What do you think?
Rate this book
Arthur C. Clarke: 2001/A Space Odyssey, the City and the Stars, the Deep Range, a Fall of Moondust, Rendevous With Rama
747 pages, hardback
First published January 1, 1985
11 people are currently reading
499 people want to read
About the author
Arthur C. Clarke
1,648 books11.6k followersStories, works of noted British writer, scientist, and underwater explorer Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, include
2001: A Space Odyssey
(1968).
This most important and influential figure in 20th century fiction spent the first half of his life in England and served in World War II as a radar operator before migrating to Ceylon in 1956. He co-created his best known novel and movie with the assistance of Stanley Kubrick.
Clarke, a graduate of King's College, London, obtained first class honours in physics and mathematics. He served as past chairman of the interplanetary society and as a member of the academy of astronautics, the royal astronomical society, and many other organizations.
He authored more than fifty books and won his numerous awards: the Kalinga prize of 1961, the American association for the advancement Westinghouse prize, the Bradford Washburn award, and the John W. Campbell award for his novel Rendezvous with Rama. Clarke also won the nebula award of the fiction of America in 1972, 1974 and 1979, the Hugo award of the world fiction convention in 1974 and 1980. In 1986, he stood as grand master of the fiction of America. The queen knighted him as the commander of the British Empire in 1989.
This most important and influential figure in 20th century fiction spent the first half of his life in England and served in World War II as a radar operator before migrating to Ceylon in 1956. He co-created his best known novel and movie with the assistance of Stanley Kubrick.
Clarke, a graduate of King's College, London, obtained first class honours in physics and mathematics. He served as past chairman of the interplanetary society and as a member of the academy of astronautics, the royal astronomical society, and many other organizations.
He authored more than fifty books and won his numerous awards: the Kalinga prize of 1961, the American association for the advancement Westinghouse prize, the Bradford Washburn award, and the John W. Campbell award for his novel Rendezvous with Rama. Clarke also won the nebula award of the fiction of America in 1972, 1974 and 1979, the Hugo award of the world fiction convention in 1974 and 1980. In 1986, he stood as grand master of the fiction of America. The queen knighted him as the commander of the British Empire in 1989.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 1, 2014
"Rendezvous With Rama" is old school First Contact fiction at its best. Clarke's attention to detail, with a touch of ambiguity gives this short novel a tenseness that runs from the first Chapter to the last.
Recommended introductory novel for Clarke.
Recommended introductory novel for Clarke.
March 29, 2010
Asimov and Clarke were all the rage in Albany, New York area public libraries of the late 1970's, at least for this future mechanical engineer. Think Apollo may have had something to do with this. :)
August 31, 2024
I'm only going to put a short note in this review. Please see my full reviews under each title that is contained in this volume.
I found the book sitting on top of the little set of shelves in the second hand book shop in Port Douglas when I went there in May for the Carnival.
I quickly plucked it off the shelve, and for $25, quickly rushed to the front counter before someone arrested this absolute fold mine from my hands.
Ahhhh said my friend who runs the book. Thoughtfully flipping through the pages, he set it down and eloquently narrated the first couple of pages of 2001 to the entire book shop. Knew it the top of his head by rote!
He later explained that whilst teaching English he would provide his students this treat every year. Wish I had a teacher like that at school!
And what a perfect setting to read these stories and discover so much about such a wonderful author as Clarke. There I was sitting in the van park of Port Douglas right on the tropical coast of Queensland, swimming in the Coral Sea everyday ... to discover that Clarke was a scuba diver by trade as well as an author, and spent much of his time in exactly the same place as I now live. It's interesting to see Clarke slip little references to Queensland, and Brisbane in his novels. Plus The Deep Range is set on the coast of Queensland in the not too distant future.
I also have two of these five novels as separate books. I've checked if this five book collection is abridged in anyway and it seems as advertised to be Complete and Unabridged.
Summary - Highly Recommend this series of stories. They are an incredible balance of Arthur C Clarke prolific writing and broad range of topics. My experience over the next few months was one of wonder and illumination. I had read Clarke before and had a high esteem of his writings, this tome raised the bar to an entirely new level.
PS - I alternated a story from this book with others, otherwise it would have only lasted a month at the most!
I found the book sitting on top of the little set of shelves in the second hand book shop in Port Douglas when I went there in May for the Carnival.
I quickly plucked it off the shelve, and for $25, quickly rushed to the front counter before someone arrested this absolute fold mine from my hands.
Ahhhh said my friend who runs the book. Thoughtfully flipping through the pages, he set it down and eloquently narrated the first couple of pages of 2001 to the entire book shop. Knew it the top of his head by rote!
He later explained that whilst teaching English he would provide his students this treat every year. Wish I had a teacher like that at school!
And what a perfect setting to read these stories and discover so much about such a wonderful author as Clarke. There I was sitting in the van park of Port Douglas right on the tropical coast of Queensland, swimming in the Coral Sea everyday ... to discover that Clarke was a scuba diver by trade as well as an author, and spent much of his time in exactly the same place as I now live. It's interesting to see Clarke slip little references to Queensland, and Brisbane in his novels. Plus The Deep Range is set on the coast of Queensland in the not too distant future.
I also have two of these five novels as separate books. I've checked if this five book collection is abridged in anyway and it seems as advertised to be Complete and Unabridged.
