The Sci Fi Guy

Science fiction is, by all accounts, a relatively infantile genre of writing. From the earliest true masters, such as Jules Verne, we were given glimpses in to the depth and span that this genre can attain. One of the truly gifted authors of the science fiction genre was Arthur C. Clarke. He was able to combine incredible depth and foresight in to his stories, while also preserving the sheer humanity of our next adventure.

I only recently began expanding my reading in to Clarke’s impressive resume of science fiction tales, and so far only have one review up, Rendevouz with Rama. I can admit that something about Clarke’s work seemed larger than I was comfortable with – like he was a stoic author that merely appealed to the classic masses of science fiction culture. Truth be told, the Rama novels (I’ve read them all since that initial review) are stupdendous. Furthermore, I just recently re-watched 2001: A Space Odessey by Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick. Again, 2001 is a masterful piece of science fiction that blends the alien and the unknown with the human-scale, and with an artistry that has been mimicked since but never captured.

The New York Times just published an interesting article further analyzing what Clarke meant to the science fiction and literary world, titled, For Clarke, Issues of Faith, but Tackled Scientifically. I think it’s an interesting read – and it does point out something inherent within the thread of many great science fiction storytellers – there is something significant about the universe. In Rama, it was the answer of the question of our lonliness and isolation in the universe. In 2001, it was a question of our origins. It reminds me greatly of Orson Scott Card’s stories that touch at the notion of god and humanity, but without the pleading and placating that is so common in non-science-fiction material. Perhaps there are answers, but perhaps it’s the journey for those answers that is worth far more than the result itself.

I will make sure to revisit the Clarke section of the bookstore and pick up a few more titles that pique my interest and share my thoughts with you. If you would like to learn more about Clarke’s life, the NY Times has a very lengthy and comprehensive obituary on the man. In the meantime, let me just end by saying, Mr. Clarke, you will be missed, and thank you for all you’ve given us.

Have you ever seen previews for a movie, heard lots of good things about it, and didn’t wind up seeing it in the theaters. Then it hits the DVD store, and you still didn’t pick it up for years. Finally, you realize that you should rent it, so you do, but it’s been 4 years since the movie came out, and you can’t exactly go in to work tomorrow and say, “Hey, that Karate Kid movie was pretty good, huh?”

Well, Arthur C. Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama is the book equivalent to me. After years of wandering past the Clarke section in the bookstore, I finally decided to see for myself what the big deal was, and picked up the first installment for this series. I have to admit, I was really amazed that I hadn’t caught on to Clarke earlier, and after reading the first few chapters I was absolutely hooked. Fortunately, my coworkers at the water cooler don’t have to hear about this because I’ve got this handy blog here.

In a nutshell, Rendezvous with Rama is the tale of our future in which a giant space ship approaches the solar system. Humans realize it’s en route just in time to throw a last-minute inspection together to dock with this craft and try to understand its secrets. The story further complicates as the interior of this vessel is revealed to be a complete artificial world, filled with “cities”, rivers, and creatures that the humans sent to research this phenomenon can only begin to understand. Within the entire story, one thing is revealed: The Ramans do everything in threes.

I’ll admit I’m already halfway through the third book of the 4 book series, so I’m probably going to post up another article after I wrap the whole series. In the meantime, I’ve also discovered that Rendezvous is in film production as well, starring Morgan Freeman. Hopefully this will be a great film adaptation just like Clarke & Stanley Kubric’s 2001: A Space Odyssey set the bar for realism in space-based movies.