Rating: 
Summary: A dissappointing end to the fabulous Rama series.
Review: This book was littered with trivial melodramatic moments that continued the spiral of hopelessness cast by the previous Rama chapter.
Basically, if you finished the last book and are hoping this book's going to go anywhere better, sorry, it doesn't.
While the story was fantastically told and particularly spell-binding -- I literally stayed up way too late and got up way too early to finish the book in two days -- it is an entirely depressing account of how close minded most human beings are and how stubborn and ignorant they can be.
The magic/wonder of bewilderment that occurs with the discovery of the Octospiders' lives and of the Eagle can hardly make up for the majority of the story which is centered on the pain of human ignorance. I don't know about you, but I read sci-fi to expand my day dreams and move away from the base elements that make up our crude, TV-inflicted society.
All in all, the strengths of wonder, discovery, and self-qu!estioning that made up the first three Rama books are not at all present here... whereas the hopeless melodramatic downward spiral of the last book is flourished here in full force. Beware.
Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly Strong Finish
Review: The subject title refers to both this book itself and the series as a whole. The entire drama with Nicole grew and evolved to become one of the central foci of the book. For that awesome scene at the end - and the realization of the meaning of the Universe - it almost deserves a "*****". But Nicole's other self seems so human like in her wants and desires. We got to this point and the authors seem to be saying, "OK, we know the secrets of the cosmos. What do we do now?" I would have loved to have seen this idea in the hands of a Frank Herbert or a Pamela Sargeant.
Rating: 
Summary: Marginally better than "Garden", yet still a disappointment
Review: After the pathetic ending of "Garden of Rama" there really was nowhere to go but up. This book went up. Some. Not much. The crisis situation in the human colony on Rama has been mitigated (and the humans are pretty pathetic); everyone goes to sleep again for a long, long time; Nicole is reunited with family members she never thought she'd see again (and a rather weak reunion it is, too!); a final "segregation" is made between the "good guys" and the "bad guys" based on a strange, Raman determination which preaches free choice on the one hand -- and no taking of personal responsibility for behavior on the other; -- AND Rama is revealed for what ACTUALLY is. Again, Clarke and Lee delve into theological suppositions in which, frankly, they demonstrate that they are WAAAY over their heads. This was a serious mistake. Finally, Nicole makes some choices at the end of the book -- which I won't spoil in this review -- which, frankly, reveal her to be as selfish and shallow as most of the rest of the characters -- a real disappointment. Why the 3rd star? Because it was better than "Garden" which received 2! My suggestion? Read "Rendevouz" -- and skip the rest of the series.
Rating: 
Summary: A sweeping tale of human nature and the vastness of space
Review: It's actually been a long time since I read this book, much less the series. The first review that I wrote here was incomplete and was written in a mood that was only temporary, juvenile and confused. I write again only to fully explain myself. I now realize how much Gentry Lee helped with the character development. Anyone less than a complete moron ought to realize realize how much skill it takes to conjure up so many characters, make them real, and have such a heart-wrenching tale to tell with them. Clarke made a good move taking in Lee. What fascinated and pleased me the most was the aging relationship between Richard Wakefield and Nicole des Jardins. Not only them, but their children's vastly different paths in life were shocking, heart-warming, and sobering. The fact that the characters were so real, so personal, so THERE, made the science fiction plot that they resided in far better than it would have been without them. When you reach the end of the book, it is as if you're losing a friend. Through thousands of pages you have followed these characters; seen what they've done with their extraordinary, fictitious lives. The sheer scale of the story is something I will treasure for the rest of my life. The constant discovery, awe, and mystery of: Where did this ship come from? then What are these creatures inside? and finally What in Heaven's name is going on and What's going to happen to us now?? Granted, the series has its moments of unwarranted quote-unquote "smut," but I guess the ultra-liberalism with the writing of character activity only helps develop them further, at a more "personal" level. In conclusion, I think that the old preacher's explanation of the whole "Rama Mission" was not only satisfying, but awe-inspiring and it held mystery to ponder even after the story in writing was concluded.
