'Rendezvous with Rama' is Sci-Fi masterpiece

I finished reading Arthur C. Clarke’s science fiction masterpiece, “Rendezvous with Rama,” just the other day, and I’m now glad that I can officially say that I’ve read this classic Sci-Fi novel.

First published in 1972 by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, this book is set in the 22nd Century, a time in which the human race has colonized many of the planets and satellites in our solar system. Suddenly, with very little warning, a 50-kilometer-long cylindrical spaceship enters the solar system on a path around our sun. The human race only has time to mobilize one small ship, a solar survey ship that just happened to be in the right place at the right time for a mission to make contact with the alien craft.

The crew of the small ship, Endeavour, make their way inside the spaceship, which the humans name “Rama,” and begin their attempt to unravel what they discover inside. What they find leaves the human race with more questions than answers about the mysterious craft’s origin.

Soon after its publication, “Rendezvous with Rama” went on to rake in a number of prestigious awards, including the 1973 Nebula Award for Best Novel, the 1973 British Science Fiction Association Award, the 1974 Hugo Award for Best Novel, the 1974 Jupiter Award for Best Novel, the 1974 John W. Campbell Memorial Award and the 1974 Locus Award for Best Novel.

Despite its popularity, a motion picture version of “Rendezvous with Rama” has never been made for the big screen. Hollywood big wheels Morgan Freeman and David Fincher were behind one push to have the movie made, but after Freeman was injured in a car accident in 2008 the project unraveled.

I’ve been wanting to read “Rendezvous with Rama” for years and was lucky enough to find a 1973 paperback edition of the book during a recent trip to the Treasures on the Corner store in Evergreen. Among their fine selection of books there, I got my hands on this jewel of a book.

In the end, how many of you have had a chance to read “Rendezvous with Rama”? What did you think about it? What did you like about it? What did you dislike? Let us know in the comments section below.