Book 55: The Lost Worlds of 2001

The Lost Worlds of 2001
Arthur C. Clarke

To fully complete my immersion in the Space Odyssey series, I decided to check out this book of extras and commentary relating both to the movie and the original book, which are endlessly related to one another. As such, the book has two distinct voices: one is the delightful and often funny Clarke himself, reflecting on the long and exciting process of creating the "proverbial good science fiction film" with Stanley Kubrick; the other exists in the material that didn't make it through the final cut, for good reason but not the kind of "good reason" that mars publication of actual second-rate material. This book is fascinating because of its behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a novel with an eye toward both potential visual aesthetics and plausible scientific credibility. Clarke's accounts of the different stages the project went through are not only well-written, they are utterly fascinating. Through Clarke's light touch and frequent deployment of wit (often self-deprecating), readers get an idea of the challenges that face both traditional novelists and traditional filmmakers, all much multiplied when the creation is bounced like a pinball from one artist and medium to another. Log entries that could have quickly become boring and redudant are instead carefully chosen and enlightening; a personal favorite notes, and in an offhand manner, that Clarke phoned Isaac Asimov to discuss some science.

Clarke comes across as reasonably modest and sheds a lot of light into the creative process, but what is truly fascinating about this book is the stunning fiction it contains. 2001: A Space Odyssey has no shortage of intriguing visions and incredible imagery, and this book only adds to the lore. In addition to being carefully selected and annotated by Clarke to fit into a greater narrative about the development of the novel, lengthy portions of earlier drafts are presented in their entirety, making excellent speculative fiction on their own and providing imaginative readers with several interesting scenarios to consider. As a special bonus, Clarke even reprints his short story "The Sentinel", which provided the initial alien-marker-on-Moon scenario. Though the final novel version is often the best in the context of the final work, Clarke's alternate visions of the first and final contact with the makers of the Monolith and Star Gate provide much intelligent fodder for readers to consider. After all, it is the same talent and mind behind both these preliminary visions and the final polished novel. Though some material falls a bit flat, it is interesting nonetheless to sense Clarke and Kubrick wrestling with different scenarios; it is particularly illuminating, as Clarke notes, to read these earlier fictions with a clear view of the final version in mind- some throwaway lines here and there contain the secrets of the final novel. Most interesting is the way in which the multiple discarded endings, all of which revolve on a theme of actually meeting the makers of the Star Gate, serve to highlight the brilliance of the novel's final ambiguity (though the movie could be a bit more clear on some points).

Full of deep scientific thought and obvious consideration, The Lost Worlds of 2001 is a delightful read for fans of the Space Odyssey series who want to learn more about the creation and evolution of the story as well as indulge in some excellent science fiction. The alternatives presented here provide an interesting hands-on look into the writing and revising that must go into a project of the scale and ambition attempted and achieved by 2001: A Space Odyssey and, to a lesser degree, its sequels. Both the fiction contained within the narrative and that narrative itself are carefully constructed and enjoyable almost down to every last period. My only misgiving about this book is that it often contains fictional material in large, continuous chunks- excellent when readers wish to be thrown into the lost worlds of 2001, but a little confusing when they are introduced as different alternatives instead of as the continuous alternative they seem to be. This, however, is a very minor point and both the nonfiction and fiction bits of this book are every bit enjoyable to Arthur C. Clarke and science fiction fans.

Grade: A

Book 54: Generation X

Generation X
Douglas Coupland

I have found myself repeatedly drawn to Coupland's work and picked this book up on a whim after enjoying All Families Are Psychotic and JPod. It turns out that Generation X is the author's first and pivotal book, an homage to the listlessness of the eponymous group of people that gave them their name. The plot, insofar as it exists, accurately captures this feeling of intellectually stimulating apathy and the book's reliance on the stories its characters tell each other characterizes them in ways a more standard plot could not. These features are the novel's strongest selling points but, interestingly, each presents a problem both for reading and for interpretation. The novel moves along at a quite leisurely pace, and almost nothing actually happens until the very end of the book, making it difficult to get into, especially if one reads it in fits and starts. This book is meant to be read in as few sittings as possible, allowing the reader to dive into the minds and lives of its characters and absorb their attitudes and experiences. Its own postmodern style echoes these sentiments and while it becomes absolutely engrossing and hard to put down, Generation X can seem inaccessible and boring without a sense of greater plotting or much of anything concrete to grab onto.

