|
Rendezvous With Rama | 
| Author: Arthur C. Clarke
Publisher: Lightyear Press
Category: Book
List Price: $35.95
Buy New: $27.32
You Save: $8.63 (24%)
New (5) Used (4) Collectible (4) from $21.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  215 reviews
Sales Rank: 240382
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 274
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.8
ISBN: 0899684491
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780899684499
ASIN: 0899684491
Publication Date: February 1994
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
An all-time science fiction classic, Rendezvous with Rama is also one of Clarke's best novels--it won the Campbell, Hugo, Jupiter, and Nebula Awards. A huge, mysterious, cylindrical object appears in space, swooping in toward the sun. The citizens of the solar system send a ship to investigate before the enigmatic craft, called Rama, disappears. The astronauts given the task of exploring the hollow cylindrical ship are able to decipher some, but definitely not all, of the extraterrestrial vehicle's puzzles. From the ubiquitous trilateral symmetry of its structures to its cylindrical sea and machine-island, Rama's secrets are strange evidence of an advanced civilization. But who, and where, are the Ramans, and what do they want with humans? Perhaps the answer lies with the busily working biots, or the sealed-off buildings, or the inaccessible "southern" half of the enormous cylinder. Rama's unsolved mysteries are tantalizing indeed. Rendezvous with Rama is fast moving, fascinating, and a must-read for science fiction fans. Clarke collaborated with Gentry Lee in writing several Rama sequels, beginning with Rama II.
Product Description
At first, only a few things are known about the celestial object that astronomers dub Rama. It is huge, weighing more than ten trillion tons. And it is hurtling through the solar system at inconceivable speed. Then a space probe confirms the unthinkable: Rama is no natural object. It is, incredible, an interstellar spacecraft. Space explorers and planet-bound scientists alike prepare for mankind's first encounter with alien intelligence. It will kindle their wildest dreams... and fan their darkest fears. For no one knows who the Ramans are or why they have come. And now the moment of rendezvous awaits -- just behind a Raman airlock door.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 210 more reviews...
 Wonderful Book October 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Aside from 2001, the masterpiece of the late Arthur C. Clarke is generally considered to be "Rendezvous with Rama," winner of the Hugo Award. "Rama" is unique in the science fiction genre, since it doesn't opt for flashy action scenes with space aliens, or far-flung notions such as a time travel machine. Rather, Clarke writes about what civilization might look like in a couple hundred years, and what an encounter with extra-terrestrial intelligence might be like.
The plot's simple enough. An asteroid-like object is observed, only to be discovered that the size and orbit preclude it from being an asteroid- it must be a spaceship, and is named after the Hindu god Rama, since the Greek and Roman gods have been exhausted. The Federation of Planets sends a team to make a rendezvous with Rama. Rama is basically a gigantic cylindrical object, with no observable space launch mechanism, and absolutely no sign of life inside, not even microbes. The only thing of note is some frozen organic mix of water at the bottom. Suddenly, lights come on in Rama, and the planet seems to come alive. The explorers realize they may need to deal with hurricanes, among other things, as the mixture of the now-melted water with closer proximity to the Sun could cause some problems. In addition, there may be some intelligence on Rama after all. What is it? Read and find out.
Clarke took a simple idea, and it expands all by itself. If we ever have an encounter with extra-terrestrial intelligence, I think it will be unlike anything depicted in the science fiction genre, as Rama is. Finally, Clarke's novel reminds us that the universe is much bigger than out planet, and if we want to be a part of it, we must learn to think bigger.
No region on Earth left for safe celestial target practice July 28, 2008
31 out of 37 found this review helpful
First of all: thanks to the Scandinavian parts of Texas for pointing me to A.Clarke, whom I had previously known only on a 'no name basis' as the writer of 2001 Space Odyssey. I have high respect and liking for the SF genre, but not much knowledge of it, apart from one or the other Verne, Wells, Samjatin, Huxley, Orwell, Bradbury, Asimov, Lem... Of course not counting Douglas Adams, who played another ball game, didn't he?
Rama is a worth while experience. Good Science Fiction is usually also about 'science', but if it is good, it is much about society, about history, usually in the future. The evil cliche term of the paradigm comes to practical use when you read good SF. (The word was invented by evil consultants who needed excuses for the havoc they caused.) SF is about changing paradigms. There is lots of that going on here.
In the 22nd century, the United Planets, which seem to be essentially Earth, Mercury and Mars (which are Earthling colonies) plus some moons are confronted with a scary phenomenon: a huge artificial space body travelling with high speed near the Earth. Luckily the initially silly Star Wars technology had later been developed to the advantage of peaceful purposes and helps arranging a 'rendezvous' with the alien craft, named Rama because the Roman and Greek mythologies have been exhausted in the process of naming space. The process of exploring the strange space body and of thinking through its implications is the actual plot.
Go for it!
 Awesome for 1970s, but not that great today July 4, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
PROS: Original concept, eye opening ideas, and clear writing. The ending is outstanding.
CONS: I'm sure the pace of the novel was exciting and swift for the 1970s, but today it feels sluggish and slow. I found myself skimming parts in anticipation of the point of the scene.
CONCLUSION: This book won the Hugo and the Nebula award for good reason. For its time, it was the best scifi book around. Today it's still a good read, but there are more entertaining books out there.
 What could it be? June 8, 2008
This is an enjoyable & quick read. I don't read a lot of science fiction but I thought I would try something different. This is a classic of scifi & I can see why. I think this would make a great movie. I don't want to give away any of the plot but I will say it starts off with a strange object heading into our solar system - something that has been traveling for millions of years - page by page some of the mysteries are slowly revealed.
Even though this book is now 35 years old I found Arthur C Clarke's writing exciting & easy to read. I was also amazed that after 35 years it still seems as if it could have been written yesterday. Now to find some more great science fiction.
It would make a great movie! May 19, 2008
Others have said just about everything about this novel, so I'll just add that it would make a wonderful movie. Now that digital technology is up to re-creating the worlds of Tolkien and CS Lewis, just imagine what a great job they could do with this scenario: a team of explorers discovering a huge, mysterious artificial world... experiencing its oceans in the sky, giant electrical lightning makers, hurricanes, weird landscapes beyond comprehension.... why, it would be FANTASTIC!!
Screen writers might even want to tack on a satisfying ending, something that Clarke left out: answering the question "who made Rama and what is it for?"
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
