The Last Theorem
by Arthur C. Clarke & Frederik Pohl
Arthur C. Clarke sadly passed away earlier this year, but merely days before his sad passing, he finished work on what would be his last novel, The Last Theorem. Co-written with the equally matured brilliant mind of Frederik Pohl, The Last Theorem is about the simple truth of maths and the power of science.
Ranjit Subramanian, the main character of the novel, is a young,bright amatuer mathematician whose fascinated with Fermat’s Last Theorem. Not being mathematically savvy, this book gave me a lot to think about and taught me a lot about, at the very least, the few mathematicvians, theories and math games that are among the many out there. The story follows Ranjit’s life as he goes from a little nobody student on Sri Lanka to a worldwide celebrity and loving Husband and Father.
With simple prowess, Clarke and Pohl propel the reader along Ranjit’s life, stopping here and there to make note of the other major factor in the novel, the aliens! Yes, big ones and small ones, all semi-interested in the happenings of humanity.
The Last Theorem is a light read with heavy-ish science and mathematics sprinkled in here and there. Overall, though not as powerful, groundbreaking or innovative as the authors previous works, it stands as a nice swan song from Clarke and a great reminder of why Pohl is and forever will be, one of the science fiction greats.
Technorati Tags: frederik pohl, arthur c clarke, the last theorem, fermat, ranjit subramanian
