I first read 2001: A Space Odyssey when I was 13 after watching the movie. This book is Arthur C. Clarke's ultimate masterpiece inwhich he challenges our very evolution, existence and place in the Universe. It is an uncanny read and daunting piece of literature. From the harsh plains of Africa and our beginnings to the far reaches of 'Jupiter and beyond the Infinite' and our deaths, 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the most monumental books ever written. The triumphant Zarathustra theme now associated with the movie and book offers some of the power that is to come. Clarke shows us that is space, man is just a child, learning how to walk, eat and even relief himself! He shows that the very object we have relied so much upon throughout our evolution, tools are beyond our commands in space - and this is echoed from the paranoid and evil mind of Hal who sets out to destroy man, this shows that in the end man's tools begin to turn on him - and in the end try to destroy him. The most 'spiritual' part of the book is when Commander David Bowman enters the Star Gate and the revelations he finds beyond it are chilling. The very end reveals the 'Starchild' a reflection of Nietzsche's 'Superman'. 2001: A Space Odyssey is the greatest science fiction novel to be created so far and is an absolute must-read for all fans of powerful literature.