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Book cover for Rendezvous with Rama (Rama, #1) Book Details

Rendezvous with Rama (Rama, #1)

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At first, only a few things are known about the celestial object that astronomers dub Rama. It is huge, weighing more than ten trillion tons. And it is hurtling through the solar system at an inconceivable speed. Then a space probe confirms theMoreAt first, only a few things are known about the celestial object that astronomers dub Rama. It is huge, weighing more than ten trillion tons. And it is hurtling through the solar system at an inconceivable speed. Then a space probe confirms the unthinkable: Rama is no natural object. It is, incredibly, an interstellar spacecraft. Space explorers and planet-bound scientists alike prepare for mankind's first encounter with alien intelligence. It will kindle their wildest dreams... and fan their darkest fears. For no one knows who the Ramans are or why they have come. And now the moment of rendezvous awaits — just behind a Raman airlock door. Less

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Community Reviews

Patrick

rated it it was amazing
over 1 year ago

It's odd to think that this book was published 40 years ago. I don't know why that strikes me as strange, but it does....

It's tempting for me to call this book "Traditional Science Fiction." Or "Classic Science Fiction" or something along those lines. But what I really m... Read full review
Lyn

rated it really liked it
6 months ago

Mysterious and engaging, classic science fiction.

I first read this back in high school, we'll just say a LONG time ago. Since then the concepts, ideas and themes surrounding this archetypal work of science fiction have been a huge influence on works in this genre. Clarke... Read full review
Dan Schwent

rated it liked it
over 3 years ago

Shelves: list-of-shame , sf , oldies , 2014
An enormous alien structure enters our solar system and a team is dispatched to explore it before it drifts away and is lost forever. What will humanity discover after its Rendezvous with Rama?

Years ago, I decided I needed to read more hard science fiction. Then I read Ri... Read full review
Apatt

rated it it was amazing
9 months ago

Rendezvous With Rama starts off where lesser books would climax. To begin with parts of Italy are wiped out by an asteroid leading to the creation of the Spaceguard system for detecting future asteroids well in advance of collision so that preventative measures can be tak... Read full review
mark monday

rated it liked it
about 5 years ago

Shelves: futuristik-classik
i like world-building in science fiction and fantasy. in these modern times, extensive world-building is commonly derided... it is often seen as a lazy way to create a world, telling not showing, an author so in love with something they've built that they just want to des... Read full review
Scurra

rated it it was amazing
over 3 years ago

Shelves: science-fiction
For heaven's sake, don't expect great writing from this book. For all his talent, Clarke wasn't a wordsmith (heck, even Asimov could write better!)
Instead, simply glory in one of the cleverest conceits you will ever read - an encounter with an alien civilisation in which... Read full review
Gary

rated it really liked it
5 months ago

I originally read this in junior high, when I first eagerly devoured all the writings of the "Big 3". This reread is part of a project to revisit the classics I read in my youth, now with my pesky adult brain in tow.
Rendezvous with Rama is pretty much the prototype for wh... Read full review
Alex

rated it it was amazing
9 months ago

Shelves: 2016 , 2016-bingo
Rendezvous With Rama is the best and worst of classic pulp science fiction. The sciencey stuff is neato and the plot is exciting; philosophically, it raises some good questions. But the prose is functional at best, and the characters are wooden. If you can get past that,... Read full review
Stephen

rated it it was amazing
almost 7 years ago

Shelves: award-nominee-campbell , award-winner-campbell , award-nominee-hugo , award-winner-hugo , multiple-award-nominee , multiple-award-winners , award-nominee-nebula , award-winner-nebula , award-nominee-british-sf , award-winner-britsh-sf , easton-press , audiobook , award-nominee-locus , award-winner-locus , bdo , science-fiction , mystery , first-contact
5.0 stars. One of the best first contact novels ever. The ability of Clarke to bring a high level of detail regarding the mechanics of the expedition without having the story get bogged down is a rare thing. This novel succeeds brilliantly. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Winner: Hug... Read full review

Other Books by this Author

  • 2001: A Space Odyssey (Space Odyssey, #1)
    2001: A Space Odyssey
    by Arthur C. Clarke
  • Childhood's End
    Childhood's End
    by Arthur C. Clarke
  • 2010: Odyssey Two (Space Odyssey, #2)
    2010: Odyssey Two
    by Arthur C. Clarke
  • The Fountains of Paradise
    The Fountains of Paradise
    by Arthur C. Clarke
  • The City and the Stars
    The City and the Stars
    by Arthur C. Clarke
  • 2061: Odyssey Three (Space Odyssey, #3)
    2061: Odyssey Three
    by Arthur C. Clarke
  • The Garden of Rama (Rama, #3)
    The Garden of Rama
    by Arthur C. Clarke
  • Rama II (Rama, #2)
    Rama II
    by Arthur C. Clarke
  • 3001: The Final Odyssey (Space Odyssey, #4)
    3001: The Final Odyssey
    by Arthur C. Clarke

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Book Details

Paperback, 243 pages
Published 2000(first published June 28th 1973
ISBN
1857231589 (ISBN13: 9781857231588)
Edition Language
English
Original Title
Rendezvous with Rama
Literary Awards
Hugo Award, Nebula Award, Locus Award, British Science Fiction Association Award, Jupiter Award More…Hugo Award, Nebula Award, Locus Award, British Science Fiction Association Award, Jupiter Award, John W. Campbell Memorial Award, Seiun Award 星雲賞 Less

About this Author

7779. uy66 Arthur C. Clarke was one of the most important and influential figures in 20th century science fiction. He spent the first half of his life in England, where he served in World War Two as a radar operator, before emigrating to Ceylon in 1956. He is best known for the novel and movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, which he co-created with the assistance of Stanley Kubrick.

Clarke was a graduate of King's...
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Quotes

If such a thing had happened once, it must surely have happened many times in this galaxy of a hundred billion suns.
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When in doubt, say nothing and move on.
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He had a suspicion of plausible answers; they were so often wrong.
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