Rating: 
Summary: The Curate's Egg Rolls On
Review: "Good in Places". Indeed. (**Warning - a few slight spoilers ahead**). The opening few chapters even recaptured for me some of the mind-bogglingly grandiose wonder of the original Rama, The interaction with the Eagle and the eel-like aliens made for inspired and compulsive reading. The decision of how to divide the extended family and the tearful goodbyes made for a dramatic and genuinely poignant moment. Once Nicole transmits her message however and the action switches to the Earth-side preparations for rendezvous, the book nose-dives into mediocrity. Putting aside ones disbelief that such vast expense would be devoted to sending such a dysfunctional band of ex-felons to Mars as representatives of homo sapiens, the less-than-subtle and often irritatingly obvious allegory of human prejudices will surely make most readers groan in disbelief. Come on Sir Arthur (or was Gentry Lee the chief culprit?). You can do a lot better than resorting to two-dimensional soap-opera style goodies and baddies in space! As soon as characters are introduced, it is obvious whether they will fall into the hero or villain pot. Life just ain't that black and white guys! Why couldn't Benjy, Richard, the Redneck farmer or the annoyingly saintly Nicole have at least dropped some litter or something? Surely Katie, the boring Scotsman and the Jap entrepreneur must have had some decent features? Rama III does redeem itself somewhat in the later stages, where exploration of the mysterious far end of the spacecraft produces some enthralling revelations. All too soon however, the authors invoke the feelbad factor once again to remind us what a bunch of rotters humans are. The pious sanctification of Nicole was a particularly irritating sub-plot and really strains the readers' credulity. Would this tough cookie heroine honestly choose martyrdom rather than continuing her struggle against an oppressive system? Ho hum. All things considered however, the Garden of Rama was a satisfactory read and, mug that I am, I have just acquired a copy of Rama Revealed. So watch this space in a couple of weeks for my views on the concluding episode. Fingers crossed that the saga finishes on a high eh?
Rating: 
Summary: A Goooooooooooooooooooooooooood Book
Review: For those of us who do not analyze a book down to the ink on the page and who simply enjoy the book for what it is, this book is good, no great, no a masterpiece of science fiction. If you loved the first two, then your sure to love this one. ...a continuation of the first two...simple pure science fiction...like eating a 12 pound chocolate truffle, an indulgence for those who love the craft!
Rating: 
Summary: Humans and Aliens in Eden
Review: This tremendous series continues with the third book in the Rama series. At the end of Rama II three astronauts we left trapped in a huge cylindrical spacecraft heading off towards one of our closest stars. The first fifth of the novel is presented in the form of Nicole des Jardine's diary and is probably the highlight. It tells of their 12 year journey to "The Node" - a giant space station built by the creators of Rama. There are no warp-drive shortcuts here, Clarke and Lee brilliantly tell the story of how the astronauts start a family, not knowing how long their journey will last and their efforts (often painful) to create genetic diversity amongst their offspring. As the returned and refitted Rama craft returns to pick up more human specimens, the book takes a breather for about 100 pages, delving you into the lives of many new characters through deep and often uninteresting characterisation. The completed colony accelerates off into space again, but 'New Eden' is not without it's problems as the des Jardine descendents and cross sections of global society struggle to integrate. With an excellent plot, but pondering middle section "The Garden of Rama" succeeds overall, but you're left wondering about the sudden change in the colony with Nakamura takes power. We're back to full form in the last 100 pages with Wakefield investigating the other species on the ship while other events unfold in the human habitat. This is where the story picks up again but is rushed. The conclusion is pretty moving and makes you instantly want to pick up the final book "Rama Revealed."
Rating:
Summary: Momentum of the series recovered!
Review: In Rama II, the authors had to slow down a little, as they had to introduce a new set of characters, rediscover the old set, and populate a world (not easy tasks!). Now, the momentum is back. Through their wonderful writing and realistic characters, the best and worst of humanity is displayed, and new species become believable. This is highly recommended for science fiction fans. No matter how the strange the scenes depicted, the reader feels that it could happen.
Rating:
Summary: This was the third book?
Review: OOOPS, I read the third book first. It caught my interest though, enough to get me to buy the 4th book anyway. I find his work to be imaginative and his writing style to be intense, yet the over description of certain scenery and surroundings detract from the story. All things considered this is a fair work to read on an airplane some time. Oh, and who else wants to know why he chose to call those things "Melons"?
Rating:
Summary: If you've come this far...
Review: Overall, the book does not lack anything. It stays more or less true to its predecesor, Rama II. If any problem is to be mentioned, it is the seeming lack of faith that the authors have put in humanity. Though the appearance of "human evil" is no doubt neccesary for the final turn of events in the last book, Rama Revealed, after moving through a near dream-land of an "idealized" world to being faced with the stench of humanity in the end I was faced with a bit of a shock. Perhaps that was the idea. If it was, perhaps the authors should be applauded for it. It served as a good wake-up call of sorts. The gradual revealing of the true purpose of Rama and the slow, guided tour of alien worlds offers a good guide for those looking to start writing their own works. Pleanty is left unanswered, but the desire to know what its all about will keep a person reading. For anyone looking to buy this volume, a little advice: buy the last book together with it (Rama Revealed). If you've gotten this far through the series, you'll want to finish it off when you've finished this chapter.
Rating:
Summary: Very shocked at the bad reviews.
Review: I can't believe this book got such bad reviews. People say say they can't believe things would be a lot like they are now 300 years from now. While I do think that it's unrealistic to say we won't have a great deal of technological abvancments I think the authors are making a point about human nature. If you've read Rama Reaveled then what I think the whole series is tring to tell us is that although we may be an intelligent race If we continue to fight omust ourselves and keep hating people because of race or sex or because of a deases we will never advance to our highest potential.
Rating:
Summary: surprised by bad reviews
Review: Firstly, I don't think that human beings few hundred years from now will be socially more advanced than 20th century humans, so in fact I find the plot in all ugliness of dirty fight for power in complete disregard for long term consequences, where bad guys (Nakamura &other convicts) dominate the rset of the colonists, quite believable. I also find it easy to beleive that in similar event goverments wouldn't reveal the real reason for sending few thousands of human s in space as aliens requested, and also that lack of "volunteers" would be compensated with convicts who were promised a pardon for their offenses. Only thing I truly disliked in the book is mentioning such a cruel&barbaric procedure as episiotomy as almost necessary part of childbirth.
Rating: 
Summary: What has happen to Clarke!
Review: It was like a bad car wreck, I could not look away. The main characters, Richard Wakefield and Nicole des Jardins, were impossible to enjoy. There was nothing that they could not do! I would recommend something else.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: This story was fantastic. There were a few boring parts, like the second chapter in "Rendevous on Mars". The story starts off with Nicole de Jardin's point-of-view. During this time, she gives birth to five children: Simone, Katie, Benjy, Patrick and Ellie. The only humans are Nicole and the children and Richard Wakefield (Simone, Katie and Ellie's father) and Micheal O'Toole (Benjy and Patrick's father). As Rama speeds towards the constellation Sirrus, they encounter many hardships, including mental-breakdown and Octospiders. As a thirteen year old child, I was astounded. Arthur is an awesome writer. I'm going to read "Rama Revealed" next. I suggest you read the series and try the computer game.
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