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If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth

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153:. At the age of ten he is taken outside the complex by his father, driving across the Moon's surface to see a glimpse of the Earth, glowing with lethal radiation. Marvin knows that the planet was made uninhabitable in a nuclear war. His father tells him that the colony is the last vestige of mankind, but that without a goal to strive for it too will die. The ultimate purpose of the human survivors has become to one day reclaim a cleansed Earth, using the ships which stand waiting on the lunar plain. It has taken desperate efforts to save the colony and to maintain confidence that in a far distant future mankind's birthplace can be restored. 229: 175: 183: 128::5โ€”"If I forget thee, O Jerusalem"โ€”which consists of the writer lamenting over the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army. The themes in the story exploit the anxieties prevalent at the time regarding 156:
Marvin returns with his father to resume their exile without looking back. However he realises that one day he will take his own children to view the dead Earth and give purpose to a further generation.
141:
reviewer Peter J. Henniker-Heaton wrote: "I do not know of any short story that has moved me more than Arthur C. Clarke's 'If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth'."
114: 72: 312: 273: 297: 302: 307: 214: 266: 259: 292: 137: 247: 105: 84: 8: 120: 109: 31: 236: 129: 57: 208: 149:"If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth" is the story of Marvin, a child living in a future 243: 286: 150: 239: 27: 228: 125: 118:
It was subsequently published as part of a short story collection in
173: 284: 267: 174:Henniker-Heaton, Peter J. (August 20, 1959). 112:and first published in 1951 in the magazine 274: 260: 242:(or stories) published in the 1950s is a 313:1950s science fiction short story stubs 285: 215:Internet Speculative Fiction Database 176:"Individuals, Communities, and Stars" 223: 16:Short story by Arthur C. Clarke 13: 14: 324: 298:Short stories by Arthur C. Clarke 202: 227: 124:(1953). The title is taken from 144: 303:Post-apocalyptic short stories 167: 108:short story by English writer 1: 308:Short stories set on the Moon 160: 246:. You can help Knowledge by 135:The work was well received. 7: 22:"If I Forget Thee, O Earth" 10: 329: 222: 210:If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth 180:Christian Science Monitor 138:Christian Science Monitor 102:If I Forget Thee, O Earth 90: 80: 68: 63: 53: 45: 37: 26: 21: 106:post-apocalyptic fiction 235:This article about a 213:title listing at the 110:Arthur C. Clarke 85:Columbia Publications 186:on October 13, 2012 121:Expedition to Earth 293:1951 short stories 255: 254: 98: 97: 320: 276: 269: 262: 231: 224: 196: 195: 193: 191: 182:. Archived from 171: 91:Publication date 32:Arthur C. Clarke 19: 18: 328: 327: 323: 322: 321: 319: 318: 317: 283: 282: 281: 280: 237:science fiction 220: 205: 200: 199: 189: 187: 172: 168: 163: 147: 130:nuclear warfare 58:Science fiction 17: 12: 11: 5: 326: 316: 315: 310: 305: 300: 295: 279: 278: 271: 264: 256: 253: 252: 232: 218: 217: 204: 203:External links 201: 198: 197: 165: 164: 162: 159: 146: 143: 96: 95: 94:September 1951 92: 88: 87: 82: 78: 77: 70: 66: 65: 61: 60: 55: 51: 50: 47: 43: 42: 41:United Kingdom 39: 35: 34: 24: 23: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 325: 314: 311: 309: 306: 304: 301: 299: 296: 294: 291: 290: 288: 277: 272: 270: 265: 263: 258: 257: 251: 249: 245: 241: 238: 233: 230: 226: 225: 221: 216: 212: 211: 207: 206: 185: 181: 177: 170: 166: 158: 154: 152: 142: 140: 139: 133: 131: 127: 123: 122: 117: 116: 111: 107: 103: 93: 89: 86: 83: 79: 76: 75: 71: 67: 62: 59: 56: 52: 48: 44: 40: 36: 33: 29: 25: 20: 248:expanding it 234: 219: 209: 188:. Retrieved 184:the original 179: 169: 155: 151:lunar colony 148: 145:Plot summary 136: 134: 119: 113: 101: 99: 73: 69:Published in 240:short story 64:Publication 28:Short story 287:Categories 161:References 126:Psalm 137 115:Future SF 81:Publisher 74:Future SF 54:Genre(s) 46:Language 190:July 6, 104:" is a 49:English 38:Country 244:stub 192:2017 30:by 289:: 178:. 132:. 275:e 268:t 261:v 250:. 194:. 100:"

Index

Short story
Arthur C. Clarke
Science fiction
Future SF
Columbia Publications
post-apocalyptic fiction
Arthur C. Clarke
Future SF
Expedition to Earth
Psalm 137
nuclear warfare
Christian Science Monitor
lunar colony
"Individuals, Communities, and Stars"
the original
If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth
Internet Speculative Fiction Database
Stub icon
science fiction
short story
stub
expanding it
v
t
e
Categories
1951 short stories
Short stories by Arthur C. Clarke
Post-apocalyptic short stories
Short stories set on the Moon

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