This loose sense of plot and action may hamper the novel's efforts, but it accurately reflects the attitudes of its characters, who are at once frustrating and utterly compelling. The characters that populate the novel are, for the most part, listless Gen-Xers who have dropped out of life and who actively despise the yuppie lifestyle. They have carved their own slice of life out of the desert in California where they spend their time working and doing a whole lot of nothing. It is often unclear what the characters actually want- their disdain for their former lives and for consumerism and other features of modern society are obvious but seem to lack any tangible roots. They are not lazy, per se, but their bad attitude makes them at times unsympathetic no matter how accurate their perceptions are at times. It is easy to relate to them but it is hard to empathize, and perhaps that is the point. Regardless, their stories reveal much about their personalities and a little about their motivations. Their real draw is their pointed and shocking observations about society, which are manifest in their stories but really brought to life by definitions along the sidebar of the novel.

This illustrates the problem and success of Generation X. The book excels in delivering the experience of listlessness that characterizes its main cast, and the notes on the sidebar are piercing, accurate, and often hilarious (who, after all, can't relate to the term McJob?). The book consistently delivers nuggets of wisdom along with a few well-plotted moments and some compelling stories in the mouths of its characters. Even if one isn't of Generation X, this book explains many of its attitudes by example. Unfortunately, the driving force of the novel is, ironically, apathy, and the book often becomes slow or seemingly pointless when nothing happens for long stretches of time. Generation X is most definitely worth reading for 20-somethings of any generation and does a good job capturing the mood of its period, but those looking for a straightfoward or particularly exciting plot should be forewarned that Coupland's book is a testament to dropping out of society, to taking it slow and to defying conventions.

Grade: B+

Book 53: Visions of Sugar Plums

Visions of Sugar Plums
Janet Evanovich

Though there's a mystery at the heart of this Stephanie Plum adventure, its clear throughout that Visions of Sugar Plums is intended to flesh out the world of this intrepid bounty hunter a bit. Unfortunately, though there is much fun to be had in this short novella, Evanovich is unable to straddle the line between fresh, interesting ideas and utter absurdity. This book reads throughout as the woefully unfulfilled promise of what it could have (should have?) been. The boundaries of credibility are stretched even for Evanovich's awkward and lovably odd Trenton landscape. Oddly enough, given recent problems of predictable plots and recycled series cliches, Visions of Sugar Plums is frustrating largely because it ignores much of what makes the Plum series so likeable in the first place. Evanovich tries too desperately to integrate Diesel into Stephanie's veritable parade of love interests; the characters have almost no chemistry and the preoccupation with another man is reckless given Stephanie's reconciliation with Joe at the end of Hard Eight. The novella turns in a worthy performance from former FTA and roommate Randy Briggs, but though he is sharp and true to form he cannot save the story. I believe this book would have been an excellent short addition to the Plum canon if it did not contain a mystery at all- developments with Valerie are relevant to the story arc of the series as a whole and the glimpse of a Plum family Christmas is precisely what loyal readers would expect. The book does well when it ignores the mystery at hand- often for unexcusably long sections, considering the book believes itself to be a mystery- and the FTA plot would be best discarded. Not only is it an unwelcome distraction from the thematic matter at hand, it is utterly absurd. Evanovich's Trenton already has a semi-mystical being in Ranger, who can mysteriously unlock doors and who moves silently unseen through all sorts of booby traps; she does not need the unnecessarily supernatural Diesel or the grand-scale superhero plot she attempts to develop. Combine numerous unnecessary elements with sluggish writing, ridiculous and predictable nods to the Christmas season (Stephanie puts off shopping? Scandalous and unexpected! And an FTA named Sandy Claws? Creative!), and a mystery so transparent that no reader will be surprised by its outcome, and what you have is Visions of Sugar Plums, a barely passable attempt at an alternate look at Stephanie Plum that would benefit from some of her characteristic humor and, yes, some of her more useful and interesting cliches.

