2010: Odyssey Two

Rating:
Summary: Truly fantastic
Review: It's really a worthy sequel to 2001. The Epilogue, with 20 001, sent a chill down my spine, just like Tsen made the "discovery". Congratulations, Mr. Clarke, you've done it again.

Rating:
Summary: 2010 is the absolute best of the Space Odyssey Series.
Review: There is not doubt that 2010 is the greatest of all the Space Odyssey Series. The reason is really because here it is a space race, mixed with discovery and intrique. The characterization is better than any of the others books. Instead of just a Frank Poole, Indra Wallace, Dave Bowman or Hal you have a plethora of characters with defined personalities. They include the almost insane Chandra, the genious but realistic Curnow, the powerful captain Tanya Kirbuk, a Heywood Floyd out to redeem himself at the cost of his family and even a Dr. Chang of the Tsien willing to aid scientific "discovery" even in the last minutes of his life. The Chinese are also decribed well by Clarke. The Chinese military tactics in modern times have used massed, risky human wave assaults like in Korea which risk life and waste it without remorse. The same is true of the Tsien, it is sent to beat the Leonov and see Europa at the cost of everyone on board it. It even is meant to be rescued at a later time again at the cost of a hybernating lost years crew. Even in a space race the Chinese government tactic of wasting life is fully explored and perfectly analyzed by Clarke. Clarke is also quite realistic in his predictions, almost like a 21st Century HG Wells or Morgan Robertson. This is seen first by Clarke realizing in his book that many nations have nuclear weapons by now not just China, Britain, the US, France, and Russia. When he wrote it in the early 1980s these were some of the few countries that had nuclear weapons but Clarke predicted many more would get them but never use them. Look what has happened, now today India and Pakistan have nukes. Other countries near developing them or already allegedly possessing include Israel, South Africa, North Korea, Iran, and even Iraq. Japan is capable of making them and Ukraine and Khazakstan had them. Clarke predicted almost 30 nations would have them in 2010 but never had used them. This prediction has held so far. Insight as good as Nostradamus'. Clarke's book, as many have said (and I concur with) has went beyond fantasy or even pure science fiction to be a book more like science fictional fact. You can see this in his atomic Sakarov drive and the rotating section on the Alexi Leonov. Perhaps the only thing I think the movie, which was good, excelled over Clarke was the appearance of the Bowman Starchild (Halman in the future) to Floyd. In the book it is just a cloud of dust forming in Bowman's human face but it is more intricate and curious in the movie as he shape and age-shifts. The movie should have shown more American and Russian unity than the movie ever tried to. The exploration in Bowman the Starchild is much better in the book and helps you learn more of the mystery regarding him on later revealed in 2061 and 3001. Finally, the aspect of using the Chinese as the villians may not have fit in then but it rings true today with the Chinese the major rival superpower of the US. The Chinese are a good villian to focus on as a nation who will waste everything to beat the prepared Russians and adept Americans. This is excellent and makes the best villian of any of the other three books, that includes a psychotic HAL (2001) and a melgomaniacal Nazi play god Monolith race (3001). The Chinese are very human appealing villians in it. They must be beat or they will steal Discovery, find life on Europa first, and maybe their negligence will endanger Earth itself. Europa today is still the best harbor for life outside of Earth in Sol's community. Even if it is walking sentient trees like in the Space Odyssey Series. Man does not yet have the tools to get to Europa and drill through its ice to look for aquatic life on Europa's sea vents but perhaps by 2061 or 3001 or 30,001, will have it. Clarke's book has inspired a whole generation to explore and learn about Europa, Jupiter, and Saturn; the majesties of the Solar System. To quote Dr Floyd in the movie when we meet the Europans, "I think they will be our friends." That friendship should it ever occur with Europan sponges or fish was inspired completely by Arthur C. Clarke in 2010: Odyssey Two.

Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE GREATEST ENDINGS
Review: This book leads up to one thing: duh, the ending. But it is well worth it. It is one of the greatest I have ever read. If you read 2001 and liked it then you will definitely like this.

Rating:
Summary: It's better than 2001
Review: This book is, in my opinion, one of the few cases where the best book in a series is NOT the first one. I think that this book is a lot better than 2001, and I think I know why. 2001 was based on a screen play by Stanley Kubrick. This book was not based on a screen play, and this let A.C.C. take more liberties with it. It has plenty of plot twists, and the whole shape of the book gets turned around in the middle. I definetly reccomend it, although you should probably read 2001 first

Rating:
Summary: Worthy sequel at least to 2001 movie
Review: The differences between the book 2001 and 2010 can be distracting at first, considering Discovery and the Monolith were at Saturn in the book 2001 and not Jupiter, but other than that this is an excellent book and part of the best sci-fi series in existance.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've read?
Review: Brilliant! This book is really REALLY good, exciting and engrossing! I could hardly stop reading it the whole weekend! A brilliant follow-up to 2001! I heartily reccommend you buy this even if you're not a big sci-fi fan.

Rating:
Summary: A very good book
Review: I must say this is a jolly good book. Not as exciting as 2001, though. I give 2001 a 10 on a scale from 1 to 10, and i give 2010 a 9.3. The plot is very nice, and it's not as suspensful as 2001, and it's a lot more down to earth, but that doesn't make it bad. So basically if you like sci-fi, and liked 2001, you will like 2010 also.

Rating:
Summary: Good follow-up to 2001
Review: Most times when authors write sequals to their original stories, they are generally not very good, but Arthur C. Clarke made the rare exception to that with this book. 2010 is a worthy sequal to 2001, we finally learn why Hal went nuts and how the Monolith plays an important role in the fate of planet Jupiter, also HAL finally becomes part of the Monolith and joins Dave Bowman to continue the work begun millions of years earlier in the destiney of mankind

Rating:
Summary: "Intriguing, mystefying, out of this world"
Review: Arthur C. Clark presents a thrilling grasp of the infinate in this timeless novel. He combines imagination and science to create a dazzling display of time and space's eternal mysteries. He takes you on a journey from the remote past to the near future, and touches on that fragile subject- is there life on other worlds? From the firey fury of Io to the frozen ice of Europa, from the fragile wisps of gaseous creatures in the atmosphere of Jupiter down to its diamond core, Arthur C. Clark shows the dazzling splendor of what might be. I encourage you to read this book, especially if you have read 2001. 2010 prompted me to look up at the stars and think- "What is really out there?"

Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest Sci Fi Stories ever told
Review: Amazing. The only thing you can say is amazing. I often worry about sequels, but this went above and beyond all of my hopes and dreams. Arthur C. Clarke has woven together a story that not only compliments the original MOVIE, but adds so much more. We now understand the Space Baby and what the hell it's doing looking at Earth.

We were told so much more...there's no way you can not like this book. Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant.

A shame the motion picture 2010 was such a terrible waste of time....someday I shall redo it myself...(I wish) and I'll say, "Arthur, Stan, I've made you guys a sequel you can be proud of!"