October Random Read: Rendevous with Rama

[Maggie, space cruisin' for a bruisin']

Welcome to the Rendezvous With Rama read!

Please mark all spoilers and let us know what you think!

[Maggie, space cruisin' for a bruisin']

I am only through chapter 8 so far, but enjoying this immensely!

[Katy]

Just found a copy of the book. I think I will try and read along with the group this month.

[Jackie]

I read RwR last week and it has become my favorite of Clarke's work. Immensely imaginative. What a unique world Rama is, I've never seen anything like it.
I'd like to read the rest of the Rama books.

[Maggie, space cruisin' for a bruisin']

I am loving it so far too Jackie. I was at a library sale and saw RamaII and picked it up and now I am glad i did!

[Jackie]

I'm hoping to find it at the next library sale, where I get most of my books.

[Aloha]

I'm halfway through Rama. Really good. Great for people who love science, but an engaging story, too.

[[deleted user]]

Having seen all your comments and read the storyline of the book I've now added it to my 'to read' list. I'm ashamed to say I've never read a book by Clarke before but this sounds like the one for me.

[Aloha]

My complaint would be the style of writing, which is mostly of narration. If the style of writing was more action packed with the wording put in a way that builds suspense and surprises the reader, it would have been a riveting book.

[[deleted user]]

I'm not a fan of narration either. It gives no real sense of imminent danger or tension and it's one of the main reasons I stopped reading The War of the Worlds. But I'll give Rama a go because I've never read Clarke before and it's about time I did.

[Bo]

This book is in my top 10. Second best by Clarke only beaten by 2001 in my opinion.

For those who disslike narration driven stories I might suggest Rama II which is for the most part a standalone sequel and is alot more character driven.
Abit too much so for me in the first part of the book, but the rest of it is good. (and Im sure Im in the minority when it comes to dissliking the first part anyways.)

[Aloha]

The sense of discovery is terrific, so it's worth overcoming the dislike of narration to read it. He wrote it in a cool way of scientific men pondering a new entity.

[Aloha]

I'm almost done with the book. It doesn't excite me, but it is a good read and has wonderful concepts. I'll see how it is at the end, whether my pulse beat any faster.

[Aloha]

Done. My pulse was even throughout the whole book. Intellectually, I acknowledge it is one of the classics, and interesting and novel in its time. Definitely worth the read to catch up on the SciFi classics.

[Beezlebug (Rob)]

I read this a few years back and really enjoyed it. The sequels not so much. Heaven's Shadow is a new release this year that has a similar theme and is part of a planned trilogy if anyone wanted something Rama-like. It will definitely never be a classic like RwR though.

[Aloha]

Maybe it's because I'm a cold-blooded cannibal that it takes a lot for my pulse to quicken.

[Mark]

Just started reading it after finishing Asimov's Foundation trilogy. This is the 5th of the 22 Hugo-Nebula winners I'm on a mission to finish.

[Aloha]

Go, go, Mark! I'm on the same mission, but I kept on getting sidetracked by art, history, literature...

[Banner]

OK I'm in. Just started this am. I like the pace.

[Bo]

Just to follow with this months book without rereading anything I started reading the second of the three sequels to it =P

[Maggie, space cruisin' for a bruisin']

Cool Bo! I wish my life wasn't quite as hectic as it seems to be this month so I could have more time to finish!

[Nichole ~~The Grey Lady~~]

Just finished. While I did enjoy it...it isn't my favorite style of writing. Very thought provoking though. I have been trying to read some of the classic sci-fi and fantasy lately. It is very interesting seeing the difference in writing style. The story would have been more improved with some more characterization and depth. But there is no doubt in my mind why this is one of the classic's! I recently read 2001. Going to need to look for more work by him!

[Maggie, space cruisin' for a bruisin']

I really love the description of Rama itself however, and I think that really comes across.
I think a good job was done on getting across the powerful image of the vastness and superiority of the ship.
Not in an exciting way, however...lol

[Banner]

Just finished. This is only my second book by Clarke (2001) but he's growing on me. I have to agree with all the comments about the lack of depth in the characters (I listened to the audio and the narrator actually made this worse).

