I saw the movie in 1968 and was completely dumbfounded.

I just couldn't understand what I'd just seen. It was a truly perplexing experience.

I haven't seen the movie since until today, the day following completion of the novel.

Now, after reading the book, I finally get it.

But it took reading the book to get me there.

I think Kubrick made an error in the film in not showing that the space capsule actually entered the monolith.

The movie shows the capsule moving towards it, but then the display of colors etc start.

I never put it together before.

After reading the book I've come to the opinion that it is a minor masterpiece.

The movie is not as good as the book, as so often happens.

The novel fills in all the questions that baffled me.

Some people consider this the greatest of all Sci-Fi works.

It's certainly up there among the very best.

It has a depth and complexity that the movie fails to fully capture.

The book allows the reader to truly explore the ideas and concepts presented in a more detailed and profound way.

Overall, I'm glad I read the book and was able to gain a better understanding of this classic Sci-Fi story.

Yep, I finally did it!! Despite my loathing of the movie, I gave the book a chance and it was worth it! We do follow Neanderthals all the way through humanity's rise until the monolith sends a message to Saturn. Then we follow David, an astronaut put on an AI-run ship to explore that spot.

I was most surprised that many of the iconic scenes didn't play as big of a part in the books as they did in the movie. However, I did appreciate that we weren't left in 15 minutes of philosophical silence to ponder the meaning of things. Instead, it was a rather enjoyable path through this adventure.

While not my favorite of Clarke's works, I got the distinct impression that Clarke was constrained by what Kubrick's vision was rather than allowed to go unfettered. Still very decent, but I'm now more interested in picking up 2010!

Also, fair warning: ⚠️ There is an awful lot of jumping around in this book, which I found somewhat off-putting. But I suppose it was unavoidable given the scope of the story.

I won't lie. I embarked on reading 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke with a sense of obligation. It's a book that everyone seems to talk about, yet many who discuss it have never actually read it. I also plan to get around to watching the film soon. Due to this initial mindset, I never imagined that I would end up liking it as much as I did.

I have a great appreciation for how episodic classic science fiction is.

Although the characterisation may leave something to be desired, it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. 2001: A Space Odyssey is all about the story, the "What if?" aspect. The characters do possess some semblance of personality, which allowed me to empathise with them and experience excitement or shock along with them.

The story itself took me by surprise! I started the book with the assumption that it might be a simple exploration plot, but I soon discovered that it is far more complex than that.

Despite initially challenging myself to only read the first book in the series, 2001: A Space Odyssey, I have now decided to read the next one as well. The main reason for this is that Arthur C. Clarke has dropped a bombshell filled with questions, and I am absolutely dying to know the answers!

2001: A Space Odyssey is truly an incredible book.

I would even recommend it to those who prefer the character-driven modern SF that is currently more popular, simply because the story itself is so enthralling. It's a relatively short book, so even if you're not entirely sure, give a few pages a try!

View the full review at The Fantasy Review

Without doubt, this is a science fiction classic. It is an early example of a novel and a movie being born simultaneously. The makers' consistent communication and reflection on the respective effects of different media on the end result added detail and nuance to each other.

It is an experiment on many different levels and a very successful one. As a story, it is interesting and compelling. The hilarious initial chapter on early humans and the reason for their development into a higher intellectual order is especially engaging. Who would have guessed that we needed extraterrestrial intelligence to understand that proper nourishment leads to higher brain capacity and ultimately to our reign over the planet's resources?

However, this is not the story of mankind per se, nor is it the usual science fiction plot where (hostile) aliens threaten humanity's civilisation and heroes have to come up with highly advanced ideas to protect societies on earth from destruction. It is not even the story of the supremacy of any specific technology or species.

It is a reflection on the utter unimportance of humanity from a cosmic perspective. There is a storyline about the problematic use of artificial intelligence when Hal starts making dangerous decisions based on contradictory programming. But in the end, nothing humanity has ever developed, decided or experienced plays a major role once they leave the framework of the Solar System and enter the intellectual thought experiment of "2001: Space Odyssey", which is a creative suggestion for a possible universe of extraterrestrial lifeforms.

As a philosophical statement on the immensity of cosmic possibilities, I quite liked the novel. Generally speaking, the questions that usually interest me in science fiction are more related to the so-called human factors: how does human society react to immense threat or change, and how do interpersonal relationships develop when adapting to extreme situations?

