In the year 2130, a huge alien artifact approaches the Earth from outer space. Commander Norton and his crew take their ship to meet it, and, once inside, discover the wonders that go to make up Rama.
Rendezvous With Rama (S.F. Masterworks)
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Arthur C. Clarke is awesomely informed about physics and astronomy, and blessed with one of the most astounding imaginations ever encountered in print (NEW YORK TIMES )
For many readers Arthur C. Clarke is the very personification of science fiction (THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE FICTION )
Arthur C. Clarke is one of the truly prophetic figures of the space age ... The colossus of science fiction (NEW YORKER )
Quite memorable and at times magical. . . We glimpse our own future in this technological artifact - a future as magical as it is mysterious (BRIAN W. ALDISS ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
For many readers Arthur C. Clarke is the very personification of science fiction (THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE FICTION )
Arthur C. Clarke is one of the truly prophetic figures of the space age ... The colossus of science fiction (NEW YORKER )
Quite memorable and at times magical. . . We glimpse our own future in this technological artifact - a future as magical as it is mysterious (BRIAN W. ALDISS ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Book Description
'Quite memorable and at times magical. . . We glimpse our own future in this technological artifact - a future as magical as it is mysterious' Brian W. Aldiss
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Rod Williams
Format:Paperback
A giant cylinder is spotted entering the Solar System and a team of astronauts is sent out to investigate.
The cylinder is unfeasibly vast and (it is discovered) hollow with gravity on the inside of the cylinder produced by centrifugal force. The interior surface is lit by enormous lamps, covered with a variegated landscape and divided in two by a band of sea which exists in a circle around the inside.
Perhaps Clarke's best work, this succeeds (as did Niven's `Ringworld') by its sheer lack of explanation. In fact, the entire novel is, in some ways, an exercise in minimalist adventure, since despite the excitement of the exploration itself and having to rescue a crewmember who becomes stranded on the other side of the central sea, nothing really happens.
One cannot help, however, still being awed by Clarke's depiction of this magnificently vast alien mystery which appears in our Solar System and allows us inside her enormous shell before shortly afterward disappearing.
Again, like Niven's Ringworld, the novel was later lessened by inferior sequels (written in this case in collaboration) and which gradually eroded the awe and mystery which was an integral part of the original books. If you haven't read the Rama sequels you'd be best advised not to bother. The writing is far inferior to Clarke at his best and one suspects that his literary input was minimal.
However, getting back to the original, this is a novel which well deserves the title `classic' and still manages to evoke a sense of wonder set against a background of a universe vast and ultimately unknowable.
The cylinder is unfeasibly vast and (it is discovered) hollow with gravity on the inside of the cylinder produced by centrifugal force. The interior surface is lit by enormous lamps, covered with a variegated landscape and divided in two by a band of sea which exists in a circle around the inside.
Perhaps Clarke's best work, this succeeds (as did Niven's `Ringworld') by its sheer lack of explanation. In fact, the entire novel is, in some ways, an exercise in minimalist adventure, since despite the excitement of the exploration itself and having to rescue a crewmember who becomes stranded on the other side of the central sea, nothing really happens.
One cannot help, however, still being awed by Clarke's depiction of this magnificently vast alien mystery which appears in our Solar System and allows us inside her enormous shell before shortly afterward disappearing.
Again, like Niven's Ringworld, the novel was later lessened by inferior sequels (written in this case in collaboration) and which gradually eroded the awe and mystery which was an integral part of the original books. If you haven't read the Rama sequels you'd be best advised not to bother. The writing is far inferior to Clarke at his best and one suspects that his literary input was minimal.
However, getting back to the original, this is a novel which well deserves the title `classic' and still manages to evoke a sense of wonder set against a background of a universe vast and ultimately unknowable.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'd almost forgotten what 'hard' SF was really like until I read Rendezvous with Rama. It was wonderful to have a story where physics is integral to everything, where speed of light limitations are woven into the story, where the alien artefact has a design that takes physics into account (I'm still pleased that I managed to predict one minor plot element by recalling one of the physical properties of water.)