Grade: C+

Book 52: Hard Eight

Hard Eight
Janet Evanovich

Again we find Stephanie Plum, master bounty hunter, hot on the trail of Trenton's most wanted- except this time, she's not out to find a probably-criminal FTA. Rather, Hard Eight has Stephanie working to find her neighbor's missing granddaughter and great-granddaughter, a task whose complexity is multiplied many times by the group that accumulates to help and hinder Stephanie's chase. This book, like the others, moves quite quickly in parts but tends to drag in certain areas, though the detail given to Stephanie's life outside of bounty hunting adds to the intrigue and keeps the series afloat. Stephanie's frequent encounters with the two major men in her life, along with fairly routine (routine being a relative word in Evanovich's delighfully awkward Trenton) dinners with her family contribute to an overall sense that there is more to the Stephanie Plum books than the mysteries they contain. This is good because Stephanie's well-worn trick of being just incompetent enough to be a credible threat is beginning to wear a little thin by this eighth book in her series. If readers had to live on the mysteries alone, the series would have long since fallen flat, but a vivid and imaginative Trenton brings Hard Eight to life. Newer characters enter seamlessly into the pre-existing Plum universe and several old friends reappear, including enough of beloved Grandma Mazur to make us all glad (or, perhaps, sadly regret) that we don't have one ourselves. Albert Kloughn is frighteningly immature and is taken to a bit of an extreme, but Evanovich has wisely toned down Lula and, in doing so, fleshed her out a bit. The two characters, create a balance of cliche and actual characterization that works overall and shows that Evanovich is willing to grow as a writer. The pacing of the book leaves a bit to be desired; though various interludes into Stephanie's life keep the book from becoming another rote mystery novel, they tend to drag and make action sequences seem unduly rushed. The thrilling end of the book is again crammed into just a few pages, leaving a bit to be desired but faithfully and adequately wrapping up the story within. The real draw for Hard Eight is its success in relating a vivid vision of Trenton through Stephanie's spot-on narration and reliable performances from supporting cast members, as well as encouraging growth for Stephanie herself. Evanovich certainly has enough tricks up her sleeve to keep loyal readers entertained, but though Hard Eight fits in well to the Stephanie Plum series, it's a familiar gig, even when the missing person is only an acquaintance and not a criminal at all.

Grade: B

Book 51: Seven Up

Seven Up
Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum returns in this gung-ho adventure, one full of surprises but true enough to the series to meet and perhaps exceed the expectations of Stephanie's loyal fans. Though the writing is true to form and the mystery at hand full of originality and surprises, Evanovich falls back on some familiar plot devices in this seventh book. It is familiar by now that Stephanie will go after an "easy" capture and discover something much more to the story- the stress on how easy Eddie DeChooch should come in seems old and like a procrastination instead of a worthwhile addition to the story's humor. Readers should know by now that Stephanie is frequently in over her head, and Evanovich may be better served simply cutting to the chase. Once the book settles down, however, and readers are thrown into the story, Evanovich proves that she has plenty of interesting and new tricks up her sleeve. Trenton is rendered with crystal clarity and loyal readers will recognize local hot spots and general geography. This strong sense of setting is mirrored by strong internal consistency within the series- Mooner and Dougie return for a brilliant encore, as well as the familiar cast of characters that surround Stephanie at work and at home. A couple of innovative plot twists as well as a strong sense of humor underlying the book make this one definitely worth reading, but more interesting is the slightly stronger focus Evanovich puts on Stephanie's family and personal life in Seven Up. Little-mentioned sister Valerie makes an appearance that shifts the action to the Plum household more often than usual as a side story develops not as a distraction but instead as a compliment to Stephanie's bounty hunting dilemma at hand. What Seven Up proves is that Evanovich can still spin a worthy mystery but that it is instead her characters that drive the Plum mysteries. Despite some plotting problems that make the resolution slightly unclear in spots, Evanovich's unbelievably strong and reliable supporting cast, as well as her willingness to study Stephanie outside of her job alone, make Seven Up a worthy addition to the Plum canon and a must-read for Plum fans. Halfway through (to date), the series is as strong as ever and I cannot wait to see what lies in store for Stephanie.

