Another late 70's book

[daveeth]

there were two books that came out at the same time about a Space elevator.
Arthuer C Clarke 'The fountains of Paradise' is one (which i am trying to get a copy of) but there was another one.

the main differences were:
one book built the cable in space and fantastically got it drop into place,
the other use a mcro filiment to get to the geostationary orbit and then built the cable up in layers around it.
one book had the phrase 'rockets are wrong' in it and a sub plot about Progeria and a super smart octopus.

I cant remember much about the other but in both cases the story follows the chief engineer for the project.
But i do remember anarticle by Arthur C clarke about how strange it is that two simular stories came out at the same time....

Any Ideas to the other book title and Author

 

[chrispenycate]

I've never read it (and perhaps I should look for a copy) but it seems likely it was Charles Sheffield's "The web between the worlds" http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/charles-sheffield/web-between-worlds.htm

But building it from the top downwards, so all you have to worry about is tensile strength (all, huh) is so much more reasonable than trying to get that much height balanced up from the ground as Tsilolkovsky originally proposed…

 

[daveeth]

thats the one as soon as i saw the cover i remembered.............Thanks now to find it on amazon and wishlist it