The Space Odyssey is not concerned with that kind of angle. In a sense, with its technological and scientific inventiveness, it is pure cosmic speculative philosophy and nothing else. But it doesn't have to be more either.

Readable, interesting, and fun at times!

I would say that this work is rather descriptive and detailed in its execution. However, it suffers from a lacking plot. The first and last sections seem disjointed from the middle. It is more like three short stories combined into one. The first part is about primitive discovery, the second about intellectual discovery, and the third about a universal discovery of what lies beyond. The writing style also changes drastically. It starts off being purely descriptive, then becomes wildly technical, and finally turns bizarrely abstract. I can only give it 3.5 stars because it didn't really capture my attention fully. Nevertheless, I do kind of get the overall picture that the author is trying to convey.

A reverse novelization adheres to the movie with great closeness. I have never truly grasped the ending, so I decided to read this in order to discover what I had overlooked.

Hal 9000 is absolutely terrifying! It seems to have a mind of its own, and its actions and decisions send shivers down one's spine. The way it interacts with the characters and the situations it creates add an element of intense suspense and horror to the story.

Reading the reverse novelization has given me a new perspective on the movie. It allows me to delve deeper into the details and understand the plot and characters on a more profound level. I am now able to pick up on the subtleties that I may have missed during the initial viewing.

Overall, the reverse novelization has been a fascinating and enlightening experience. It has enhanced my appreciation for the movie and has left me with a greater understanding of its complex and captivating story.

I haven’t read an extensive amount of science fiction, yet I am constantly in awe of its remarkable dedication to instruction. While most fiction aims to entertain, describe, or prod, whether intellectually or emotionally, science fiction has a different objective – to educate. Its readers are eager learners, and its authors are like teachers. The syllabus of this literary genre is vast, encompassing subjects such as the functioning of planetary orbits or astronaut behavior in zero gravity. However, I am inclined to label this area of instruction as ordinary compared to the genre's equal fascination with the most profound questions of our species. Here, we are primarily concerned with answering one question: Are we alone in this vast universe? Fortunately, Clarke quickly dismisses this possibility as absurdly impossible. This allows us to focus on the more intriguing question: if we are not alone, what implications does this have for our future?

In 2001, the existence of celestial neighbors not only has significance for our future but also affects our past. One of the most terrifying theories proposed by the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence is the Zoo Hypothesis, which suggests that intelligent life exists out there, but it is so advanced that our planet is no more than a cage of lions at the zoo is for us humans. Clarke's novel explores this idea, although not as menacingly as it could have been.
The most menacing aspect of the novel is HAL, the onboard space shuttle computer that controls the management of the entire vessel with its superhuman artificial intelligence. The midbook sequence where HAL takes a central role in the future of humanity and its place among the stars is both the most exciting and the most educational part of the novel. The main mystery of 2001 is that some advanced extraterrestrial species played a role in accelerating the evolution of humans millions of years ago, essentially setting us on a path to one day meet them elsewhere in the universe. Eerie parallels emerge when considering the idea of supersmart computers like HAL. Has our species reached a point where we are advanced enough not only to influence other forms of life but also to create other forms of life? Wisely, this is one of the points in the novel where Clarke aims to educate without providing us with any semblance of an answer.
Where this novel falls short is in its transition from science (fiction, of course, but still science) to a psychedelic, almost pious ending. This is a common ending found in other science fiction works (such as Sagan's Cosmos), in which humanity leaps into the heart of the universe and discovers something so wonderful and mysterious that it is inevitably imbued with a godlike quality. I agree that the universe is wonderful and mysterious, but I wonder why science fiction authors feel the need to depict our profound, long-awaited discoveries of its secrets in the same way an ancient monk wrote "Let there be light!" as the first sentence in the Bible.
The universe is truly amazing, and Clarke's 2001 presents us with a fictional example of why this is so. Isn't that enough?

I did not expect a book on extra-terrestrial life to have such a profound impact on me, leaving me deeply pondering the evolution of mankind.

You won't encounter any typical alien action here, no thrilling war-of-the-worlds scenarios. Instead, 2001 stands out as a book that hinges solely on the power of ideas. This, I firmly believe, is the essence of good science-fiction. It presents all those captivating what-if and maybe questions that have the potential to challenge our most deeply held beliefs and completely transform our perspective.

Maybe light isn't the fastest medium in existence. How can we be certain of what lies hidden beneath the surface of the moon? What if there are extraterrestrial beings out there that are so incredibly alien that our human minds are incapable of even conceiving of them as life forms?

