Arthur C. Clarke

“A Walk in the Dark” is a short story by Arthur C. Clarke, first published in August 1950 in Thrilling Wonder Stories and later included in the anthology Reach for Tomorrow (1956). The story follows Robert Armstrong, a space technician who, after his vehicle breaks down, must walk several kilometers across a remote and inhospitable planet. The path, shrouded in absolute darkness, turns into a harrowing experience when the memory of a local legend about a creature lurking in the night begins to creep into his thoughts, causing logic to give way to suggestion.

“Encounter in the Dawn” is a short story by Arthur C. Clarke, published in June-July 1953 in the magazine Amazing Stories and collected that same year in the anthology Expedition to Earth. It tells the story of three scientists from the distant Galactic Empire who descend on a primitive, fertile, and mysterious planet, where they soon discover signs of intelligent life. Cautiously, one of them attempts to establish contact with a local inhabitant, initiating a bond between two civilizations separated by thousands of years of evolution but united by their shared humanity.

Dial “F” for Frankenstein is a short story by Arthur C. Clarke, published in January 1965 in Playboy magazine. The story begins with a mysterious global event: in the early morning hours, all the world’s telephones ring in unison, emitting an enigmatic sound that nobody can quite figure out. Amid the confusion, a group of engineers and scientists begin to exchange theories while reflecting on the implications of the new satellite communications network. What initially seems like a simple technical failure soon leads to disturbing questions about the excess of technology and its possible consequences.