Grade: A-

Book 50: The Plot Thickens

The Plot Thickens
Edited by Mary Higgins Clark

I picked up this collection because I heard that it contained a Stephanie Plum story and, not one prone to being too picky in story collections, I decided to go ahead and read the whole book. I'm rather glad I did, because this anthology showcases many top mystery writers and gives readers an easy and entertaining look at their often contrasting styles. The variety in this collection is enormous: readers enjoy everything from a typical (and excellent) Stephanie Plum romp to psychological thrillers to stories that have little to do with the mystery genre at all. Though the challenge posed to the writers (each story includes a thick fog, a thick steak, and a thick book) often appears in contrived ways, many writers used these elements in ingenious ways and the collection is overall very enjoyable.

As any collection of stories must be, however, it is somewhat uneven. The first story sets an interesting tone for those expecting a series of typical detective tales; it has almost nothing to do with the mystery genre and seems set to disappoint. Upon further reflection, however, "How Far It Could Go" is an interesting piece that requires a bit of thought. The only really disappointing stories are "Too Many Cooks", by Carol Higgins Clark, and "Thick-Headed", an utterly indecipherable period piece by Walter Mosley that cannot successfully unite a well-rendered but unfamiliar narrative voice with a convoluted series of criminal connections. There are, on the other hand, several gems in this collection which make it worth hunting down. Any Stephanie Plum fan will be well-rewarded with the aforementioned "The Last Peep", which shows that Stephanie shines well on the small stage, possibly being better in the shorter format than in some of the lesser numbers novels. Mary Higgins Clark and Ann Rule deliver a predictable but nonetheless riveting stories that explore the world of the crime victim instead of the detective. The best story in the collection, however, may be "Foolproof" by Edna Buchanan, a story that takes one of the longest standing and best loved foundations of modern crime solving and shatters its credibility, doing so with an incredibly light touch and ending the story just at the perfect moment. The good stories in The Plot Thickens outweigh the bad in number, but the presence of a few absolute gems makes this collection a definite pleaser for mystery fans and for those looking for an introduction to the variety possible in the genre. This collection is definitely worth seeking out and reading.

Grade: B+

Book 49: 3001: The Final Odyssey

3001: The Final Odyssey
Arthur C. Clarke

It is fitting that the prologue to this book has been seen in at least one other installment of the Space Odyssey series. This prologue, which describes the alien creators of the giant monoliths and their experiments all over the galaxy, not only sets the tone for the final pages of this final chapter in the epic saga but also highlights one of its most frustrating features as it simply re-states the blindingly obvious while failing to explore new or interesting ground. 3001 does break new ground and in fantastic fashion; its description of the world of 3001 is surprisingly up to date and refuses to become too ridiculous. Clarke takes current trends and multiplies them by the power of a thousand years, arriving at a future that only strains the bounds of credibility as any such leap must. His scientific mind is well evident in this vision as he takes time to explain how future technologies may actually work, grounding them in science and making them seem right around the corner. Though he more or less ignores advances from his previous books (there is an inexplicable absence of any artificial intelligence like HAL's), his future vision is compelling and keeps the book afloat during its meandering, gee-whiz first half. This part of the book is wonderful and compelling even if it is only tangentially related to its three predecessors. Clarke shows time and again in the Space Odyssey series that his is more than capable of delivering an exciting and credible future vision.

