#117: Man and machine: “A Meeting with Medusa” (1971) and The Medusa Chronicles (2016)

 Originally published in the December 1971 issue of Playboy, “A Meeting With Medusa” is generally thought of as Clarke’s last significant shorter work. Notably, it won the Nebula Award for Best Novella the following year. It was also an early inspiration for two of Clarke’s successors in the British SF scene. 45 years after the novella’s publication, Stephen Baxter and Alastair Reynolds delivered their novel-length sequel, The Medusa Chronicles.

Taken together, these two works form an exciting exploration of the possibility of life on Jupiter, the effects of transhumanism, and the relationship between humans and machines. They are also a fascinating link between two generations of British science fiction talent. 

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