I accept Arthur C. Clarke donations anywhere in the Albuquerque metro with free pickup — the whole collection: the Space Odyssey series (2001, 2010, 2061, 3001), the Rama books, Childhood's End, The City and the Stars, The Fountains of Paradise, the short-story collections, and the science nonfiction. You don't sort or price anything. Bring it all, including the early hardcovers you might not recognize; first editions like Childhood's End (1953) and a true first of 2001 (1968) are collectible and look like ordinary old books, so I check everything and the rest funds New Mexico literacy.
Published June 2026 · By Josh Eldred, New Mexico Literacy Project
Clarke is a cornerstone of any serious science-fiction shelf — the visionary half of the genre's "Big Three" — so his books turn up in cleanout after cleanout, usually a deep mix of novels, story collections, and the science books he was equally known for. Most people clearing them just want the shelf cleared and don't want to throw out something a collector would want. That's exactly what I'm for: I take the whole thing, free, and I check every book.
What I take: all of it
The major novels
2001: A Space Odyssey and its sequels (2010, 2061, 3001), Rendezvous with Rama and the Gentry Lee–coauthored sequels, Childhood's End, The City and the Stars, The Fountains of Paradise, Imperial Earth, A Fall of Moondust, Earthlight, The Sands of Mars, The Deep Range, and The Songs of Distant Earth.
Short stories & collaborations
The story collections (The Nine Billion Names of God, Tales from the White Hart, The Sentinel, Expedition to Earth) and the later collaborations with Stephen Baxter (the Time Odyssey and Firstborn books) and Gentry Lee.
The nonfiction
Clarke's science writing — Profiles of the Future, The Exploration of Space, The Promise of Space — and his Sri Lanka diving and travel books. Any edition, any condition.
You don't have to know what's valuable
Here's the reason to call rather than dump: Clarke's early first editions are collectible. A first edition of Childhood's End (1953), the other 1950s Clarke novels, and a true first of 2001: A Space Odyssey (New American Library, 1968) are sought-after in fine condition with the original dust jacket, and signed copies bring more. To most people these look like any other tired old science-fiction hardcover, and they get given away for a dollar.
You don't have to learn the points. Bring the whole shelf and I'll recognize the early firsts, check the jackets, protect a genuine first, and keep the reading copies in circulation — with any hidden value supporting literacy instead of disappearing in a giveaway.
Why donate instead of selling it yourself
For a confirmed 1950s first, selling on your own can pay. For the typical Clarke shelf — paperbacks, a few hardcovers, the science books — identifying printings and listing each book is more work than they're individually worth, which is why so many shelves get dumped intact. Donating handles it in one call: no research, no pricing, no listings, no shipping, free pickup at your door, reading copies to new readers, and a genuine first recognized and supporting New Mexico literacy. Here's where donated books go.
How free pickup works
Call or text 702-496-4214 (or schedule online), tell me roughly how much there is and where you are, and we set a time. I come to you and load it all. I cover Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Corrales, the East Mountains, and the surrounding metro, and I handle whole-house and estate cleanouts regularly.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I donate Arthur C. Clarke books in Albuquerque?
Right here — free pickup anywhere in the metro for the whole collection: the Odyssey and Rama series, Childhood's End, the stories, and the nonfiction. Call or text 702-496-4214.
Are old Clarke books worth anything?
The early firsts (Childhood's End 1953, a true 2001 first) are collectible; most else is modest. They look like ordinary old hardcovers — bring it all and let me check.
The nonfiction and paperbacks too?
Yes — the science books, the diving books, the collaborations, plus worn paperbacks and book-club editions. Just don't throw any of it out first.
Cite This Guide
Eldred, J. (June 2026). Donate Arthur C. Clarke Books in Albuquerque — Free Pickup. New Mexico Literacy Project.
https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/donate-arthur-c-clarke-books-albuquerque
Licensed under CC BY 4.0.