A novel that proposes an idea about how the human race might have begun and where it might be headed...given a little help from out there. A colaboration of ideas with director Stanley Kubrick in the late 1960's it begins at "the dawn of man" and then leaps to the year 2001 where a mission to Saturn (Jupiter in the film) is mounted to try and answer questions raised by the discovery of an ancient artifact dug up on the moon. Though not particularly fast paced, the science is good, and there are a few hair raising events. There are also interesting speculations about the future, such as the space shuttle, and a device eerily similar to an iPad. Leaving plenty of room for contemplation and the appreciation for the inevitable trials of space travel, this is one of the truly landmark pieces of hard science fiction.
Some things are different from the movie but there are only maybe one or two scenes that I definitely preferred in the movie over the book.
While I didn't feel like I needed a more detailed explanation of some of the mysteries in the story, I can definitely say that the book can keep your interest better than a lot of silent scenes with beautiful effects might.
For me it's not really a matter of "the movie is better" or "the book is better"; I am just thankful for some of the extra content and descriptions in the book. It's like an add-on.
I think without the film the book wouldn't be so good. I might have cried while reading this. Leave me alone..
Sciencefictionschrijver Arthur C. Clarke en filmregisseur Stanley Kubrick werkten samen aan het verhaal voor 2001: A Space Odyssey, waarvan zowel de film als het boek in 1968 werden uitgebracht. Omdat de loftuitingen vooral de film betreffen, was ik niet zeker wat ik van het boek mocht verwachten, maar ik ben fan! Clarke schreef een creatief, ingenieus en prettig leesbaar verhaal. De keuze om met de prehistorie te beginnen pakt verrassend uit, al moest ik schakelen na de overgang van aapmens naar ruimtevaart. Aanvankelijk stoorde ik me aan de toevoeging van een monoliet aan het verhaal, maar Clarke geeft daar een fraaie wending aan.
Het interessantst is natuurlijk de wijze waarop de schrijver vormgeeft aan sciencefictionthema’s. Clarke was al vroeg op de hoogte van de implicaties van algoritmen, die hij handig tot uitdrukking brengt in de supercomputer HAL 9000:
So ran the logic of the planners; but …
Nederlands (English below)
Sciencefictionschrijver Arthur C. Clarke en filmregisseur Stanley Kubrick werkten samen aan het verhaal voor 2001: A Space Odyssey, waarvan zowel de film als het boek in 1968 werden uitgebracht. Omdat de loftuitingen vooral de film betreffen, was ik niet zeker wat ik van het boek mocht verwachten, maar ik ben fan! Clarke schreef een creatief, ingenieus en prettig leesbaar verhaal. De keuze om met de prehistorie te beginnen pakt verrassend uit, al moest ik schakelen na de overgang van aapmens naar ruimtevaart. Aanvankelijk stoorde ik me aan de toevoeging van een monoliet aan het verhaal, maar Clarke geeft daar een fraaie wending aan.
Het interessantst is natuurlijk de wijze waarop de schrijver vormgeeft aan sciencefictionthema’s. Clarke was al vroeg op de hoogte van de implicaties van algoritmen, die hij handig tot uitdrukking brengt in de supercomputer HAL 9000:
So ran the logic of the planners; but their twin gods of Security and National Interest meant nothing to Hal. He was only aware of the conflict that was slowly destroying his integrity – the conflict between truth, and concealment of truth.
Andere thema’s die me interesseerden zijn de interplanetaire cultuurschok – die doet denken aan de in dezelfde periode uitgewerkte en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Directive>Prime Directive uit Star Trek – en de evolutie van de mens op basis van machines en later straling, een onderwerp waarop Yuval Harari zich een paar jaar geleden gretig stortte in [b:Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow|31138556|Homo Deus A History of Tomorrow|Yuval Noah Harari|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1468760805l/31138556.SY75.jpg|45087110].
Het is een bijzondere gedachte dat Clarke en Kubrick dit verhaal een jaar voor de maanlanding bedachten. De aanwezigheid van de Koude Oorlog drukt er tegelijkertijd een tijdstempel op. Ik kijk ernaar uit straks [b:Het einde van de dood|57556001|Het einde van de dood (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #3)|Liu Cixin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1616960744l/57556001.SY75.jpg|18520265] van Cixin Liu te lezen, het laatste deel van de serie Remembrance of Earth’s Past dat volgens Liu sterk werd geïnspireerd door Clarke.
English
There is little as exciting as reading good science fiction, which to me means that the story holds some (utopian or dystopian) promise for the future. 2001: A Space Odyssey lives up to the standard: the way Arthur C. Clarke writes about artificial intelligence, extra-terrestrial life, and the evolution of humanity is still fascinating – imagine if this were 1968! The famous first part on prehistory adds an interesting layer.
This was a re-read. The mastery of sentence and story in this novel is incredible. Plus, I love his future-gazing. He does a great job except for thinking we'd get there sooner than we will.
Ever wonder what the hell the movie was all about? There's a lot of explaining in this book, making it an essential companion to the film. There's some subtle differences between the two story-wise, but nothing too big apart from the ending.
I was surprised not only at how vanilla-bland Clarke's prose was, but also how none of the characters really stood out save for HAL. The book isn't bad by any means, but it also wasn't as 'deep' as I expected considering its film twin.
The book expands on the film, providing context and further supporting the theme and lessons of the larger story. It's a masterpiece, along with its sequels. Keep in mind that the sequels will act as though the story ended at Jupiter, but in this ambitious novel, the Odyssey goes beyond that, venturing all the way to Saturn with a more expanded drama, and delves into Dave Bowman's vision and the meaning of the Starchild.
Difficile de se faire un avis sur un livre lié à un film aussi marquant. C'est du Arthur C. Clarke assez classique finalement, avec ses qualités et ses défauts.
When I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey (the movie), about ten years ago, I found it dull, boring, and deeply depressing. I also didn't understand what was going on. I decided a couple months ago to give the book a try. It's much better!
The story is split into four parts (technically six, but I disagree with Clarke's seperation, and I only perceived four):
In the first part of the book, there is what I thought of as somewhat of an extended prologue. We meet Moon Watcher, a member of a prehistoric tribe of Men as he uses his primitive brain to help himself, his family, and his tribe survive.
The second part starts three million years after the first part ends off, and is about a mission to the Moon to investigate a strange phenomenon that has been discovered there.
This second part ends abruptly, when the reader is …
When I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey (the movie), about ten years ago, I found it dull, boring, and deeply depressing. I also didn't understand what was going on. I decided a couple months ago to give the book a try. It's much better!
The story is split into four parts (technically six, but I disagree with Clarke's seperation, and I only perceived four):
In the first part of the book, there is what I thought of as somewhat of an extended prologue. We meet Moon Watcher, a member of a prehistoric tribe of Men as he uses his primitive brain to help himself, his family, and his tribe survive.
The second part starts three million years after the first part ends off, and is about a mission to the Moon to investigate a strange phenomenon that has been discovered there.
This second part ends abruptly, when the reader is vaulted into the scene of a space ship destined for Saturn. The second and third parts do tie together, but I won't give away how.
Throughout these first three parts, I was torn between giving the book four stars, or five. The fourth part was what finally decided me on three. It's about the last 10% or so of the book, and it's definitely not the ending I had in mind! It's deeply psychological, philosophical, and just plain weird. I considered it a real anticlimax to a great story!
Still, it's an epic, interesting, and engaging tale, and I certainly think that any fan of Science Fiction should read this book at least once!
