Sands of Mars by Clarke, Arthur C - 1952

New York, NY: Gnome Press Inc., 1952. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine. "Among the innumerable science fiction books appearing nowadays too many are plainly fictitious, lacking the strength of reality. Not so this remarkable novel. This is a novel which is vibrantly alive, consistent with truths. It is soundly, not wildly imaginative and the reader is certain to be left with a profound impression; this is a story of tomorrow which the author, with complete believability, has brought to life today." (from front flap) A classic early science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008), the great British-born writer, inventor & television personality probably most famous for co-writing the screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey with the iconic film's director, Stanley Kubrick. Brilliantly prescient & prolific, Clarke wrote fiction & non-fiction concerning the furthest advances & speculations of science. In this work, he writes about a space voyage to & the building of a human colony on Mars. While only unmanned spacecraft have as yet touched the surface & surveyed that planet, we can see Clarke's vision possibly becoming reality in the not-too-distant future. First USA edition ("First Edition" as stated on copyright page), hardcover in original dust jacket. A very important & desirable collectible in the Clarke canon. Book in fine condition with only very light wear to front, back covers & spine (red paper boards); moderate wear, small bumps & some loss of paper at edges & corners of same; mild rubbing, browning & occasional small-to-tiny stain-spotting to edges of text block. Interior very fine with only light browning esp. at blank edges & margins of page leaves; tiny bumps at corners of a few of same. Unclipped dust jacket in relatively near-fine condition with only mild-to-moderate rubbing to front, back covers & spine; moderate wear & a few tiny bumps with loss of paper at edges & esp. corners of same; one small, vertical closed tear at middle of upper edge of back cover (which advertises four contemporary science fiction compilations).