentially Clarke's, while the collaborators did the hard work of writing. Of course, this is understandable, considering Clarke's advancing age and declining health. In any case, the style of "The Last Theorem" recalls Pohl's characteristic detached irony more than Clarke's idealism.
The book's basic premise, the inadvertent sending of significant information into interstellar space, is fascinating. Otherwise the book provides new riffs on typical Clarke themes: the history and culture of Sri Lanka, space elevators, scuba diving, and solar sailing. These are familiar, but I don't mind revisitng them. The characters are interesting and well-rounded, the aliens are well thought out, and I enjoyed the mathematical games. And, as usual with Clarke, it's nice to feel confident that all will come out well, even if not in the way one expects.
Though not on Clarke's (or Pohl's) very highest level, this is an enjoyable and thought-provoking novel.

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