Astronauts explore an alien spacecraft hurtling toward the sun in this Hugo and Nebula Award–winning novel—“a stone-cold classic” of hard sci-fi (The Guardian). An enormous cylindrical object has entered Earth’s solar system on a collision course with the sun. A team of astronauts are sent to explore the mysterious craft, which the denizens of the solar system name Rama. What they find is … name Rama. What they find is astonishing evidence of a civilization far more advanced than ours. They find an interior stretching over fifty kilometers; a forbidding cylindrical sea; mysterious and inaccessible buildings; and strange machine-animal hybrids, or “biots,” that inhabit the ship. But what they don’t find is an alien presence. So who—and where—are the Ramans?
Often listed as one of Clarke’s finest novels, Rendezvous with Rama won numerous awards, including the Hugo, the Nebula, the Jupiter, and the British Science Fiction Awards. A fast-paced and compelling story of an enigmatic encounter with alien technology, Rendezvous with Rama offers both answers and unsolved mysteries that will continue to fascinate readers for generations.
“Mr. Clarke is splendid . . . We experience that chilling touch of the alien, the not-quite-knowable, that distinguishes SF at its most technically imaginative.” —The New York Times
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Classic science fiction. Where the science actually makes sense and you’re not required to suspend disbelief. This is from the golden age of science fiction.
The premise is great– an unknown object comes into the Solar System. It’s not an invasion. It’s not a recon. It’s simply an object using our star as part of the its path.
Is it occupied? …
Classic hard sci-fi. Short, full of interesting ideas, and with one of the best ending lines in the genre. (Seriously, Hollywood, why haven’t you adapted this yet?) In many ways, a more human and interesting take on the first contact idea Clark explored in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
It’s been a very long time since a novel has hooked my attention so acutely as Rendezvous with Rama. I devoured the book in a single sitting, which I rarely do. What I found so interesting about the plot is that very little happens by way of action. It’s little more than a descent into a space-faring rabbit hole. Clarke offers a detailed dive into …
So — I get that as an award-winning classic, Rendezvous with Rama isn’t an obvious thing to recommend. Assuming that people haven’t read it feels presumptuous. On the other hand, it was recently new to me; I went into it knowing the name and the author and absolutely nothing else, and I think that’s what I’m basically recommending here: If you …
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I really recommend it to any sci-fi fan who enjoys reading off-world adventures. The wonder that Arthur C. Clarke created for me while reading the book was indescribable. Sometimes, sci-fi is all about imagining the unimaginable and really stepping outside of what you know to attempt to see something that you …
A meditative work of adventure and exploration — deeply philosophical and dramatic in a quiet, almost eerie fashion. Many science fiction novels I’ve read aren’t usually this haunting, and the ending of this slow-burn of a novel can leave a reader drenched in the unsettled calm of ignorant contentedness. Yet even if Rendezvous With Rama never …
One of the kings of hard science fiction, Arthur C. Clarke has created a tense and thrilling story about discovering an alien space vessel. I was surprised at just how stressful a read this book was because of how well the scenes are described. There were times where my fight or flight adrenaline kicked in, while reading a book!
Very entertaining and a quick read. Good characters, nice pace and interesting concepts. I wanted the story to go on a bit more, but all in all, a very enjoyable Sci-fi novel.
I really love this book. It’s honest-to-god science fiction, which is rarely found these days.
I wish it were easier to separate the true science fiction from today’s childish fantasy books.
THE EXPANSE series by James S. A. Corey is also great science fiction.
Jay
For an older book, I found Rama very interesting. Not much in the character department, but the rest of it is great.
I can still remember them throwing the torch into the cavernous interior of the alien ship. Then the lights came on. Gives me chills.
A great start to a series I will definitely finish.