Rendezvous with Rama

256 pages

English language

Published Aug. 13, 1973 by Gollancz.

ISBN:
978-0-575-01587-6
Copied ISBN!

View on OpenLibrary

4 stars (244 reviews)

Written in 1973, a massive 50 kilometre long alien cylinder begins to pass through the solar system provoking a hurried effort to intercept it. The closest available ship rushes to rendezvous so as to have a quick study before it gets too close to the sun. Able to enter via an airlock on one end of the ship, the crew explores the huge world found inside, a world full of wonder and mystery. As usual, the science is spot on. This is the best novel of Clarke's since 2001 and Childhood's End and is a truly grand adventure full of puzzles and ideas that lead you asking more questions than are answered. Enough questions in fact to lead to numerous inferior sequels, but enough answers to leave you satisfied. Don't pass up this gem of hard science fiction.

48 editions

No es su mejor obra, pero es la obra de un genio.

5 stars

Tal y como dice otro comentario: "[...]it's 50% description of a docking maneuver, and 50% setup for an exciting book[...]". Y así es, dan ganas de leer las siguientes novelas de la saga porque esta deja muchos hilos por atar. Pongo cinco estrellas porque es de un grande y como episodio piloto me ha gustado bastante, aunque revisaré mi valoración cuando lea el resto de la saga.

Review of 'Rendezvous with Rama' on 'GoodReads'

2 stars

До этой книги я честно считал, что hard sf стареет медленно: научные парадигмы сменяют друг друга, техника мельчает и ускоряется, но считать, что мы приходим в жанр за достоверными прогнозами — это... слишком функциональный ответ. Для меня хороший hard sf это исследование загадки, в котором процесс важнее и правдивости результата и достоверности условий.

Проблема с Rendezvous with Rama: вы в любой момент впереди автора на восемь шагов. У вас больше вопросов, и у вас куда более интересные ответы. Мы знаем, что книга собрала все важные sf-награды и считается классикой жанра. Неуежели, всё, что определяет выдающийся sf — это новизна?

Потому что кроме не годящейся уже на эпизод телесериала центральной интриги здесь ничего особенно и нет. Герои почти всегда определяются своей основной функцией в рамках повествования, а в моменты, когда нет... Моя рабочая теория: списаны с рекламных материалов сигаретных брендов. В наличии проницательный историк, ещё пара каких-то Работающих Над Важной Проблемой …

Review of 'Rendezvous with Rama' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I rarely find myself engrossed in a book so much that I cannot put it down. This book however managed to do just that, but why is that?
Firstly, I really liked Clarke's style of writing. The way he describes the interior of Rama and everything else really got me excited. The characters, for the most part, I did not find very gripping. However, I didn't think that was that big of a problem.
The biggest reason for me liking this book so much however is the fact that it reminded me of an old (audio)book I listened to which I unfortunately forgot the name of. I believe though that it was part of the Perry Rhodan series.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who likes scifi, exploration and mystery!

Review of 'Rendezvous with Rama' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

In 2131, astronomers detected what they initially believe to be an asteroid near Jupiter. It is named "Rama" after the Hindu god. An unmanned space probe named "Sita" (after Rama's wife) is sent to investigate and sends back photos, which show that this is no asteroid - it is a perfectly smooth cylinder 34 miles long and 12 miles wide. It is an alien spacecraft. The solar survey vessel the "Endeavor" is sent to investigate "Rama."

This is an intriguing, realistic (if I can use that word for science fiction) story by one of the masters of science fiction. This novel won't appeal to anyone (check out the reviews on Amazon) due to its focus on "Rama" and not characterization. The characters are rather flat and not drawn well, which is why I subtracted a star. Attitudes have also changed since "Rama" was first published in 1973. If you read …

Review of 'Rendezvous with Rama' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Interesting and classic first contact story, Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama distinguishes itself in the way that the first contact almost feels like a dud. The tension of the encounter with Rama and its surprising interior is captivating and well-executed. The brilliance of the novel is that the aliens do not care about humanity and simply passes us over, on the way to somewhere else. That we are completely insignificant, even to the point of being completely ignored by the first intelligent life encountered, is a masterful reversal of our own self-centeredness

Review of 'Rendezvous with Rama' on 'Goodreads'

1 star

I love stories about alien artifacts and Rendezvous with Rama is always heralded as one of the classics of that particular subgenre. The problem is that it is not a good book. There is basically no characterization and the utopian future Clarke describes feels so silly that it's painful to read. That these world-building parts feel forced in does not help.

I started the book with high expectations but was disappointed about 40 pages in. I felt no connection to any of the characters; mainly because there are none. They are just names that drive the story. So I gave up and read the summary on Wikipedia. If you are curious about this book, I suggest you skip it entirely and be content with the summary.

