A Fall of Moondust Audiobook By Arthur C. Clarke cover art

A Fall of Moondust

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A Fall of Moondust

By: Arthur C. Clarke
Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
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Time is running out for the passengers and crew of the tourist cruiser Selene, incarcerated in a sea of choking lunar dust. On the surface, her rescuers find their resources stretched to the limit by the mercilessly unpredictable conditions of a totally alien environment. A brilliantly imagined story of human ingenuity and survival, A Fall of Moondust is a tour-de-force of psychological suspense and sustained dramatic tension by the field's foremost author.©1961 Arthur C. Clarke (P)2009 Audible, Inc. Fantasy Science Fiction Fiction
Scientific Realism • Engaging Disaster Story • First-rate Narration • Logical Problem-solving • Intelligent Imagination
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Classic disaster story set in a novel environment of a sea of dust. Good listen!

Good Arthur C. Clarke

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Although it was first published in 1961, this novel resembles the "disaster movies" of the 1970s, such as "Poseidon Adventure," "Towering Inferno," and "Earthquake." Except for the distressed vehicle being a "moon bus," this could easily be a submarine trapped under the sea, an airplane unable to land, a speeding train without brakes, or any of a number of other Earth vehicles in distress.

While I stand in awe of Arthur C. Clarke as a writer and a futurist, this novel just simply does not come close to the greatness of "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Rendezvous with Rama," and "Childhood's End," three of the best SF novels ever written. The writing is good, Clarke's hard SF approach is present, but the story suffers from stilted characters, predictable situations, and one too many "cliffhanger" plot twists at the end.

A bit subpar for Clarke.

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A short action triller set in the near future moon. Complete with settlements through the solar system. A simple three hour tour goes a bit wrong....and they are not stuck on an island with Gilligan. The story would make a great fast paced action movie...sort of a posidon adventure, a very fun read.

A three hour tour gone wrong.

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A retro-sci-fi. Enjoy it wearing glasses circa 1960. From that perspective it’s very advanced technology parallel to 2001 Space Odyssey.

Space rescue storyline with lots of tech

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A Fall of Moondust is sci-fi disaster story that begins by placing a group of people in an impossible situation and follows along as they attempt to survive while awaiting rescue. It is a lot like the popular Discovery Channel show "I Shouldn't Be Alive," or stories like those depicted in the movie "Alive," although much less dark. Clarke's story is unique because of its setting. The Moon, and space is general, is harsh. Life is not suited to its extremes and the challenges we encounter there are vastly different from those we face here on Earth. As with Clarke's other stories, and as is common in disaster stories, the characters here are participants in the story rather than the focus of it. The real star of the show is the Moon and perhaps even the deadly moondust itself.

A Fall of Moondust was published in 1961 and it sometimes shows. The social mores reflect the time period and there is an obvious lack of computers, as if the 1950s had progressed into the 21st century without any further advances in computing technology. Regardless, Clarke certainly foresaw the future, and this novel is probably more relevant today than it has ever been before. With the recent discovery of water on the Moon and with NASA's plan to establish a lunar outpost there, the Moon may soon become a staging point for exploring the solar system and, yes, even a tourist destination. My biggest gripe with this story is that it wraps up a bit too quickly at the end. Many of the characters simply disappear and I didn't feel as if I was ready for the end. The narrator was quite good. His cadence and intonation were perfect and foreign accents were well done.

A Fall of Moondust is a simple story and, while it may not be Clarke's best novel, it is a quick, fun read that entertains as it teaches. It is essential reading for Clarke fans and for anyone who enjoys settings in space. Soon enough, we may find this setting more real than Clarke could have imagined in the 60s.

A quick, fun read that entertains as it teaches

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What a fantastic story about a moon bud operator and his 22 passengers as they fight against time and nature to stay alive.

Great story

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I am already a fanboy of Arthur C. Clarke, so i already loved this book. I thought the reader did a great job, very clear at a good pace, and the way he changes into the characters when they speak was not overly done, but natural sounding. Overall highly recommended.

Highly Recommended

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A story about a rescue in difficult conditions; well researched, well played. Another good sci-fi by Arthur C Clarke.

Fun Read

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Clarke clearly did a lot of research before writing this novel, and his writing is intelligent and well-organized. As usual with Clarke's novels, the emphasis is on technology, not people, and the characters are cardboard cutouts with no real personalities.


Much of the novel is out of date. We know now that there are not seas of dust on the Moon. Sexism is overt, and the purpose of women in the book is seemingly only to serve men. All scientists and engineers in the book are men. This reflects the cultural attitudes of the early 1960s (as reflected in the "Mad Men" television series).


As another reviewer commented, Clarke completely missed the development of computers and other electronic devices. I was amused by one scene in which the passengers of the stranded vessel gather together their reading materials, which include a couple of paperback novels and a newspaper. No one is carrying a Kindle-like or iPod-like device for reading or listening to books.


Despite these flaws, the story is still entertaining as Clarke moves logically through the consequences of the sinking of a boat-like vessel under several meters of dust and the difficulties of finding the vessel and rescuing the passengers.

Interesting But Dated

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The 1960s copyright explains the author's treatment of women . If you can get past that, you should enjoy the story.

A reasonably good sci-fi drama

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