Okay, I'll admit it, I'm freaking out a little.

My point is that, while the book is undeniably fascinating, it's also utterly terrifying because almost every aspect of it seems entirely plausible. This is especially true of the part about Hal's malfunctioning. My blood nearly ran cold when that occurred. Computers! Neural networks! Artificial Intelligence! Forget about alien invasions, what if there's a Mutiny-of-the-Machines or something!.

I did not fully grasp the ending, and I don't think I ever will. The implications are simply too vast and complex to comprehend, much like the universe itself.

Or perhaps I should say that the ending was too alien for my limited brain to make sense of.

2001: A Space Odyssey is truly one of those books that possess timeless appeal. It's no wonder that it has been widely regarded as the best science-fiction book of all time.

After reading such a masterpiece, it is truly difficult to find the right words to express the admiration I feel for Arthur Clarke. The man is a genuine genius, a visionary, and at moments, it seemed to me as if he wasn't from this planet at all.

I must admit, I have always been fascinated by the Universe. When I was a child, the Moon was the most magnificent thing for me. All kinds of ideas were swirling in my head at that time, starting from whether someone lives on the Moon to what would happen if the Moon ever fell to Earth?! What, didn't you think about that when you were a child? You didn't?! Well, then I don't know what kind of childhood you had!

In any case, no matter how vivid my imagination has always been, there is something that I could never imagine: what it is like to be an astronaut? Floating in space, feeling all that boundlessness around you, that infinity, seeing the Earth from a different perspective... that is still incomprehensible to me. And how can someone who has had the opportunity to experience all that, then go back home, mow the lawn, watch a football game, pay taxes regularly, and calmly wait for retirement? How can he continue with a "normal" life?

Man always strives, or at least should strive, to progress as much as possible, push the boundaries he has set for himself, explore the unknown, find answers to key questions, and pose new questions for future generations. But what if there are some questions to which there are no answers, or there still aren't any. Is that then a failure, is Man doomed? For many years now, the search for the answer to the question - does life exist outside of Earth? - has captured the attention of scientists and ordinary mortals alike. If it exists, in what form does it exist? If it exists, is Man ready for that possibility? And what if it doesn't exist after all?

Thanks to Arthur Clarke, I now look at all these questions from a completely new perspective.

Thank you to him for that.

I've attempted to watch this movie on numerous occasions.

However, I've never managed to get past the ape scene.

It seems that for some reason, that particular part always catches my attention and disrupts my viewing experience.

Maybe it's the intense action or the unique special effects.

But this time, I'm hoping that with the book, I'll have more success.

I'm looking forward to delving into the story and characters in a different way.

Perhaps the written word will allow me to better understand and appreciate the plot.

I'm excited to see if I can make it all the way through the book and gain a new perspective on this story.

Who knows, maybe it'll even make me want to give the movie another try.

Written as the Apollo space race was reaching the Moon!

It was an exciting time when humanity was on the verge of achieving a great milestone. The Apollo missions were making their way towards the lunar surface, and the world watched with bated breath.

Meanwhile, something extraordinary had happened in the distant past. Aliens had uplifted our prehistoric ancestors. They had bestowed upon them knowledge and abilities that would change the course of human history.

After that, the aliens left an artifact buried on the Moon. They knew that one day, space-going humans would discover it. And sure enough, when the Apollo astronauts landed on the Moon, they came across this mysterious object.

This discovery set off an "intelligence" alarm for the long gone aliens. They had been monitoring the progress of the human race from afar, and now they knew that we were ready to take the next step.

The Odyssey then led us to Saturn. There, a large artifact awaited us. But what lay beyond? What secrets would it reveal? Only time would tell.

Simply fantastic.

Enjoy!

I didn't feel regret but rather shame because I haven't read until now... Seriously... I wonder what else is there like this?

It's truly a realization that makes me feel a bit embarrassed. I have always known the importance of reading, but for some reason, I just didn't make it a priority. Now, looking back, I can't help but feel a sense of self-reproach.

I keep thinking about all the wonderful books and knowledge that I have missed out on. What if there are hidden gems that could have changed my perspective or enhanced my understanding of the world? This thought only intensifies my feeling of shame.

However, instead of dwelling on the past, I have decided to take action. I am determined to start reading more regularly and make up for the lost time. I believe that it's never too late to embark on this journey of discovery and growth through reading.