Oddly enough, the book becomes less satisfying as it draws further away from Clarke as a visionary and tries to wrap up the real story lying beneath the surface of the story as a whole. The real action of the book, the part that ties 3001 in with its predecessors in theme and overall story arch, comes late and feels rushed, as if Clarke is trying to retrofit the Space Odyssey story into his picture of the future. There are more than the usual plot contradictions- though the timeline of the previous books is pushed forward by real-world events, there is no excuse for allowing spacecraft to land on Europa despite the oft-cited stern interdiction posed in 2010. This is a literary loophole that seems to be not only flaunted but inexplicably celebrated. This is one of several things which just don't make sense. Clarke seems unable to draw an appropriate balance between propelling the story of the new Frank Poole and that of the monoliths lurking throughout the Solar System. When the monoliths do enter, they seem contrived and though the method of story resolution is intriguing and holds within it a useful (if painfully preachy) moral angle, it simply feels rushed and, well, out of character. I was expecting far more pagjes and a sense of resoultion when the book simply ended. The endgame's events are murky at best and do not survive the scrutiny of a first closer reading.

It is hard to judge 3001: The Final Odyssey because it is fundamentally torn between two stories. The first story is the world of 3001 as a continuation of the events in the previous three Space Odyssey books. This tale follows the technological developments of the earlier books and provides a carefully considered foray into the logical conclusions of current technological advancements. This book is engaging and lively, full of a sense of wonder but grounded in scientific reality. The second story is the continuation of humanity's dealings with the monoliths, a race against time correctly placed a thousand years into the future but which only becomes important after the world of tomorrow is described. Clarke spends so much time building up a sense of setting and time that the action-packed part of his narrative is by far the least interesting. Jammed onto the end of the first story, this adventure is interesting and does tie into the world of the monoliths but is ultimately unsatisfying, owing in large part to the rampant repetition of previous material that mars discussion of the monoliths and dominates the new information. 3001: A Space Odyssey is more brilliance from Arthur C. Clarke but unfortunately cannot settle on its theme or concentrate fully on what it needs to to be entirely successful. Overall, this book makes a neat ending to the Space Odyssey adventures, but could show more deliberate planning and even a greater sense of its place in the series. The Space Odyssey novels go out with a bang, but readers' confusion can reduce the effect to an undeserved and disappointing whimper.

Grade: B

Book 48: 2061: Odyssey Three

2061: Odyssey Three
Arthur C. Clarke

Clarke returns to his successful and classic Space Odyssey series with this third installment, set a convenient fifty years after the events of the second book and following up on familiar characters and situations from the series. Other than the occasional nod here and there and the general framework in which the narrative operates, however, 2061 can be easily distinguished from its two predecessors. Though it fits seamlessly in to the time frame and general universe of the series at large, incorporating familiar characters, a shared history, and even material from the previous book, 2061 lacks the sense of higher purpose and cosmic destiny that drives the series and makes it so magnificent. The plot is interesting and more than adequate, as is the writing, but as the story glides along without the greater implications readers are accustomed to in the series, it seems increasingly standard. This lack of purpose further handicaps the work when, at the end, the Star Child makes a surprise cameo: instead of seeming like a logical completion to the story, this appearance comes off as a contrived way for Clarke to retroactively insert greater cosmic and series relevance into the preceding plot. 2061 is definitely a novel in the Space Odyssey tradition, but its distinct lack of cosmic scope means that it cannot live up to expectations.

That said, it is still a marvelous work of speculative fiction. Set in the compelling and ever-expanding Space Odyssey future, 2061 takes the world that Clarke has meticulously constructed and expands it in relevant and interesting ways. It is obvious by the middle of 2010 that Europa is the next logical stop for the intrepid astronauts of Earth, and the book's plot is closely linked with the other books thematically and through specific events. Though a couple of chapters get off track, they depict a future vision that is surprisingly realistic in its optimism. Nuclear weapons have been outlawed and Clarke's vision of the development of China (particularly his brilliant skewering of both the one-child policy and the idea that China is a hard-core communist nation in one fell swoop) is eerie as China looms on the horizon as a major global power. Though the revolution of globalization was beginning while Clarke was writing his book, the development of the Internet has led humanity a lot closer to becoming one state than he probably imagined, and because these conclusions seem more like a logical outflow of current events than idle speculation, the book resists becoming outdated in its predictions. Its only really dated prediction is in its references to developments in South Africa, but that country's turbulent colonial and apartheid past makes this vision reasonable enough to escape deep skepticism. Sections of the book describing worldly events are a little distracting from the space-based narrative at large, but Clarke's vision is interesting enough that these diversions are pleasurable and enlightening.