Review of 'Rendezvous with Rama' on Goodreads

4 stars

1) ''Then the orbit was calculated, and the mystery was resolved---to be replaced by an even greater one. 31/439 was not traveling on a normal asteroidal path, along an ellipse which it retraced with clockwork precision every few years. It was a lonely wanderer among the stars, making its first and last visit to the solar system---for it was moving so swiftly that the gravitational field of the Sun could never capture it. It would flash inward past the orbits of Jupiter, Mars, Earth, Venus, and Mercury, gaining speed as it did so, until it rounded the Sun and headed out once again into the unknown.
It was at this point that the computers started flashing their 'We have something interesting' sign, and, for the first time, 31/439 came to the attention of human beings. There was a brief flurry of excitement at SPACEGUARD headquarters, and the interstellar vagabond was …

Review of 'Rendezvous with Rama' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars


I am sad to say that this was the first of Clarke’s novels that I’ve ever read, especially since I enjoyed it so much! That’s an especially amazing feat since this novel of a brief encounter with an alien civilization didn’t involve any aliens, had plenty of unexplained exploration, and at the end you have more questions than answers. I find myself curious not only about Rama II but about the 17 years between the writing of Rendezvous with Rama and Rama II.

Review of 'Rendezvous with Rama' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

This is one of those classics of science fiction that you would think I would have read by now. Well, I am hoping to get to it now. I found my copy really cheap in the second hand store. We'll see how it goes.

* *

It was not as riveting as I thought it would be. While the science is good, i.e. Clarke does pay attention to the science in the story, overall, the story itself moves very slowly. In a way, reading this book was like playing the game Myst, and I am not saying that as praise. That game is great visually, but that is about it: it's a puzzle that looks pretty, but in the end, remains a puzzle. This book is pretty much like looking into a puzzle, a mystery. In that sense, it immerses the reader. The environment of Rama is great. However, the …

