THE STAR

Episode #160 · Written by Arthur C. Clarke · Narrated by Scott Miller

A Jesuit astrophysicist returns from the ruins of a vanished civilization, burdened with a revelation that shakes the foundations of his faith. What he discovers among the ashes of a supernova forces him to confront a cosmic irony woven into the heart of Christianity itself.

The Star by Arthur C. Clarke is one of the most unforgettable stories in all of vintage science fiction—a profound, unsettling, and beautifully crafted meditation on faith, science, and the staggering indifference of the cosmos. Told through the eyes of a Jesuit astrophysicist returning from the edge of the galaxy, the story weaves astronomical wonder with spiritual crisis. What begins as a scientific mission to study the remnants of a supernova becomes a personal reckoning as the narrator uncovers the final, heartbreaking legacy of a vanished civilization. Their preserved artifacts, their art, their joyful moments—everything they left behind stands in stark contrast to the cosmic catastrophe that consumed them.

Clarke guides us through the ruins of a culture that knew it was doomed, a people who used their last days to preserve their beauty and knowledge in a vault buried deep within a distant, scorched world. Yet the deeper the narrator digs into the scientific data, the more he realizes that this tragedy intersects with one of the central symbols of Christianity. The revelation he uncovers challenges him in ways that not even his Order’s greatest theologians prepared him for. It is not destruction that shakes his faith, but the reason for that destruction—a cosmic irony written across millennia.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Arthur C. Clarke, one of the most influential voices in 20th-century science fiction, was uniquely gifted in exploring the intersection of science and spirituality. Born in 1917, Clarke rose to international prominence with works such as Childhood’s End, Rendezvous with Rama, and of course, 2001: A Space Odyssey. A lifelong champion of scientific inquiry and space exploration, Clarke’s writing often bridged the divide between cold cosmic reality and humanity’s search for meaning. His stories remain touchstones not only for their scientific accuracy but for their emotional and philosophical depth.

The Star stands among Clarke’s most acclaimed shorter works, frequently anthologized and widely discussed for its bold exploration of belief in the face of cosmic truth. It remains as powerful today as it was in 1955, inviting readers and listeners alike to grapple with timeless questions: How small are we in the grand scale of the universe? And how much faith can survive the light of a dying star?

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to The Star by Arthur C. Clarke — a Jesuit astrophysicist uncovers a cosmic truth that tests faith itself in this powerful vintage science fiction classic.

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