Rating: 
Summary: OK
Review: Not as good as its predicessor (sp?) <I>2001</I>,
but still an enjoyable read. Was this one a movie
too?
Rating:
Summary: 2010 is full of suprises! An excellent sequil to 2001.
Review: 2010 is my favorite odessey. Arthur C. Clarke did an excellent job I think. You will be suprised at how imaginative it becomes as the story unwinds. There are many twists to the story-but I certainly won't spoil it for you. This is a "Must Read" especaily if you liked 2001, Or if you just like a good Arthur C. Clarke book
Rating: 
Summary: An interesting read
Review: Part of the reason this book was published was to solve many questions plauging people for the 14 years between the books. Many were answered, but in doing so, other questions were raised. I don't want to give away any of the plot, because it is a good book that comes pretty close to the standard of 2001
Rating:
Summary: A Definite "Must Read" After The Original
Review: Filled with intrigue, suspense, and the one and only HAL computer, "2010: Odyssey Two" is a incredible sequel to its predecessor "2001: A Space Odyssey." Learn more about Heywood Floyd and what actually happeded to Dave Bowman in the Monolith, how our solar system will be forever changed. Pick up and read this book right away
Rating:
Summary: Once again, a great sci-fi Master triumphs!
Review: With this sequel to "2001", Arthur C. Clarke proves, yet again, why he is at the top of his game. This work, bringing back Heywood Floyd, along with a group of new characters, along with the evolved Dave Bowman and the monolith once again catapults us into the fantastic. This book is on my shelf along with: Stranger in a Strange Land", "Puppet Masters", "Foundation", "2001", "2010", "Rendezvous with Rama", "Ringworld", all the "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" books, as well as books as new to the genre as "Advent of the Corps" and others.
Rating:
Summary: Sequel that breaks the rule...
Review: A derelict spaceship, a homicidal computer, an enigmatic relic of non-human manufacture that may be the doorway to the other end of the universe and the key to both man's past and his future. These were the pieces of a puzzle deliberately left unfinished at the end of "2001, a Space Odyssey" and much of the reason for that book's classic status. Clarke had a nearly impossible mission: how to follow up and flesh out the mystery while preserving the story's critical air of the enigmatic. Improbably, he succeeds.
Nine years have passed since all contact failed with the USS Discovery. Sent to Jupiter to follow a radio signal beamed there by a mysterious monolith found on the moon, the Discovery all but vanished into mystery. No man built the monolith, and none could have left it buried under the Lunar crater of Tycho. And none of the scientists could know that another monolith, as depicted in the prolog of "2001", appeared in Africa over 3 million years earlier, ushering in the dawn of human civilization. Before reaching the recipient of the monolith's message, disaster strikes Discovery: HAL-9000, the chatty super-computer running the ship, turns homicidal, killing three astronauts in suspended animation, dispatching another to an almost certain death in space, and nearly killing off Dave Bowman, the mission commander. Bowman survives, but only by un-plugging Hal. Truly alone, Bowman rendezvous with another monolith, and vanishes through a stargate. Emerging on the other side of the universe, he finds himself altered into something new by the creators of the monolith, an advanced race of thinkers that has found nothing greater in the universe than the sentient mind.
Knowing little more than the deaths of the astronauts and the "death" of Hal, Americans have spent 9 years feverishly working to complete "Discovery 2", only to find that they'll be beaten to Discovery by a Russian ship, the Leonov (nee Titov). Magnanimously (also to avoid any hint of space-piracy), the Russians invite Americans to accompany them. Along for the ride is Walter Curnow, a friendly bear of a man who knows Discovery's systems inside/out; Heywood Floyd, a minor character from the last book; and Dr. Chandra, referred to in "2001" as the father of Hal. Getting to Discovery, they will have to bring Hal back to life if they have any hope of cracking the 9-year old mystery. In the mean time, the man known as Dave Bowman must learn why he has been sent back to his solar system. Reaching the orbit of Jupiter and its moons, the Russian/American team finds Discovery and the larger monolith in which Bowman disappeared, but also finds their answers are elusive.
This was a great book. Clarke brings surprising depth to the dangers of space travel, the emotional pitfalls of artificial intelligence and the search for intelligent life in the universe. Clarke develops a sub-plot involving a Chinese ship, one wisely junked for the movie, but quite effective here. In short, and without spoiling things, Clarke builds on the house-of-cards of his last book, without bringing it down. Neither of the follow-ups could touch this sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Once again, a great sci-fi Master triumphs!
Review: With this sequel to "2001", Arthur C. Clarke proves, yet again, why he is at the top of his game. This work, bringing back Heywood Floyd, along with a group of new characters, along with the evolved Dave Bowman and the monolith once again catapults us into the fantastic. This book is on my shelf along with: Stranger in a Strange Land", "Puppet Masters", "Foundation", "2001", "2010", "Rendezvous with Rama", "Ringworld", all the "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" books, as well as books as new to the genre as "Advent of the Corps" and others.
