Notes
Breaking Strain, a novel by Paul Preuss based on Arthur C. Clarke's 1949 novelette of the same name.

Volume 1 of Arthur C. Clarke's Venus Prime.

Includes an essay by Arthur C. Clarke and a set of technical "blueprints" drawn by Darrel Anderson.

The image opposite and the blurb below are from the second printing of the 1999 ibooks paperback edition, ISBN 0671038885. Cover illustration by Jim Burns.

Publisher’s Blurb – Lower Cover
A science fiction thriller evolving from the works of Arthur C. Clarke, grandmaster of science fiction and author of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Her code name is Sparta. Her beauty veils a mysterious past and abilities far surpassing those of a normal human. For she is more than human: Sparta is the first product of advanced biotech engineering. But now she is little more than a cipher to herself – crucial memories of the past three years are locked away in the dark recesses of her brain.

Who is she, really? Why is she here on Earth now? What had she been doing in space? What was her job at Venus Station, and what did a crippled space freighter called Star Queen have to do with her current condition? As Sparta desperately searches for answers, she realizes she must unlock the mystery of who she is before she can solve the greater mysteries of what she has done, what has been done to her, and why!

This tautly paced story brings together the genius of Arthur C. Clarke and the talents of distinguished science-fiction writer Paul Preuss, whose work has been described by The New York Times as "Lively, intelligent . . . hard-driving."

Introduction by Arthur C. Clarke

Cover art by Jim Burns, with a special section of computer-generated blueprints of the vehicles and robots from Venus Prime by Darrel Anderson.

You can share your thoughts about Arthur C. Clarke’s Venus Prime in the new ibooks virtual readers’ group at www.ibooksinc.com.