2001: A Space Odyssey

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It's a hit!

2001: A Space Odyssey is a beautifully crafted novel. Clarke ventures billions of miles into the Solar System and describes every moment of the adv... (show more)

2001: A Space Odyssey is a beautifully crafted novel. Clarke ventures billions of miles into the Solar System and describes every moment of the adventure with such brilliant detail, which makes the reader completely escape into parts of the universe never traveled. A very optimistic future of lunar travel is also displayed in 2001, with Clarke giving us a time when human beings can sustain full living conditions on the Moon, including the birth of children, making the Moon their home planet for life.

The ending of the novel is told in a very interesting narrative way. Clarke explores something completely outside of human experience, which causes him to only be able to guess at how Bowman would feel during his transformation. The events at the end are shown solely through his eyes, as Bowman would not even be able to fully comprehend the rebirth happening to him.

Overall, 2001 is a very well-crafted science fiction novel. Clarke has a way of completely pulling the reader out of reality and into his own version of the Solar System. (show less)

 

 

by Stacy Krisa

No, it's a flop!

If you are looking for an in-depth analysis, or even a little more detail and explanation, about the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, then DO NOT pick ... (show more)

If you are looking for an in-depth analysis, or even a little more detail and explanation, about the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, then DO NOT pick up this book.

Okay. I will admit that there is a little more detail and information and scenes found in this book compared to what is seen in the movie, but it does nothing to answer any of the dozens of questions that the movie presented.

And if you're hoping for at least a little more character interaction, you will again be disappointed. This book follows along the story arc created by Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke in the screenplay for the movie. In other words, it is basically a written version of the movie. Instead of seeing the images, you read a description of them. There is no more additional insite in this book than there was found by viewing the movie.

While I have enjoyed other works by Arthur C. Clarke, I wonder if I should bother picking up this books's sequal - 2010: Odyssey Two. (show less)

 

 

by Jason Kyriacou

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  Much like the movie, the story was gripping and mind blowing in many respects. Missing from it was Kubrick's brilliant vision which accomplishing everything through subtly dialogue or immense visual displays, both of which allow the viewer to draw conclusions without being prompted. Clarke is in the habit of describing everything and not capturing emotions or the concept of free will at all. By the end, the main character doesn't seem to have any feelings about being millions of light year... (show more)

  Much like the movie, the story was gripping and mind blowing in many respects. Missing from it was Kubrick's brilliant vision which accomplishing everything through subtly dialogue or immense visual displays, both of which allow the viewer to draw conclusions without being prompted. Clarke is in the habit of describing everything and not capturing emotions or the concept of free will at all. By the end, the main character doesn't seem to have any feelings about being millions of light years from home, or the slightest bit troubled that he may very well be inside some alien mind or machine that's turning him into something not altogether human. But that is Clarke's style. He is a futurist to the core, someone who thinks that humanity will lose all its irrationality and be perfected through technological progress. And of course, the future will be when all this happens, when the technology finally exists that can do this sort of thing. Still, its an interesting read and a good companion to the classic movie. (show less)

   

   

  by Matt Williams on Sep 21, 2009 at 09:40PM

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  I enjoyed reading both of these books, although there seems to be some publishing error; my copy included a slightly wobbly and distended novel about evolution and aliens in the same binding as a thrilling science fiction jaunt through the solar system with a psychotic robot companion.

  Because that was really how it was. I understand that Hal was nothing more than an extended and contrived plot device to 'clean up' the Discovery's population and ease the convoluted evolution narrative at t... (show more)

  I enjoyed reading both of these books, although there seems to be some publishing error; my copy included a slightly wobbly and distended novel about evolution and aliens in the same binding as a thrilling science fiction jaunt through the solar system with a psychotic robot companion.

  Because that was really how it was. I understand that Hal was nothing more than an extended and contrived plot device to 'clean up' the Discovery's population and ease the convoluted evolution narrative at the end, but Hal, and for that matter Bowman and Poole, were so much more interesting than the other story - you know: the main one.

  I suppose that neither plot could stand without the other, and so they each become extended backstory. Which was a shame, because I ended up feeling a little distracted during the wild evolutionary hypothesising, wishing that Hal were here to continue his protagonising ways, while the Discovery portion of the book is simply too fleeting. I think that's what makes a great novel: a slightly disappointing book that is always remembered for a handful of brilliant and iconic moments. (show less)

   

   

  by Facebook-användare on Aug 10, 2009 at 02:08PM

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