How long does it take to read Prelude to Space?
Prelude to Space by Arthur C. Clarke takes about 3 hours 14 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.
About 3 hours 14 minutes
A weekend read
First published 1953. 176 pages, about 48,400 words.
7 days at 30 minutes a day
Estimate based on 275 words per page.
At other speeds
| Slow, 150 words a minute | 5 hours 23 minutes |
| Average, 250 words a minute | 3 hours 14 minutes |
| Fast, 400 words a minute | 2 hours 1 minute |
The page count is the median across 14 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.
About the book
The world's first lunar spacecraft is about to launch. The ship, Prometheus, is built from two separate components—one designed to travel from Earth's atmosphere to the Moon and back, and the other to carry the first component through Earth's atmosphere and into orbit. Sound familiar? That's because it's the basic description of the first space shuttle—well before its launch in 1971. Prelude to Space was published in 1951—well before the first Sputnik expedition. Even so, the book is full of detailed technical descriptions and conversations regarding the possibility of spaceflight—many of which were actually included during the construction of the first spaceships—as well as telecommunications satellites. It's a fascinating read-from both a fictional and a historical perspective.
Subjects: Spaceflight, Space Ships, Engineering, Science Fiction, English Science fiction, Space travel
