Rating: 
Summary: Arthur C. Clark at his best...
Review: Although it has been almost two years since I read "Rendezvous With Rama," I clearly remember how the novel entertained and impressed me. I recall that Arthur C. Clark's writing was really nice and concise. The story was propelled forward by a developing mystery that effectively pulled the reader along. The plot was a rather novel idea for an extraterrestrial encounter, although it was really an old idea in a new guise - H. G. Well's First Men In The Moon but instead of being in the moon, this story's astronauts make their way inside Rama. Clark managed, along the way, to sprinkle nice futuristic predications into the story regarding man's presence on the moon as well as other planets of the solar system. He introduced an interesting idea of genetically enhanced chimpanzees but failed to utilize the chimpanzees when the opportunity came up - to disarm an approaching warhead. The ending left the reader unsatisfied but the author is immediately forgiven when the reader reads the very last sentence. This is a great work of extraterrestrial speculative fiction and all fans of science fiction who appreciate a story adhering to hard science should take the time to read it, as it is well deserving of both the Hugo and Nebula awards that it earned.
Rating: 
Summary: Adventurous and Amazing
Review: Arthur C Clarke is of course one of the best SF writers the literary world has ever known. His novels and stories have amazed generations. So does "Rendezvous with Rama".
It is a novel about an incredible large object entering our solar system. No one knows that is is but the United Planets send a team to find out. It is so well written that the reader becomes part of the expedition inside this cilindrical sphere going through space. What's inside is not much that is desribed, the expedition is too short for that. That leaves open a lot of questions which is great and will later come back in three other great novels you surely have to read.
Rating:
Summary: Arthur C Clarke, national treasure!
Review: As someone who considers herself a fan of "soft" science fiction (you know, the stuff you don't have to have an engineering degree or a clue about math to follow)I could only shake my head in wonderment when I was finished with Rendezvous with Rama. How does Clarke do it?Here is a tale of mankind's first encounter with an alien spacecraft coming into our own solar system -- set in the not too distant future when we could conceivably have colonized our own local planets, but not yet explored the galaxy. The sense of awe, of discovery both delightful and terrifying comes across sharply as we follow a team that sets out to enter and explore the seemingly uninhabited interior of this gigantic environment. All the while events are unfolding in response to Rama's nearing the sun, the author manages to explain the scientific logistics of Rama in terms a lay person like me can clearly understand without being patronizing and without detracting from the characters and their story (which are, true to Clarke's tradition, interesting without being melodramatic). I was reluctant to undertake this book at first, having received the impression that it was too technical and therefore, boring. It was neither. Now I can't wait to continue the series.
Rating:
Summary: Realistic tale of humanity's 'first contact'
Review: Author Arthur Charles Clarke is one of the most revered names in the history of science-fiction writing. Clarke was the writing force behind Stanley Kubrick's seminal movie, "2001: A Space Odyssey". Clark continued that series with "2010", "2061", and "3001". The "Space Odyssey" series may be his most commercially well known, but he also wrote highly acclaimed sci-fi novels such as "Childhood's End", "Songs of Distant Earth", and "The Hammer of God". In short, Clarke is one the most prolific and proficient science-fiction authors of our time. In addition to the novels mentioned above, Clarke was responsible for authoring the wildly successful "Rama" series (four books, the last three he co-authored with Gentry Lee). The first in that series, "Rendezvous with Rama" was awarded every conceivable honor for this genre of writing; the Hugo, Nebula, and Jupiter awards among others. Having recently read "Rendezvous...", it's clear to see that those accolades were well-deserved.
Clarke has always been viewed as a purveyor of 'pure' science-fiction. By that, I mean that he applies real science and real situations to the dealings people have extraterrestrial events and species. This is almost a polar-opposite of the type of science-fiction available in novels like "Star Wars", where the space opera and human drama are the prime elements while real science takes a back seat. A particular area of interest for Clarke has been the subject of 'first contact' where humanity first comes in contact with an alien species. "Rendezvous with Rama" is one of the subject's best examples. Instead of the aliens of similar construction and environment as in "Star Trek", "Rendezvous..." presents a species that is vastly different from anything the humans can conceive of. It is so different that they may not even recognize the humans at all, while humans can merely hope to grasp at the purpose and function of these extraterrestrials.
