Hard science fiction · Science fiction
The Fountains of Paradise
Engineer Vannevar Morgan dreams of building a space elevator, a cable reaching from the equator to orbit. The best site lies on an island ruled by a sacred monastery.
Facts last checked 2026-10-17
- First published
- 1979
- Pace
- Slow
- Length
- Short
- Pages
- 257
- Format
- Standalone
Read this if you enjoy big engineering ideas and calm, idea-led science fiction.
Skip this if you want deep characters, romance or a lot of conflict and action.
The feel
Content warnings
None noted yet.
Quick answers about The Fountains of Paradise
- What is The Fountains of Paradise about?
- Engineer Vannevar Morgan dreams of building a space elevator, a cable reaching from the equator to orbit. The best site lies on an island ruled by a sacred monastery.
- Who should read The Fountains of Paradise?
- Read it if you enjoy big engineering ideas and calm, idea-led science fiction. Skip it if you want deep characters, romance or a lot of conflict and action.
- How long and how fast is The Fountains of Paradise?
- It is a slow-paced, short read of about 257 pages, first published in 1979.
- Does The Fountains of Paradise have content warnings?
- We have not noted any content warnings for this book yet.
- Can I borrow The Fountains of Paradise for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends The Fountains of Paradise; the borrow button above searches it for you.
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| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
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| Ebook | ||
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| Audiobook | ||
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