And how can I fail to love a story that actually takes Coriolis force into account?
The strong grounding in reality makes the whole story feel so much more real. You believe in the characters and in the dangers they encounter, because you know that no 'magic' will be used to rescue them if they get into a tight corner.
Another good point about the focus on hard science is that the book hasn't dated. There were only two small moments when I realise how long ago the book was written. One was when the shape of Rama was compared to a domestic boiler, and the other was a reference to the steady state theory. Apart from those two minor points, the book could have been written yesterday. The laws of physics don't change with fashion.
Clarke can't write in depth characters, but they work reasonably well in this book, and the setting of Rama itself makes the story live.
This was a 9/10 book for me and I'd happily recommend it to anyone.
And how can I fail to love a story that actually takes Coriolis force into account?
The strong grounding in reality makes the whole story feel so much more real. You believe in the characters and in the dangers they encounter, because you know that no 'magic' will be used to rescue them if they get into a tight corner.
Another good point about the focus on hard science is that the book hasn't dated. There were only two small moments when I realise how long ago the book was written. One was when the shape of Rama was compared to a domestic boiler, and the other was a reference to the steady state theory. Apart from those two minor points, the book could have been written yesterday. The laws of physics don't change with fashion.
Clarke can't write in depth characters, but they work reasonably well in this book, and the setting of Rama itself makes the story live.
This was a 9/10 book for me and I'd happily recommend it to anyone.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It is difficult to overestimate the effect of this ground breaking novel on present day science fiction - hardly anything I read today by writers like Iain Banks, Alastair Reynolds, Peter Hamilton et al escapes its brilliant influence. I read it when it first came out in the late seventies and was staggered by its vision. If many of its insights now seem trite, it is only because they have been re-used by other writers to such a degree that they have become almost commonplace. Like Niven's Ringworld, it has shaped modern day science fiction. That is why it is a classic.
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4.4 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clarke's finest
This was the first novel by Clarke that I read and I can't even begin to imagine how powerful it must have been to an audience on release some 50 years ago, it has lost none of... Read more
Published 4 days ago by Alphonse
4.0 out of 5 stars
good read
old book but I needed to read it. clark is easy to read,and this novel is old but not out of date,funny how he saw things coming when you read this today
Published 18 days ago by A. M. Bennett
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved it...
Fantastic book - could not put it down! Some of the concepts are fascinating and the story builds with a tremendous amount of suspense. A true gem of sci fi!
Published 18 days ago by Mr J A Wells
4.0 out of 5 stars
Rendezvous With Rama
This was my first ACC novel, and I really enjoyed it. I've read plenty of classic SF writers and wondered whether the language would be a little stilted, or the ideas outdated. Read more
Published 23 days ago by David Brookes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic book
It's been about 15 years since I've read this book and it still sticks in my mind as the best sci-fi book I've read. Read more
Published 1 month ago by P Barlow
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read
Arthur C Clarke at his best! Read it! Only downside is that if you want to read the other books in this series you will have to buy the Rama Omnibus ebook. Read more
Published 2 months ago by 429ER
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well recommended
"Rendezvous With Rama" is a rare book indeed.
There is no villain (well, not exactly), and a lot of the book is spent with not much happening. Read more
There is no villain (well, not exactly), and a lot of the book is spent with not much happening. Read more
Published 2 months ago by M. Adil-smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clarke at his best
S/F novels in my opinion do not come better than this, I first read Rama nearly 20 years ago and I still pick it up and read it with the same enjoyement as the first time. Read more
Published 3 months ago by S. MERMIER
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good book
I enjoyed this book, if you like hard science fiction, you might too.
The only real complaint is that there's not much 'story'. Read more
The only real complaint is that there's not much 'story'. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Gold_Ninja
4.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliantly imagined tale
I am not a reader of science fiction; I read this book because it was a choice for a book group. I therefore write this review as a general reader rather than a fan of science... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Bacchus
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