Paperback, 297 pages
English language
Published Sept. 1, 2000 by Roc.
From the savannas of Africa at the dawn of mankind to the rings of Saturn as man ventures to the outer rim of our solar system, 2001: A Space Odyssey is a journey unlike any other.
This allegory about humanity’s exploration of the universe—and the universe’s reaction to humanity—is a hallmark achievement in storytelling that follows the crew of the spacecraft Discovery as they embark on a mission to Saturn. Their vessel is controlled by HAL 9000, an artificially intelligent supercomputer capable of the highest level of cognitive functioning that rivals—and perhaps threatens—the human mind.
Grappling with space exploration, the perils of technology, and the limits of human power, 2001: A Space Odyssey continues to be an enduring classic of cinematic scope.
This was a re-read. The mastery of sentence and story in this novel is incredible. Plus, I love his future-gazing. He does a great job except for thinking we'd get there sooner than we will.
Having seen the movie a long time ago I had a vague idea of the plot before going into it but that didn't hamper my enjoyment of it at all. Reading the sci-fi of Arthur C. Clarke feels like seeing our present through the eyes of a time travelling scientist. The descriptions of technology yet to be invented in his time is rather remarkable.
The book has several parts. Loved the part in the ship with the stress and helplessness. The repairs tasks are awesome. Some more abstract parts resonated less with me.
I can finally comprehend how seminal this script was. Just the fact that it was written prior to humans reached the moon. So precise and well written, hasn't aged a day!