Rating:
Summary: Marginally better than "Garden", yet still a disappointment
Review: After the pathetic ending of "Garden of Rama" there really was nowhere to go but up. This book went up. Some. Not much. The crisis situation in the human colony on Rama has been mitigated (and the humans are pretty pathetic); everyone goes to sleep again for a long, long time; Nicole is reunited with family members she never thought she'd see again (and a rather weak reunion it is, too!); a final "segregation" is made between the "good guys" and the "bad guys" based on a strange, Raman determination which preaches free choice on the one hand -- and no taking of personal responsibility for behavior on the other; -- AND Rama is revealed for what ACTUALLY is. Again, Clarke and Lee delve into theological suppositions in which, frankly, they demonstrate that they are WAAAY over their heads. This was a serious mistake. Finally, Nicole makes some choices at the end of the book -- which I won't spoil in this review -- which, frankly, reveal her to be as selfish and shallow as most of the rest of the characters -- a real disappointment. Why the 3rd star? Because it was better than "Garden" which received 2! My suggestion? Read "Rendevouz" -- and skip the rest of the series.
Rating: 
Summary: space age soap opera
Review: rendezvous with rama rocked big time. Gentry lee destroys the other three sequels... the storyline becomes progressively worse . things becmae so bad and boring that I couldnt even read the last book and a half properly.. i just skipped through the pages and belive me it was boring .. boring.. boring... more like a melodramatic soap opera on cable tv J
Rating:
Summary: Mind-Blowing Experience
Review: Arthur C. Clarke is known as one of the most outstanding and awe-inspiring science fiction writers of all time, but this time he's really outdone himself. In this climactic fourth novel in the Rama series, we find ourselves again in the bizarre world of Rama, but with some unexpected surprises--not that we've ever EXPECTED anything to happen that we thought would.
This novel is fantastic, so why not give it a shot?
Rating:
Summary: Oh God!
Review: One of the worst possible endings to a series, ironically which began with one of the best sci-fi stories Ive ever read(Rendezvous with Rama). I really dont know why Clarke had to invoke god in order to explain the alien constructs - couldnt something like just a very advanced alien civilization or something do? And for that, you come across one of the weakest, most powerless gods youve ever read about anywhere! I mean this god thingy is creating multiple universes to conduct his experiments, and he cant even manage faster-than-light travel? The guy defines the very physical laws thatd govern the universe, and he has to cart his observers and subjects around in a huge arkship pondering along for generations just to reach from one star system to another? You almost groan out loud at the lack of imagination of god(or is it Clarke?) So if you are thinking of buying the book, definitely skip it - better to construct your own explanation than read this pathetic ending
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: These people writing the reviews above this one have not one bit of literary taste. I read this book first, and enjoyed it so much, that I read the other three. ACC has done a wonderful job with the Rama series and I think he deserves an award. Contrary to the warped views of the people that wrote the reviews before me, I would recommend this book, and the other Rama books to any person who even slightly enjoys Sci-fi. The story is very interesting starting from Nicole's escaped from a despotic ruler's prison, to discovery by the humans of the true identities of the Ramans. This is the United States and people have the right to be wrong, but I implore that anyone reading the aforementioned reviews not pay the least bit of attention to them, and buy all these books NOW!!!
Rating:
Summary: think banal: utterly banal
Review: I skimmed this just to see how they would explain the whole thing. Well, while I won't state it outright, just imagine the most boring, fallback explanation that falls into the category of metaphysics as opposed to hard sci-fi, and you will guess. I was so disappointed in this series that I am embarassed to admit that I got the whole way through it. WHile the other two knockoffs were medicore if fairly good stories, this one is truly bad and utterly ruins the entire concept. Does Clarke not care if his name attached to such [stuff]?
| 