2061 does run into certain construction problems that are more distracting, however. Some of its coverage of future world events appears at random and isn't well integrated into the text at large, and one chapter in particular is interesting but only tangentially relevant to the plot line of a minor, minor character. Additionally, certain elements of the backstory are ill-thought out and explained with an absolute lack of clarity. The end of the book is particularly troublesome as a crucial scene is skipped entirely, completely ruining the pacing of the book and far too easily dispelling tension that had built up through a few previous chapters. The characters that dominate the plot simply take a back seat as Clarke clumsily brings in the Big Picture in the book's final moments, an ending that makes no sense and that blows open a gaping plot hole that contradicts the final warning of 2010, a warning that is echoed and referenced time and again throughout all of 2061. Clarke simply disposes of this, and his major plot threads, at will and makes no genuine attempt to follow up on his excellent sense of character. The ending is enigmatic, sure, but it is too sudden and too unexplained to fit in to the preceding narrative at all except to have its characters allude to recent events. 2061 is, despite its flaws, an excellent work of science fiction that will hold readers' interest as it zooms through the Solar System. Arthur C. Clarke again demonstrates his vast and vivid imaginative powers but is in some ways hampered by the brilliance of his previous work. 2061: Odyssey Three is definitely worth reading for science fiction buffs and anyone who enjoys a good futuristic space story, but be warned that it deviates a bit from the scope and focus of the first two books in the series.

Grade: B+

Book 47: 2010: Odyssey Two

2010: Odyssey Two
Arthur C. Clarke

Though the events in this book are said to take place in a parallel universe to that of 2001: A Space Odyssey, 2010 is by all accounts a direct sequel. Though there are a few inconsistencies between the two works, the most glaring of which is the movement of the first book's main action from Saturn to Jupiter, this proves a worthy successor to the sci fi classic. Clarke continues the saga of the failed Discovery mission to send readers on another voyage through space that will reveal new truths about the mission and the history of Earth itself. Clarke does a fantastic job mixing high space adventure with subtle hints of philosophy and even psychology. The interactions between the Russian and American crew members seem incredibly realistic, if a bit too nice considering the vast amount of time they've spent isolated on the way to Jupiter, and each member of the crew has a distinct and interesting personality. Clarke doesn't sacrifice human relationships for action, and though there is plenty of excitement and science to go around in this book, Clarke's focus on humanity highlights the philosophical currents that run throughout the book. His treatment of Dr. Chandra in particular is illuminating: the creator of HAL seems at times less human than his creation and though Clarke can be a bit blunt when dealing with Chandra's inability to engage in human interaction, his presence says volumes more about increasing reliance on technology than an academic paper could. Clarke is wonderful at balancing story, characters, science, and philosophy and blending them together to create an original and stunning work.

2010 stays mainly on track as it follows the crew of the Russian space ship Leonov out to Jupiter to investigate the corpse of the Discovery and a mysterious monolith orbiting near Io. A side journey with new Star Child Dave Bowman seems distracting at first, but is later weaved sufficiently into the fabric of the story of the Leonov. Despite Clarke's love of raising tricky philosophical dilemmas and an again uncanny knack for predicting future attitudes twoards space and technology, his tendency to leave his plots unfinished and unexplained is annoying and sadly plagues this book. Readers latch on to the stories of the Leonov and, later, Bowman only to have the plot explode unexplained at the end of the book. Some ambiguity is certainly desirable when dealing with problems of such cosmic proportions, but Clarke leaves a bit too much open-ended at the close of 2010. Whether this is looking towards a sequel or not I don't know, but this feeling of an unfinished story also hampers the power of 2010 as a sequel to 2001. Overall, Clarke delivers an exellent follow-up that, despite feeling a bit raw at times, fits in perfectly with its predecessor. Nods to 2001 only become ridiculous when Clarke reprints long passages from the earlier book and even then they are at least relevant, if unnecesarily repetitive. Clarke adds new characters at will while keeping the universe and feel of 2001 more or less intact and 2010: Odyssey Two is a worthy addition to the Space Odyssey series, a serious examination of humanity's place in the universe lurking inside a good old-fashioned space adventure. Clarke has plenty of imagination to go around and I look forward to reading the next sequel in this worthy series.

