by Arthur C. Clarke
Classic, visionary science fiction, addressing man's
origins and future in the universe
Reviewed by: Guy Brandon
About Guy Brandon
2001: A Space Odyssey is a seminal classic of science fiction. The first and
most famous of Arthur C. Clarke's visionary series (followed by 2010, 2061
and eventually 3001) it was written long before its eponymous date, but
still remains the archetype of the genre it has epitomised for generations
of fans.
The story begins in man's primeval past, and sees the first stage of hominid
evolution kick-started by an alien intelligence. Skip forward three million
years (a transition beautifully achieved in the film), and mankind is ready
to be encouraged in his next step: it is time to leave the evolutionary
cradle and meet extraterrestrial life. An enigma uncovered on the moon
points towards Saturn, deep into the solar system. An existing voyage plan
is hastily adapted, and the crew of the ship Discovery begin their long
journey to answer the alien test. Matters become complicated when the
shipboard computer, a sentient artificial intelligence prototype called HAL
(standing for Heuristic ALgorithmic, not - as widely believed - because it
is one letter ahead of IBM!) malfunctions and attempts to sabotage the
mission.
The 21st century has begun, and manned space flight has not even reached
Mars (such has the influence of the book been that technological milestones
are often compared to those in Clarke's work). 2001: A Space Odyssey,
despite being wildly outdated now, is still an epic work of sci-fi.
Published in 1968, when space travel was in its infancy and we had not yet
reached the moon, it has nevertheless stayed highly popular for over thirty
years, and deservedly so. Arthur C. Clarke is well informed about astronomy
and physics. His scope is restricted to the solar system and the (then) near
future; as a result, 2001 is an eminently credible piece of science fiction
- as it was intended to be. Unsurpassed in over three decades, perhaps no
other work has asked questions about our origins and place in the universe
so captivatingly and so appealingly for so many.
Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Copyright © by Guy Brandon, 2002
Reviewed by Guy Brandon:
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-- The Eagle's Shadow
- by Mark Hertsgaard
-- Human Instinct - How our primeval impulses shape our modern lives
- by Robert Winston
-- Hannibal
- by Thomas Harris
-- Ender's Game
- by Orson Scott Card
-- A Clockwork Orange
- by Anthony Burgess
-- 2001: A Space Odyssey
- by Arthur C. Clarke
-- Color: Stories from the Paintbox
- by Victoria Finlay
-- Arcadia
- by Tom Stoppard
-- Angry White Pyjamas
- by Robert Twigger
-- Lord of the Rings
- by J. R. R. Tolkien
-- The Matrix and Philosophy
- by William Irwin
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