Sam
Many works of science fiction are filled with trite scenarios and dated references to popular culture. Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, however, is remarkable for its freshness. While vivid images and striking landscapes are aplenty, 2001 lacks some of the literary depth seen in other novels such as George Orwell’s 1984 and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Nevertheless, this does not detract from the appeal of 2001, a work which stands as a masterpiece of science fiction.
Clarke’s influences are easily discerned. 2001: A Space Odyssey is a product of its time, and as Clarke wrote of electromagnetic anomalies on the Moon and long-distance space travel, NASA and Soviet engineers were feverishly working towards a singular goal: landing a manned spacecraft on the Moon. As Clarke wrote of evolution and gradual change, biologists strove to understand the purpose and uses of DNA. But Clarke saw more than just the promise of science. Hanging over many of the characters’ heads is the realization that nuclear war could end humanity. The parallels between this and the tension in Clarke’s time are obvious.
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the novel is the three-part structure, which prevents any one plotline from becoming boring and repetitive. Clarke does a surprisingly good job of reconciling the three disparate story arcs of Moon-Watcher’s evolution, Dr. Floyd’s discovery and David Bowman’s interstellar struggles into one cohesive narrative. Conflicts run rife throughout the story, and the concept of man vs. machine forms a central part of the novel. Clarke quite correctly warns against trusting machines with our deepest, darkest secrets, and Hal’s struggle to reconcile himself with the lie he was forced to tell is a direct reflection of the inner conflict that arises when people speak untruths. Bowman, meanwhile, is analogous to a Christ figure. He is chosen for the sacrifice of the Discovery mission and eventually attains a realization about the true nature of the universe. When articulated through Clarke’s clear yet descriptive prose, such tropes take on new meaning. Bowman is not merely humanity’s savior; he also becomes the most evolved human in a manner similar to Moon-Watcher in the first section of the narrative. The themes of evolution, change, and rebirth figure prominently into all three story arcs. While the characters themselves are not overly well-developed, the ideas espoused by Clarke–that humanity must focus more on scientific progress and exploration than war–are brilliantly framed by the plot. Clarke is not heavy-handed with his use of symbolism and allegory, and he does not need to be. The themes reveal themselves.
2001: A Space Odyssey is a book which gives itself enough time to tell its message, not rushing through action or drama. It is one of the gems of the 20th century and will likely remain a cultural touchstone for decades.
Tommy Flynn
If you are looking to read something that will undoubtedly stand the test of time, 2001: A Space Odyssey would be a wise choice. The story is a pillar in the science fiction community, so popular and widely recognized that it has spawned countless sequels as well as one of the best science fiction films to date. Such a work would be incomplete without its author, Arthur C. Clarke. Clarke is known to many within the science fiction community as one of the ‘Big 3’ and has even been dubbed ‘The Prophet of the Space Age.’ His ability to predict the future and understand where society is moving may be matched only by his ability to gracefully describe such momentous occasions. Nearly 50 years before they were reality, Clarke was able to predict how computers would be integrated into our lives to the point where we cannot imagine living without them. 2001: A Space Odyssey was written by one of the best minds there ever has been in science fiction, and the results are obvious within the story.
Contrary to what you would expect for a science fiction book, the first glimpse we get into the story is of a prehistoric tribe of man apes. This sequence, though, does serve a purpose to the plot. We learn the history of the alien race that would later become prevalent in the story. They showed themselves early to be benevolent, as they made it their goal to help our race survive. Clarke may have been trying to state his belief that humans should not be afraid of alien interaction, that fear should not be a deterrent in our space development. It makes sense that Clarke would believe something, based off of the thing that he did in his life. This part of the story, the examination of the man apes, was enhanced Clarke’s ability to effortlessly describe the life of a primitive being. Though the man apes did little besides forage, the reader was led to fear their safety and future. Soon after, the book undergoes the first of many scene changes. Clarke utilized the plot change often, to help tell a story from many different vantage and timepoints. Looking at the story from different parts helps encompass the entire story as a whole. As Dr. Floyd arrived on the moon, his inner monologue was the main source of plot development. His thoughts glossed over the fact that his trip to the moon could be incredibly wasteful and how he may lose his job over it. This serves as a social commentary of our society. We are so afraid of failure that it’s what is on our mind at all times, rather than the actual thought of how to succeed. We’d rather worry about failing than brainstorming how to succeed. It’s also another comment on his believe for the human need to expand upon space travel. The character, Dr. Floyd, was engaging in travel even if it was to be frowned upon. It was important to his goal just as it is important to what Clarke believes should be the goals of the human race. The character of Dr. Floyd is hardly developed, which is one thing that 2001: A Space Odyssey sorely lacks. If you’re interested in reading a story where you can relate to characters, this is not the story for that. Clarke may have meant for this to be though, as he preferred to focus on the goal of humanity rather than the goals of a single person. After Dr. Floyd, the plot changes again. This time, we are onboard the Discovery spaceship and looking at things from the perspective of David Bowman. Among characters in the story, David could be considered the main one. We learn the most about him(though there is little to know.) and we are able to relate to him somewhat. We learn of his longing to have human contact, and his desire to not be alone. This is commentary Clarke is making about the human species in general. We have an innate desire to not be alone in this universe, and to find other intelligent life. One of David’s main conflicts in the story is with the AI Hal. Hal unpredictably malfunctions and attempts to sabotage the mission. To many, this would be the most interesting part of the story. Hal creates action as he murders 4 people, but David is able to finally triumph by cutting off Hal’s power supply. It creates the most suspense in the story from the reader’s point of view. If you’re attempting to read the book for the action rather than the story and author’s meaning, you will be disappointed. Hal’s malfunction may be Clarke’s way of saying that humans will end up relying too heavily on technology in the future, and that maybe we should focus on alternative methods of success. David, who is able to survive continues his mission alone. Again, inner monologue plays a large role in progressing the story. David has many conversations with himself where he debates what he should do if he comes into contact with aliens. His final decision is to be friendly, as it should be. This clearly echoes Clarke’s own ideas about how human should treat alien species if we were to find them. The final part of the voyage is what would be most exciting to science fiction readers. David comes upon an alien structure on the moon of Saturn. Defying all laws of physics, the object dubbed the star-gate, utilizes wormholes to teleport Bowman into unknown space. Along the way he witnesses alien craft as well as former alien structures. If you are interested in imagining how it would feel to be an astronaut exploring unknown space, then this part would be extremely captivating. Bowman finally finds himself in a familiar place, a hotel room. He is not back on earth though, this is the Alien’s way of making contact. They wanted to make him comfortable so that he would easily trust them. This was for good reason though, as they wanted to help him evolve and help him help the human species. This is Clarke again re-stating his belief that we should trust aliens, as they will be benevolent. Clarke, transformed into an advanced being, and detonates orbiting nuclear warheads. This is Clarke’s final message: focus not on war, but on space travel. He wants an ideal society, one in which we do not have to worry about war, but instead about how to best engage in interplanetary travel.
Overall, the book is definitely one that I would recommend to my friends and to everyone. Admittedly, it could be boring for people more interested in action or relating to the characters. To me though, this wasn’t the main point of the book. The book wanted to describe and helper the reader understand how a society could feasibly engage in alien contact.