Grade: A-

Book 46: 2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A Space Odyssey
Arthur C. Clarke

I finally got around to reading this classic, and it certainly didn't fail to impress. Magnificent in scope yet relevant to the last, this book truly deserves its status as a classic both inside and outside of science fiction circles. Though its plot pace is slow and its prose doesn't aspire to much in the way of poetry, the book hardly ever drags and in fact consistently ratchets up the pace until it is speeding along faster than light with the character who emerges as its first interest. The greatness of Clarke's novel exists despite the fact that it attempts to reflect upon many vastly different themes. Where there should be discord, however, there dawns a strange harmony, complete with balancing counterpoint. The main action shifts rapidly through time and space with no apparent connections, even after some vague explanation is offered. This should distract the reader's interest but Clarke somehow manages to carry the implications of the novel's first act through to its end; though he telegraphs the plot a bit too often with annoying cliche leading lines (think "little did he know"), the plot always heads in an interesting and fresh direction. This lack of character focus is also reflected thematically, with Clarke tackling everything from international relations to the theory of evolution to interstellar travel to, perhaps most importantly and consistently, the promise and perils of future technology. The novel should feel dense, and it would be easy for a lesser talent to turn it into an uninteresting lecture, but instead it soars, seeking to spur thought instead of stunt it.

It is the success of this wide focus that makes 2001: A Space Odyssey so great. Though its final pages try on a scope a bit too big for size, trading any sort of clarity in for grandiose imagery that doesn't quite translate even given the attempt at vagueness, its vast scope gives it depth and a sense of purpose. Clarke is the master of this technique, carefully crafting a story that is fully self-contained and yet which cannot escape critical interpretations. More amazing than this delicate juggling of exposition and subtler thematic construction and exploration is the book's remarkable accuracy in its predictions. Written before men even went to the Moon, Clarke's visions of interplanetary travel still lie far in our own future but seem plausible and achievable. He has clearly done his homework and his vision escapes the retroactive silliness that so often plagues interplanetary narratives. The book still feels groundbreaking. Though he does not fully predict the prevalence of computers in the real 2001, his vision of HAL's intelligence is haunting and seems to be lurking around the corner, inching closer with every new development. Scarier still is his vision of humanity's evolutionary descendants- he correctly predicts our increasing reliance on technology and carries this trend out to its logical conclusion. This is a haunting future vision in and of itself but the fact that it resonates so well with the real 2001 (or 2008) is scarier in itself.

Clarke is a masterful writer with a firm grip on science and a bountiful imagination. His intelligence is transparently displayed throughout 2001: A Space Odyssey but it is never overwhelming. It comes in his meticulous attention to detail and his uncanny knack for correctly extrapolating contemporary trends, which I choose to chalk up to more than dumb luck. The book itself is somewhat disappointing in its literary execution; dialogue is hardly realistic and plotting is at times agonizingly slow, but this portrait of humanity rises above its need to excel in this arena. What Clarke may lack in technical skill (which is itself very little) he makes up for in vision and pure execution- from the unimaginably prehistoric to the terrifyingly close possibilities we now live with, Clarke weaves a convincing and gripping tale. When the plot begins to unravel, the book does go with it, but this construction parallels the journey it describes. By the end of the book, the story seems to float away and leave the reader looking upon the world as much as its final character does. 2001: A Space Odyssey is an exercise in scope, wonder, and majesty that excels in every way and is delightful for those willing to expand their imaginations and review the scope of their own lives in the vast history of space travel, humanity, and the universe.

Grade: A