Imperial Earth

About “Imperial Earth”

Duncan Makenzie is part of the 'first family' of Titan, a moon of Saturn that was settled by his grandfather, Malcolm Makenzie, in the early 23rd century. Titan's economy relies on harvesting hydrogen from the atmosphere, which is sold to fuel interplanetary spacecraft. In 2276, Duncan must travel to Earth for the 500th anniversary of US Independence, as Titan needs a representative. The Makenzie family has a genetic defect that makes natural reproduction impossible, so Duncan and his "father" Colin are clones of Malcolm. The development of the asymptotic drive, a new spacecraft technology, threatens Titan's economy by reducing the need for hydrogen. The story also follows Duncan's long-standing infatuation with Catherine Linden Ellerman, a woman from Earth. Other sub-plots hint at deeper mysteries but remain unresolved. The novel ends with Duncan returning home with a clone of his late friend Karl. This 1975 science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke is the first to feature a starship powered by a black hole.