SPOILER begins:

The ending was just not satisfying to me. I get that the ship is robot run, but we just didn't learn anything about the aliens that created it. It really did seem like a set up for a sequel. Which I don't mind that, but I wish we would have learned more.

SPOILER End.

One of the things I like best about the book was the use of the science. While I'm not a scientist or anything, it "seemed" accurate and realistic.

I also like the little preview of things to come which told about the events that lead up to mankind being on the watch for anything that might be headed our way.

[Mark]

I just finished too. I agree it was a little bit of a letdown but I do like the authenticity of the science and the edge of unknown in Clarke's writing. I think I'll be reading Fountains of Paradise soon.

[Katy]

Haven't finished yet, but I am enjoying this book. I would say that classic science fiction is what got me into reading as a teenager, and I have been on a fantasy kick lately and have forgotten how much I truly enjoy reading good science fiction. To me, it is all about the possibilities of science and what lies beyond.

[Maggie, space cruisin' for a bruisin']

I like the whole 'the possibilities are endless' feel that i get from this book...

[Amos]

What I love about this book is (view spoiler)[ it points out how insignificant we are. The alien ship comes, it has it's agenda, does what it has to do, and goes. Humanity is not as important as it likes to think. We are not the centre of the universe. (hide spoiler)]

[Katy]

Amos wrote: "What I love about this book is [spoilers removed]"

I love your comments on this!

[Maggie, space cruisin' for a bruisin']

Although I didn't find this book exciting, I still enjoyed it a LOT! Not too much techno-speak, and I easily had a picture in my mind of Rama at all times. Very glad I read this!

[mark, personal space invader]

i finished this one a few days ago. i liked it! it is all world-building, but i didn't mind that so much. i think Clarke is an engaging and often humorous writer, so i was never bored by any sense of dryness. what i liked least is probably just the general feeling that the entire book is a prologue - an almost completely descriptive set-up of things to come, with very little action. what i liked best was the amazing sense of scope. as Amos mentions, i was really able to get a sense of humanity's potential smallness in the grand scheme of things.

[Megan]

I found this one gripping! The narration style didn't bother me at all, and I just plowed through it.

What did people think of the complete rationality with which all the characters act (with the possible exception of the Hermians)? Even the religious character acts swiftly, decisively, following the chain of command, and with a mind to issues larger than himself. The commander embodied this, making decisions that put peace and science above mere survival.

[Amos]

I think that people we send into space are well screened and about to work rationally in even extreme circumstances. That seemed real enough to me.

[Mark]

I was surprised more people didn't die on the mission. I was expecting some major tragedy as a lesson that humans are arrogant.

[mark, personal space invader]

What did people think of the complete rationality with which all the characters act (with the possible exception of the Hermians)?

it was quite unusual... and i liked it! it made the entire Rama-side cast enjoyable & likeable. i particularly liked Pak and his chapter or two on the south side.

and i rather liked the lack of death, which would have been fairly predictable. although it's funny to think that the death of certain characters would predictable at all. but i guess i just expect a death or two in a book about exploration of the unknown.

[Mark]

I'm tempted to read the other Rama books but I've heard they really aren't that good. Any opinions?

[mark, personal space invader]

i've heard the same.

[Maggie, space cruisin' for a bruisin']

Amos wrote: "I think that people we send into space are well screened and about to work rationally in even extreme circumstances. That seemed real enough to me."

I agree with this assesment-I felt like the characters were humbled by being able to take part in the experience so trying to be as professional as possible.


Incidentally, I have RamaII, for the day I ever get caught up on my reading....:S

[Megan]

I quite liked it, but it wasn't that they were even trying to be professional, or having any second thoughts, or in many ways, even entertained the possibility.

While I do think we send up great people to be astronauts, to write a story that then says they have no human frailties, while refreshing, also stuck out oddly in my mind.

[Bo]

Mark wrote: "I'm tempted to read the other Rama books but I've heard they really aren't that good. Any opinions?"

While this is the best book. Rama II was also great in my opinion and the third book while it had some big flaws were also quite enjoyable. Have not read the last one yet.

[Katy]

Bo wrote: "Mark wrote: "I'm tempted to read the other Rama books but I've heard they really aren't that good. Any opinions?"

While this is the best book. Rama II was also great in my opinion and the third b..."

This might tempt me enough to put the next couple on my TBR shelf.