Rendezvous with Rama - Arthur C. Clarke

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#1

First published in '72. I stumbled across it as a kid during the mid 80s. Interesting story line about first contact but with a different take. It did spawn 2 other follow up books which I didn’t think were as great as the first book. Here’s a wiki link for more (including spoilerish) info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendezvous_with_Rama

Also, while trying to find info on this book on the internets, I found out that they’re planning on making a film out of it! Imdb linky: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134933/maindetails

Anyway, this is a dandy little yarn. It is slower in pace but the sense of discovery and the unknown is quite well portrayed. Hope you all get a chnace to read it. Hope you all enjoy it too. :smiley:

#2

I read that, my god , close to thirty years ago ouch!
That was about the time Dr. O’Neill was talking about L5 Lagrangian points http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L5_Society

Jim

#3

Yeah, I read this as a teen and really enjoyed it. I’d be happy to do a reread, I still have it on the bookshelf. It did a great job of creating a completely strange world.

#4

Read the first one and was fantastic. Clarke is by far one of the best sci fi writers of all time. Are the rest worth reading?

#5

Only in the sense that one would finish up the tale just because it’s there, I suppose. The first book, “Rendezvous”, hadn’t been planned as a multi-book arc although the ending did gave Clarke the option to continue telling the story. Personally, if the story had ended there, it would not have been lacking. There was something perfect with the way the last sentence worked, you know?

Anyway, the following 3 novels penned by Lee (with Clarke’s oversight) definitely has a different tone and didn’t engage me as deeply. In fact, with book 3 and 4, I felt somewhat let down. Maybe because the sense of mystery / discovery wasn’t there anymore.

I’d say that the remaining books are worth reading if you can borrow them from a library or find them ultra cheap at a used books place.

#6

I loved the first book, but I disliked the sequals. I can’t remember the name of the author that “co-wrote” the sequals, but he changed the original story idea from a scientific exploration story to a mystical adventure and a poorly written one at that.