2001: A Space Odyssey

C. Clarke CBE, Sir Arthur

ISBN 10: 009979800X / ISBN 13: 9780099798002

Published by Orbit, 1990

About this Item

Very clean copy.

Seller Inventory # ABE-1705308807167

Bibliographic Details

• Title: 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Publisher: Orbit
• Publication Date: 1990
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 009979800X
• ISBN 13: 9780099798002
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine

About this title

Synopsis

On the moon an enigma is uncovered. So great are the implications of the discovery that, for the first time, men are sent out deep into the solar system. However, before they reach their destination, things begin to go wrong. The author co-wrote the screenplay for the film "2001: A Space Odyssey".

Review

When an enigmatic monolith is found buried on the moon, scientists are amazed to discover that it's at least 3 million years old. Even more amazing, after it's unearthed the artefact releases a powerful signal aimed at Saturn. What sort of alarm has been triggered? To find out, a manned spacecraft, the Discovery, is sent to investigate. Its crew is highly trained--the best--and they are assisted by a self- aware computer, the ultra-capable HAL 9000. But HAL's programming has been patterned after the human mind a little too well. He is capable of guilt, neurosis, even murder, and he controls every single one of Discovery's components. The crew must overthrow this digital psychotic if they hope to make their rendezvous with the entities that are responsible not just for the monolith, but maybe even for human civilization.

Clarke wrote this novel while Stanley Kubrick created the film, the two collaborating on both projects. The novel is much more detailed and intimate, and definitely easier to comprehend. Even though history has disproved its "predictions", it's still loaded with exciting and awe-inspiring science fiction. -- Brooks Peck