In the early 22nd century, the Spaceguard System designed to protect all the inhabited worlds of the United Planets from threatening comets and asteroids has picked an object barreling through the Solar System at an incredible speed and uncomfortably close to the inhabited worlds. Upon realizing that this object shows none of the characteristics of a naturally occurring phenomena (in fact, it is a perfectly designed cylinder approximately 150 kilometers by 30), the United Planets commissions the space ship, Endeavour (the only ship close enough and fast enough to catch this object) to rendezvous with this new entity that is being called 'Rama'. Upon the arrival to Rama, the astronauts of Endeavour find ready-made access ways to the inside of this massive structure and, once inside, discover a scene that nearly defies human comprehension. Although vision is initially hampered by the darkened environment, it becomes clear that the inside of Rama is actually a self-contained biosphere, complete with a frozen sea, naturally occurring landforms, and what appears to be constructed cities. There does not seem to be any signs of life, but, given the enormity of the structure, there are plenty of places to explore and hopes run high at discovering the mystery of Rama. Unfortunately, the crew Endeavour only has a few weeks to conduct its explorations. The Sunward trajectory of Rama is rapidly bringing it to the point of perihelion from which Endeavour could not survive the extreme temperatures. Back on the Moon (the home of the United Planets headquarters) a committee has been established to observe the developments on, and with regard to, Rama and make the best recommendations about how to proceed. In addition, there is also unpleasant internal strife courtesy of the colonists of Mercury, the Hermians, who fear what Rama's existence means for there place in the Solar System.
What makes "Rendezvous with Rama" such an impressive novel is how genuine the human reactions to Rama are. They are initially fearful and then very curious. When the astronauts enter the main of Rama, they are first awed by the shear enormity of the environment they have entered and later, when a sudden light source has illuminated Rama's interior, they are astounded by the beauty and complexity of this self-contained world. Clarke's special literary skills convey this emotion to the readers so that they feel like they are a member of the Endeavour's crew, stumbling upon a new world and new existence that had never been conceived of before. Clarke is honest in his portrayal of the human desire know all the answers to a puzzle whose answers are impossible to obtain. "Rendezvous with Rama" leaves many more questions than answers. Yet, that is the point. Humanity is not on the same level of evolution, technologically or physically, with an alien species that has the capability traverse interstellar distances. It cannot possibly hope to understand the mysteries of a species that can do this. It is the questions that humanity is left to ponder that make this encounter so much more fulfilling than any answers that there may be.
Rating:
Summary: Master Piece
Review: Es una obra maestra de la ciencia ficción, que se continua de manera muy atractiva con otros 3 volumenes. Muy recomendable.
Rating:
Summary: Master Piece
Review: Es una obra maestra de la ciencia ficción, que se continua de manera muy atractiva con otros 3 volumenes. Muy recomendable.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and at times educational
Review: For those who enjoyed Childhood's End by A.C. Clarke, Rendevous with Rama promises more of the same qualities. Space exploration, alien encounters and political infighting all make an appearance here. Though I thought that the characters were a bit flat and contrived, the plot and scenery have enough clever nuances to make that flaw an afterthought.
Considering that there is not much 'Hollywood' action in this book, I was impressed at how well the story moves by its own subdued style. Discovery, insight and science are peppered expertly throughout the book, making it so there are no stretches of dry reading.
All in all, Rendevous with Rama is worth your time. If you consider yourself a science fiction aficionado, it should have a place on your bookshelf. I personally preferred Childhood's End over this one, but I wasn't disappointed. For those Rama junkies out there, check out the PC video game 'Rama' that came out in the mid-90s. Obsolete by today's standards, but the hard core fan base would enjoy the visual realization of this book.
Rating:
Summary: great science fiction
Review: Great science fiction has to leave something to mystery. Though often when this happens, critics complain that the author has a "lack of imagination" because he didnt reveal all the goods. In this particular book, as well as Clarke's "2001", the mystery is it's strength.
A massive cylinder enters the solar system. Because of it's symmetrical shape - it must be artificial. Even a couple of centuries in the future in which the book takes place, this is far beyond our technology, so obviously, it has to be alien. We humans rendezvous with it and begin to explore. The characters become more perplexed with every event that takes place within it.
We, the reader, are given enough information to make an assumption of what the purpose of this alien vessel may be - but there is also a lot of things going on inside Rama that could turn our guesses upside-down. Is it a transport ship of some kind? An ark? A probe? Or is it's purpose something that humans cant really comprehend? Each of these possibilities, and more, plays around in our heads long after the book has been read.
We think we know what it might be, but we are also aware that we could be dead wrong. The mystery - the wonder - is what makes this book great!
Rating:
Summary: Makes your imagination soar!
Review: I read this in my early teens, and it's been read many times since then. It's the best kind of science fiction - full of wonder and imagination. There is not much tension or conflict: it's simply the story of an alien vessel and the explorers who go there. They find a lot, but a lot more questions. 20 years later, I'll still pick it up a few times a year just to go back to that wonderful place. It's a book worth giving to a teenager.
Rating:
Summary: Way-cool
Review: I read this novel about 20 years ago and remember not being
particularly impressed by it. I think it was because it doesn't
have a traditional plot; it's just about the exploration of
an alien spaceship passing through the solar system. Upon rereading it, I found that my first impression was wrong,
and this is a truly absorbing book. Clarke has obviously
put a lot of thought into it. If you like "hard" SF, then
you will definitely enjoy this. It would make a heck of a
movie, I do believe.
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