2061: Odyssey Three (Space Odyssey, #3)

by Arthur C. Clarke

English language

Published April 12, 1997

ISBN:: 978-0-586-20319-4

(26 reviews)

2061: Odyssey Three is a science-fiction novel by the British writer Arthur C. Clarke, published in 1987. It is the third book in Clarke's Space Odyssey series. It returns to one of the lead characters of the previous novels, Heywood Floyd, and his adventures from the 2061 return of Halley's Comet to Jupiter's moon Europa. Clarke had originally intended to write the third book after NASA's Galileo mission to Jupiter had returned its findings in the late 1980s. The probe had been initially scheduled for launch in 1984 but this was delayed, first to 1985 and then to 1986. It was delayed further in wake of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Deciding not to wait, Clarke took inspiration for his sequel from the return of Halley's Comet. Galileo was eventually launched by Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-34 mission in October 1989. It arrived in Jovian orbit almost eight years …

4 editions

ibk reviewed 2061: Odyssey Three by Arthur C. Clarke

Ok

3 stars

I wasn’t expecting much from this, having been badly burned by reading one of the other “great ideas” authors in the form of Isaac Asimov (he may have had some great ideas, but his writing is third-rate and his characters are poorly drawn…) So I was pleasantly surprised by how easy Clarke is to read (as long as you can get over the inbuilt sexism and colonialism, and the curious devotion to Great Men of Science and Business). But not much happened, really. Short version: there is other life in the solar system, and the Monoliths are full of woo. Most of the book seemed to be setting up for a climax that never really arrived. Probably of interest to Odyssey completists, but there are better books out there.