Rating: Summary: Oh dear... Review: The only good thing about this book is the sense of wonder you get through thinking, 'how can Clarke have let this happen?' and how Gentry Lee, possibly the most inept writer working in fiction today is allowed to be released from 3rd grade Eng. Lit classes long enough to write this monstrosity. 300 years is an astonishingly long time for nothing at all to happen. Nicole Des Jardins, sheesh, I half expected her to develop the powers of flight, and heat ray vision by the end of the book. This book is really quite dreadful. Read it as an example of how Clarke's unwillingness to write more than a few scrawled words on the back of a napkin and then pass it over to someone else has transmuted this once 'master' into a name publishers feel will sell fourth rate tripe.
Rating: Summary: A Rainy Day Creation Review: In the summer of `99, I walked into a book store with the intention of raking up as many books as I could carry, and being an aficionado of Clarke's works, among others, I picked out the third pillar of the Rama quadrology. But after reading it, firstly, I feel as if I haven't missed out on much by reading the third chapter in the series to begin with. And secondly, I've marked the final chapter (Rama Revealed) for a rainy day, when there's nothing better around. I wouldn't be so harsh in giving it a 2-star rating, were it not coming from the likes of none other than ACC (maybe 3-stars, were it some other, less-celebrated author). It's acceptable upto halfway through the book. But the second half, where the whole New Eden concept is drawn up is very mundane. The entire plot (as someone has aptly remarked below) looks *exactly* like 20th century Earth. Same problems, same ecosystem, same attitudes, same sociology, same stimuli, even the technology does not at all look like what one might think would be 300 years from now! Not that I was expecting a utopia of some kind, but at least not 'Hey! This is us.' The references in the plot to humankind's past history consistently only refer to the 20th/21st century occurences. The one or two places where an attempt has been made to describe something 'futuristic' has become degenerated to that which is easily pin-pointed to something in our present time. The character of Dr. Nicole des Jardin is too super-womanized and is only a hair short of being apocalyptic -- Olympic athlete, cosmonaut, lover to the King of England, judge, state governor, clairvoyant and the list goes on. I had higher expectations than this, since I am forever mesmerized by the mystique and charisma of ACC's Space Odyssey series and many of his other works.
Rating: Summary: Drawn into the Extraordinary Review: This is quite possibly the most astonishing novel ever written. From the very first line of the very first page the reader is drawn into, and entangled within, the extraordinary lives of the three passengers marooned aboard the giant alien spaceship RAMA. The reader begins to feel almost as though they KNOW the characters, know what they're feeling and how they will react. But the uniqueness of their situation aboard Rama prevents them from becoming predictable. The descriptions of the mysteries uncovered both within and beyond Rama leave one literally gasping for breath in astonishment. This is a book that you will want, almost need, all of your friends to share.
Rating: Summary: please A.C Clark, don't put your name on the cover of book Review: 'cos Gentry Lee is really a too bad writer
Rating: Summary: Beautiful beyond description. (But I'll try.) Review: As years pass on board Rama and a family develops amidst the alien landscape, you begin to know and love the characters, to feel their pain, and know their joy, so real are they portrayed with such depth. And yet more mysteries about Rama are revealed while others created. Alien creatures and climactic events. Beyond comparison.
Rating: Summary: Garden offers an insightful look at our true nature. Review: In this sequel to Rama II the authors offer tremendous insight into the true nature of humankind. It is an exploration into values as well as a socio-political strife which has been at the core of human history. The book is essential reading for the "Rama"fan and provocative for the any intelligent being who ponders their existence in the universe.
Rating: Summary: sucked Review: The first book--just by Arthur C. Clarke--was awesome. The second--with Lee--was decent. I just hope that Clarke didn't actually write this because otherwise he needs to give up writing. The only thing that kept me from being depressed that I had wasted my time with this book was the description of the ant creatures--that was decently creative. I didn't think the "sex manuals" another reviewer wrote about were annoying but they definitely were not interesting. The politics were like a lecture on how people today should act with no flavor to them whatsoever.
Rating: Summary: Still a good continuance to the story. Review: Okay...so this one IS a little too "soap-opera." However, despite the fact that parallels to AIDS, environmentalism, and racism are rather non-subtle, I think Clarke and Lee make a very valid point: the history of the human race gives us no indication that we will ever fully be "humane" (a misnomer if there ever was one). When the human settlers of Rama become "more human than human" by engaging in those aforementioned atrocities (racism, AIDS-ophobia, destroying the environment in the name of short-term wants), I will admit to feeling frustrated--Hey, what about the happy future, utopia, etc.etc.?!?! Unfortunately, we cannot escape our genes. A thought provoking and entertaining read!
Rating: Summary: arthur clark is magnicifient Review: it is not a hard-core scifi but still it is magnicifien
Rating: Summary: Were they feeling a little down when they wrote this?? Review: I was interested to note that a lot other of reviewers had a problem with the sex in this book. Geez, it would have been really dull without it. Originaly, Rama was the awesome subject (RWR), then it became the setting for a soap opera. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind the odd human drama, I actually watch and enjoy Melrose Place, but at least it doesn't get all PREACHY like this book does! And another thing, Clarke and Lee were obviously feeling a little down on humanity when they wrote this. Two stars instead of one because the original was soooooo good.
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