avatar for localstatic

rated it

5 stars
avatar for Strakul

rated it

5 stars
avatar for LuisVilla

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Fireblend

rated it

4 stars
avatar for ascagnel

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Enno

rated it

4 stars
avatar for cwzp

rated it

4 stars
avatar for EricLawton

rated it

4 stars
avatar for HokieGeek

rated it

4 stars
avatar for JorenH

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Mduritz@lectura.social

rated it

4 stars
avatar for samullen

rated it

4 stars
avatar for asmundg

rated it

4 stars
avatar for saurabhs

rated it

5 stars
avatar for DerekCaelin

rated it

5 stars
avatar for lnklnx

rated it

3 stars
avatar for tali

rated it

4 stars
avatar for tjhils

rated it

5 stars
avatar for jkwatson

rated it

5 stars
avatar for chadkoh

rated it

3 stars
avatar for racer983

rated it

4 stars
avatar for andrewmriley

rated it

4 stars
avatar for JohSny

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Allenshull

rated it

3 stars
avatar for Hyzie

rated it

4 stars
avatar for jazz

rated it

4 stars
avatar for eviley3

rated it

5 stars
avatar for hamish

rated it

4 stars
avatar for neilernst

rated it

4 stars
avatar for thomasjwebb

rated it

5 stars
avatar for sh00g

rated it

4 stars
avatar for drizzy

rated it

4 stars
avatar for 04n0

rated it

4 stars
avatar for jcheshire

rated it

5 stars
avatar for jameswynn

rated it

5 stars
avatar for jnyrose

rated it

5 stars
avatar for Mignon

rated it

4 stars
avatar for imbrandon

rated it

4 stars
avatar for thisisjan

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Smoak

rated it

3 stars
avatar for dshafik

rated it

5 stars
avatar for shykana

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Edward

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Jezynka

rated it

3 stars
avatar for james

rated it

4 stars
avatar for cyansmoker

rated it

5 stars
avatar for Lasu

rated it

1 star
avatar for agd

rated it

4 stars
avatar for agd

rated it

4 stars
avatar for nonskanse

rated it

3 stars
avatar for moopet

rated it

3 stars
avatar for kaakow

rated it

2 stars
avatar for whami

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Jarmer

rated it

5 stars
avatar for omdaru

rated it

5 stars
avatar for jumpinggrendel

rated it

5 stars
avatar for wakatara

rated it

3 stars
avatar for joejoh

rated it

4 stars
avatar for pearlbear

rated it

5 stars
avatar for tmarsh1024

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Dunedinmouse

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Smermen

rated it

4 stars
avatar for ricargoes

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Bruce

rated it

4 stars
avatar for larcher

rated it

4 stars
avatar for rgibert

rated it

4 stars
avatar for jbeimler

rated it

3 stars
avatar for hel

rated it

3 stars
avatar for lbthomas

rated it

5 stars
avatar for lukeg

rated it

4 stars
avatar for joeyh

rated it

3 stars
avatar for osiris

rated it

3 stars
avatar for teo

rated it

4 stars
avatar for yallah110

rated it

4 stars
avatar for mikewilson

rated it

4 stars
avatar for paudie

rated it

5 stars
avatar for lazcorp

rated it

3 stars
avatar for IX

rated it

3 stars
avatar for Ivia

rated it

3 stars
avatar for markserbian

rated it

5 stars
avatar for bondolo

rated it

4 stars
avatar for itgrrl

rated it

4 stars
avatar for 13sparrows

rated it

4 stars
avatar for paulkater

rated it

4 stars
avatar for ncrav

rated it

3 stars
avatar for ncrav

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Kaslov

rated it

5 stars
avatar for dragna

rated it

4 stars
avatar for howardbatey

rated it

4 stars
avatar for bracegirdle

rated it

5 stars
avatar for AndySoc1al

rated it

5 stars
avatar for flylaika

rated it

3 stars
avatar for timchi

rated it

4 stars
avatar for hammondj

rated it

3 stars
avatar for JollyRoberts

rated it

3 stars
avatar for TimmyMac

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Ghalidrim

rated it

4 stars
avatar for phranko

rated it

5 stars
avatar for b9chomps

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Shack70

rated it

3 stars
avatar for dx

rated it

3 stars
avatar for n-gons

rated it

4 stars
avatar for m4cb3th

rated it

5 stars
avatar for wislander

rated it

4 stars
avatar for sidmitra

rated it

4 stars
avatar for mono

rated it

4 stars
avatar for rahulgopinath

rated it

3 stars
avatar for rrreese

rated it

2 stars
avatar for naota

rated it

4 stars
avatar for nclack

rated it

5 stars
avatar for OffbeatPulse

rated it

5 stars
avatar for jimfl

rated it

4 stars
avatar for rzlatic

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Silent-Rob

rated it

3 stars
avatar for Iam

rated it

5 stars
avatar for WarmRegards

rated it

3 stars
avatar for chill

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Jeanpuk

rated it

3 stars
avatar for brunosan

rated it

5 stars
avatar for philiporange

rated it

5 stars
avatar for Jorn

rated it

3 stars
avatar for jamesbrooks

rated it

4 stars
avatar for ixnu

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Twine3515

rated it

3 stars
avatar for bookelf

rated it

4 stars
avatar for snigor

rated it

5 stars
avatar for clnaanderson

rated it

4 stars
avatar for thebeeks

rated it

5 stars
avatar for pneuma

rated it

5 stars
avatar for thekerker

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Bospaddestoel

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Pablonaj

rated it

4 stars
avatar for mikebell

rated it

4 stars
avatar for gregorygandy

rated it

3 stars
avatar for alexmorse

rated it

5 stars
avatar for Nikita

rated it

4 stars
avatar for tsukikage

rated it

4 stars
avatar for peter_hall

rated it

4 stars
avatar for grislyeye

rated it

4 stars
avatar for chaos_angel

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Psvensson

rated it

4 stars
avatar for BigJay

rated it

5 stars
avatar for tcgoetz

rated it

4 stars
avatar for jhaase

rated it

5 stars
avatar for Shtakser

rated it

4 stars
avatar for schmavery

rated it

4 stars
avatar for StereoSoda

rated it

4 stars
avatar for opiea

rated it

4 stars
avatar for vykend

rated it

5 stars
avatar for naught101

rated it

3 stars
avatar for skolima

rated it

4 stars
avatar for recri

rated it

3 stars
avatar for fluxmind

rated it

4 stars
avatar for flancian

rated it

4 stars
avatar for PinGZ

rated it

4 stars
avatar for caltf4

rated it

4 stars
avatar for madklowns

rated it

4 stars
avatar for patatita

rated it

4 stars
avatar for DonDeBon

rated it

5 stars
avatar for stevegio

rated it

5 stars
avatar for CMGX9

rated it

4 stars
avatar for tjrourke

rated it

5 stars
avatar for kosure

rated it

3 stars
avatar for sibachian

rated it

3 stars
avatar for acdha

rated it

3 stars
avatar for Anders_S

rated it

2 stars
avatar for Yogthos

rated it

5 stars
avatar for Geekess

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Kom

rated it

5 stars
avatar for ToddSchroth

rated it

5 stars
avatar for Iamgmm

rated it

4 stars
avatar for stombeur

rated it

4 stars
avatar for hastur

rated it

4 stars
avatar for guillevg

rated it

3 stars
avatar for yo.ian.g

rated it

4 stars
avatar for pgenera

rated it

4 stars
avatar for venya

rated it

5 stars
avatar for balise

rated it

5 stars
avatar for kotnik

rated it

3 stars
avatar for TimMason

rated it

3 stars
avatar for Mantrack

rated it

4 stars
avatar for georgewhatup

rated it

3 stars
avatar for benwerd

rated it

5 stars
avatar for capelz

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Adarchi

rated it

3 stars
avatar for Sammy

rated it

5 stars
avatar for MasseR

rated it

5 stars
avatar for thrillfall@books.birdsonbicycles.racing

rated it

5 stars
avatar for roobre

rated it

5 stars