A review by nickdleblanc
2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke
4.0
I first read 2001 in 2001 when I was in the 7th grade, never having seen the movie. I didn't see the film until three years later. Having read and loved the book at an early age, I never had the experience of being confounded by what was happening onscreen. It had already been explained to me. Though, when I had first read the book I was confused. Why was it talking about early humans, dangerous AI, and star children? I thought it was supposed to be sci-fi, which in my head at the time was Star Wars Star Trek, and movies like Ridley Scott's Alien. It felt more like a weird movie my father had shown me when I was in 6th grade, Silent Running. Now, I realize that Silent Running was a classic and that 2001 was closer to hard sci-fi and that my other reference points were just other genres wearing a sci-fi cloak.
That's all to say that 2010 is much more like the book I imagined 2001 would be before reading it. There are more explanations, you actually stay with Heywood Floyd, there are more characters, little dashes of romance, and even actual terrestrial aliens--something which never quite happens in 2001. I tend to like Arthur C. Clarke. A friend of mine called his writing cold, and said he almost was like the TS Eliot of sci-fi which is why he didn't prefer him over other writers in the genre. Unlike my friend, it is because of this very reason that I like his work so much. He is a very clear writer, never flashy, always dramatic, but never melodramatic. His characters react like I would expect scientists to react, and he never falls too deep into over-explanation. You always end up walking away knowing just enough, but having the room to think about whatever big ideas he might be throwing our way. It's very clear that Clarke loved space and spent an awful lot of time thinking about it and studying it. This comes across in his prose and it's a pleasure to read.
2001 is transcendent, a great allegory about life, the universe, and everything. 2010 is just a solid sci-fi story that lands somewhere on the outside of 2001's orbit. I gave it a four because I enjoy reading Clarke, but really it is more like a 3.5. Eh, maybe a 3.75. It was fun and worth a read if you are a lover of 2001 like I am. Also, it's important to note that this book is a sequel to some combination of both the film and the book, taking place near Jupiter rather than Saturn and some other little changes that don't really impact the story massively. It was probably done for people who had only seen the movie to be able to pick up this book and read it.
It didn't convince me to read the sequels which supposedly only get worse, but it didn't not convince me either, so that remains to be seen.
That's all to say that 2010 is much more like the book I imagined 2001 would be before reading it. There are more explanations, you actually stay with Heywood Floyd, there are more characters, little dashes of romance, and even actual terrestrial aliens--something which never quite happens in 2001. I tend to like Arthur C. Clarke. A friend of mine called his writing cold, and said he almost was like the TS Eliot of sci-fi which is why he didn't prefer him over other writers in the genre. Unlike my friend, it is because of this very reason that I like his work so much. He is a very clear writer, never flashy, always dramatic, but never melodramatic. His characters react like I would expect scientists to react, and he never falls too deep into over-explanation. You always end up walking away knowing just enough, but having the room to think about whatever big ideas he might be throwing our way. It's very clear that Clarke loved space and spent an awful lot of time thinking about it and studying it. This comes across in his prose and it's a pleasure to read.
2001 is transcendent, a great allegory about life, the universe, and everything. 2010 is just a solid sci-fi story that lands somewhere on the outside of 2001's orbit. I gave it a four because I enjoy reading Clarke, but really it is more like a 3.5. Eh, maybe a 3.75. It was fun and worth a read if you are a lover of 2001 like I am. Also, it's important to note that this book is a sequel to some combination of both the film and the book, taking place near Jupiter rather than Saturn and some other little changes that don't really impact the story massively. It was probably done for people who had only seen the movie to be able to pick up this book and read it.
It didn't convince me to read the sequels which supposedly only get worse, but it didn't not convince me either, so that remains to be seen.