Clarke’s `The Ghost from the Grand Banks’ entertaining, never dull, but disappointing

THE GHOST FROM THE GRAND BANKS, by Arthur C. Clarke, Bantam Books, 274 pages, $24.95.

Beware the book whereon the author’s name is writ larger than or at least equal to the title; it is being sold on the basis of fame, not content. The name alone is enough for the loyal followers, but it does not follow that the latest production lives up to the record that culminated in such star billing. “The Ghost from the Grand Banks” is an all-too-good example of this sort of thing.

Arthur C. Clarke is the unquestioned master of contemporary science fiction, and rightly so. He is one of those rare authors who transcend the limits of the genre to become generally accepted, popular and even “taken seriously,” like H.G. Wells and Jules Verne before him. Because, like Wells and Verne, Clarke is a superb storyteller. The science involved may be and usually is startling and innovative, but is never allowed to take precedence over the narrative. Even the characters are subordinated to narrative: Clarke’s most famous work, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” attained cult status as both film and novel, yet all critical analyses point out that the characters are curiously flat and colorless.

“The Ghost from the Grand Banks” is typical Clarke, then, at something less than his very best. The technology involved in raising the wreck of the Titanic is more a matter of clever engineering than the imaginative science of “2001” and “Rendezvous with Rama.” The characters are people you would talk to with interest at a big party, then forget about the next day. The story runs along smoothly enough to keep one turning the pages, yet lacks the fascination that can result in lights-out in the small hours, with reluctance. The writing itself is flawless, as one would expect from Clarke. There are no awkward constructions or breaks in continuity, and the long passages of dialogue are natural and unforced.

Also typical of Clarke’s style is a certain amount of sly playfulness; inside jokes and references, frequently to Clarke’s own books, more usually to events and customs of the present which is of course the distant past in a future setting. This may delight the true believer, but can be mildly irritating for others as it carries an air of academic omniscience and superiority. (Now, class, remember that in the barbarous 1980s and ’90s, they really believed that … .) Furthermore, the principal subplot appears to be for the computer freak illuminati alone. It is built around the mathematics of the Mandelebrot set, a.k.a. fractals, and although the concept is well-explained and illustrated, it seems to have little to do with anything. Rather, the impression is that this is a current enthusiasm of Clarke, and he just had to work it into the story. If there is a deeper significance it is not at all clear. Certainly not in the manner of Clarke’s other great interests, skin diving and undersea exploration.

The best to be said for “The Ghost from the Grand Banks” is that it is entertaining, never dull and anthentic Clarke. Unlike recent collaborations, where it is obvious Clarke supplied the ideas and left the writing to others. It is not, unfortunately, anywhere near the standard of so much of Clarke’s earlier work. It is the kind of book that leaves one vaguely disappointed; the old master tossing off a bit of professionalism just to prove he can still do it without an apprentice and make a little walking-around money on the strength of his name.

Henry Sherrerd is a free-lance writer who resides in Dexter.