Summary - Highly Recommend this series of stories. They are an incredible balance of Arthur C Clarke prolific writing and broad range of topics. My experience over the next few months was one of wonder and illumination. I had read Clarke before and had a high esteem of his writings, this tome raised the bar to an entirely new level.
PS - I alternated a story from this book with others, otherwise it would have only lasted a month at the most!
May 11, 2022
Super interesting book with incredibly detailed passages that help to bring the scenes to life via your imagination. Sometimes a little too detailed for my liking (long passages about the look of the craft were sometimes helpful, other times felt like overkill), but overall painted a very clear picture for the readers. With the lack of character depth and more of a focus on human nature and society, it gave an interestingly anecdotal macro-view for how humans might react to such an occurrence. Beyond that, the intel gathering portions of the book were super interesting - when they don't really know what they're dealing with, and a bunch of folks have their own opinions on what the craft might mean, the team must make quick decisions to ensure the safety and success of their mission.
Overall it kept me intrigued, kept me reading and was ultimately saddened to hear that the sequels are not written by Arthur C. Clarke and have a totally different style to them. Recommend if you're in a sci-fi mood!
Overall it kept me intrigued, kept me reading and was ultimately saddened to hear that the sequels are not written by Arthur C. Clarke and have a totally different style to them. Recommend if you're in a sci-fi mood!
October 7, 2020
Very enlightening if you want to read a manual about cylindrical spaceships and pseudogravity.
If you want to read a sci-fi modern novel, this is not it.
If you want to read a sci-fi modern novel, this is not it.
April 19, 2025
"The fall of Moondust" was surprisingly dramatic & high-pace rescue story with interesting scientific twists.
July 13, 2015
"Rendezvous with Rama": listened to the audio version of this book. I'm not a big fan of the science fiction genre, but my husband is; he chose this audiobook for our road trip in Michigan (he had read the book years earlier). He agrees with the 3 star rating of this review. The storyline was interesting, and it had enough "character" development, in the story, to hold my attention - but just barely. Mr. Clarke, in my opinion, dragged out the story; he was almost obsessive about providing technical details of the structure of Rama...to the point of painful boredom (like listening to fingernails on chalkboard!).
Unfortunately, I also found the narrator's voice (free download from audiobooks.com) to be annoying: too mechanical and sometimes sounding as if it were a computer-generated voice (although that may have been a deliberate voice effect, to fit the story). However, in spite of those Impressions, I stayed with the book through the end (the ending was (again) interesting but not spectacular). Having gotten through listening to the entire book, I feel that the author accomplished a plausible story, with interesting characters (especially the "character" of Rama.
Unfortunately, I also found the narrator's voice (free download from audiobooks.com) to be annoying: too mechanical and sometimes sounding as if it were a computer-generated voice (although that may have been a deliberate voice effect, to fit the story). However, in spite of those Impressions, I stayed with the book through the end (the ending was (again) interesting but not spectacular). Having gotten through listening to the entire book, I feel that the author accomplished a plausible story, with interesting characters (especially the "character" of Rama.
April 8, 2016
2001: A Space Odyssey - 4-stars
The film version by Stanley Kubrick was superb. To see this movie when it came out in 1968 was truly mind-expanding. It was like no other science fiction movie that had ever been made before. Light years ahead of 1950s era sci-fi movies. Spectacular cinematography. Cosmic ending.
The City and the Stars - 4-stars
Rendezvous with Rama - 4-stars
Astronauts are sent to explore an alien spacecraft that has entered the solar system.
The film version by Stanley Kubrick was superb. To see this movie when it came out in 1968 was truly mind-expanding. It was like no other science fiction movie that had ever been made before. Light years ahead of 1950s era sci-fi movies. Spectacular cinematography. Cosmic ending.
The City and the Stars - 4-stars
Rendezvous with Rama - 4-stars
Astronauts are sent to explore an alien spacecraft that has entered the solar system.
January 25, 2013
This one of the first "classic" sci-fi books I read. It started a not only a love for Sir Arthur C. Clarke but for the genre as a whole. These stories made me think and truly consider the human condition and I cannot ask more than that from any book.
April 5, 2013
I was blown away by this book. Clarke's descriptions of the alien world, the way it slowly wakes up and how we react to it is just beautiful. Thought provoking, excellent prose, engaging characters. A great adventure.
February 10, 2014
Super interesting science fiction book. It was engaging as a geology and physics and astronomy type book. I really liked it. There seem to be sequels, but I don't think there is enough of a story for those to be worth pursuing.
Read
November 13, 20122001 is the best.
July 10, 2013
Fav sci-fi series
April 4, 2013
Speculative Science Fiction at it's best
June 23, 2015
I read rama not the others?
July 10, 2013
Read this at least twenty years ago. Still a good read with great development, subplot and entanglements.
October 30, 2013
Great book, very suspenseful. I read a couple of the sequels and was very disappointed. But this is a quick read and worth it.
February 7, 2014
A fascinating book. Interesting technology and sci if elements. It also contains A great villain. I am only confused by the ending which I will not spoil
December 6, 2013
A classic that has stood the test of time.
December 20, 2013
Wonderful! Amazing imagination!
July 29, 2014
İlginçliğine kapılıp, çevremizde neler döndüğünü unutalım!
February 10, 2015
Just so tightly written (only read Rendezvous with Rama so far). I was astonished not to have heard of this before. Superb
Want to read
May 24, 2016NPR 100 Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Books, #76
Note: this listing is for "Rendevous with Rama"
Note: this listing is for "Rendevous with Rama"
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews