Few masters of science fiction have brought us glimpses of the near future as vividly as Arthur C. Clarke. It is the startling realism of his vision that has made classics of his Childhood’s End and 2001: A Space Odyssey — and Clarke himself one of the genre’s most successful writers.

To commemorate the fast-approaching arrival of one of the most notable dates in science fiction history comes this special anniversary edition of The Sentinel, a brilliant collection of Clarke’s highest caliber short fiction. Among the ten stories included in this volume are:

The Sentinel: The story that inspired 2001: A Space Odyssey, one of the most famous SF movies of all time

Guardian Angel: The rarely-glimpsed work that gave birth to Childhood’s End

The Songs of Distant Earth: A fantastic tale of first contact with an alien world, which became the basis for one of Clarke’s most successful novels

Breaking Strain: The inspiration for the popular book series Arthur C. Clarke’s Venus Prime