Rating:
Summary: A Book that is Appeciated Differently by Different Readers
Review: +++++
This 1982 book (that consists of 55 chapters plus an epilog), by Sir Arthur C. Clarke (who "said for years that [a sequel] was clearly impossible"), is really a hybrid book since it attempts not only to be a sequel to his previous novel ("2001: A Space Odyssey," published in 1968) but also attempts to be a sequel to the 1968 movie (also called "2001: A Space Odyssey").
In this novel, a joint Russian-American space mission is sent to the planet Jupiter (on the spaceship called "Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov") to try and discover what happened to the previous American spaceship (called "Discovery") that was sent previously in 2001. As well, Leonov's crew is "to locate the alien artifact [also called the monolith] encountered by Discovery, and to investigate it to the maximum extent possible."
Because this book attempts to be a sequel to the previous novel and the 1968 movie, it appeals to four different types of readers:
(i) those who have not read the previous novel and have not seen the 1968 movie
(ii) those who have read the previous novel only
(iii) those who have seen the 1968 movie only and
(iv) those who have read the previous novel and have seen the 1968 movie (as I have).
Each of these four types of readers will probably rate this book as follows:
(1) Those who have not read the previous movie or have not seen the 1968 movie will enjoy this novel. Reading the previous novel or seeing the 1968 movie is not needed to understand this novel. There is good character interaction and there is both known and speculative space science throughout. (Examples of speculative science include the idea that gas giant planets such as Jupiter may have diamond cores and there may be aerial life forms in Jupiter's atmosphere.) There are excellent descriptions of Jupiter and its moons (especially of the moons Io and Europa). As well, this novel's climax (that occurs in chapter 52) is exciting and unexpected.
These readers will probably give the novel a 5 star rating.
(Note that these positive comments will apply to the other types of readers indicated below.)
(2) The reader who has read the previous novel only will notice some differences that interfere with the continuity from the previous novel. For example, Discovery is no longer orbiting one of planet Saturn's moons but is now orbiting one of Jupiter's moons. (No explanation for this is given.) Instead of the monolith being on one of Saturn's moons, it is now in orbit around one of Jupiter's moons. (Again, no explanation for this is given.) As well, the mystery and awe of the previous novel is replaced with the straightforwardness of this novel. Many of the questions left open in the previous novel are now answered.
These readers might give this novel 3 1/2 stars.
(3) Fans of the 1968 movie will have a stronger sense of continuity after reading this book than those who have only read the previous novel. However, they may not recognize some of the dialogue that was said to exist (since it appeared in the previous novel only.) The overwhelming mystery and awe of the movie is replaced with the straightforwardness of this novel. However, many of the questions left open in the movie are now answered.
These readers will perhaps give this novel 4 stars.
(4) Those who have read the previous novel and have seen the 1968 movie might be a bit confused since they have to contend with what has been said in (2) and (3) above. But with some reflection, they should be able to sort out this confusion.
Possible rating by these readers: 4 stars.
As mentioned in (1) above, there is quite a bit of true and speculative space science throughout this book. Thus, this book would have different appeal to yet two more types of readers:
(5) Those without space knowledge. Such readers, I believe, would find this novel fascinating.
These readers would probably give the novel 5 stars.
(6) Those with some space knowledge. These readers would also be intrigued with the novel especially the speculative space science. However, they would be very dissappointed with the novel's climax (in chapter 52). For this climax to occur, there would have to be sufficient mass (which there isn't). Further, if this does occur (and it does in the novel), the novel would have to abruptly end since the spaceships (Discovery and Leonov) and Jupiter's moons would be instantly incinerated.
Possible rating by these readers: 3 stars.
The average of the above six ratings is 4 stars.
Finally, there is the 1984 movie called "2010: The Year We Make Contact." It is a straightforward, traditional science fiction movie. You don't have to read this book to understand this movie.
In conclusion, this novel as Carl Sagan says is "a worthy successor to 2001." It appeals in different ways to different readers.
+++++
Rating:
Summary: A good followup
Review: Despite the introduction of new material and mind-boggling imaginings there is no way this sequel can top the original. Once the idea, the plot, the germ of the story has been let out of the bag, it is extremely difficult to capture that initial excitement and even euphoria.The ideas of our "new" sun, the further adventures of Bowman, the exploration of life elsewhere in the Solar System - all of these are developed well. Of course, as in all Clarke books, it is the lack of character development that is crucial. In order to overcome this shortcoming the story itself must be dazzling as it was in 2001. 2010, though, could only exist on the shoulders of 2001 and for that reason deserves a '4' instead of a '5'.
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