This was a great to start to a wonderful series. HAL was intriguing. The whole concept was profound. ( )

2001 has been called the “definitive science fiction book of all time.” I have read a fair amount of science fiction. I plan to read a lot more. I found 2001 merely average. The three sections of the book are almost stand-alone tales; the transition between is mildly confusing. It took me quite some time to read this, as I was not terribly engaged with the tale except during Hal’s defection. Even that, though, was a little telegraphed. The alternate creation myth was thought-provoking, but not terribly engaging. I do; however, want to know what happens next, so I will be picking up 2010 shortly. ( )

Earlier this year I made a vow to read all of the Space Odyssey books before 2010 rolled around, because it is the year the sequel to 2001 is named after and I needed a kick in the pants to read the series. I'm glad I did. I'm a big fan of hard science fiction, where all of the futuristic content can be backed up by solid science or speculation on future technologies. In the late Sixties no one was in a better position to write this book than Clarke. I enjoyed the book greatly for this reason, he knows his material and it shows. If you aren't interested in the minutiae of Lagrange points or the details of how space travel works you should steer clear of this book (maybe use it's gravity to slingshot in a faster trajectory around it). There are two main plots and sources of drama: the Monolith and its mysterious masters and the tragic tale of HAL 9000. Some people get hung up on one or the other in trying to decide if it's Frankenstein in Space or some heretical book questioning the Creation myth and most modern religions. It is both and more plus a lesson on nuclear propulsion. It can be very dry as human drama doesn't seem to be Clarke's strong point at this period of his writing. It certainly doesn't hold his interest. The synthetic HAL 9000 acts with more pathos and humanity than Bowman or Poole. This book is great for being ahead of its time as well as being the best at what it does. Not for everyone perhaps but I did not waste my time on it. If the ending of the movie version confused you, reading this book will make you 60% less confused. Return to movie and repeat as often as desired. ( )

This book BLEW MY MIND! ( )

Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey was my first foray into REAL science fiction literature. Ok, maybe I've read one or two others, but it astounded me how different this novel was from others. I can't wait to see the movie because I just can't imagine how you could make an entertaining film out of a novel that occurred mostly in a metal canister. It's a novel almost devoid of human relations, a novel almost entirely in one man's head. Very interesting, but not my preferred reading. ( )