The Songs of Distant Earth is a 1986 science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke, based on his 1958 short story of the same name. The story is set in the 39th century, exploring the cultural and emotional collision between a long-established, peaceful human colony and the last refugees fleeing the final destruction of Earth. 
Plot summary
In the 36th century, humanity discovers that the sun is about to go nova. A series of "seed ships," carrying frozen embryos and automated systems, are launched to colonize distant habitable worlds. The most advanced of these ships, the interstellar vessel Magellan, is launched three years before the sun's destruction, carrying a million humans in suspended animation. 
En route to its final destination, the Magellan makes a necessary stop at the ocean planet Thalassa. Seven centuries prior, a seed ship had successfully colonized Thalassa, and its human inhabitants now live a peaceful, utopian existence on a few islands. The arrival of the Magellan is a monumental and deeply unsettling event for the Thalassans. 
The novel explores the culture clash between the idyllic, post-religious Thalassans and the more technologically advanced, but emotionally burdened, crew of the Magellan. The ship's chief engineer, Loren Lorenson, becomes romantically involved with a local Thalassan woman named Mirissa. Their relationship, and the contrast between their societies, forms the core of the story.