Rendezvous with Rama
by Arthur C. Clarke · first published 1973
53% recommend41% neutral6% critical
Why HN recommends it
Hard sci-fi about exploring a mysterious alien object entering the solar system, with coherent science and vivid, almost cinematic imagery. Idea-driven rather than character-driven; a good entry point to Clarke.
Common criticism: Sequels are widely considered much weaker than the original
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Written in 1973, a massive 50 kilometre long alien cylinder begins to pass through the solar system provoking a hurried effort to intercept it. The closest available ship rushes to rendezvous so as to have a quick study before it gets too close to the sun. Able to enter via an airlock on one end of the ship, the crew explores the huge world found inside, a world full of wonder and mystery. As usual, the science is spot on. This is the best novel of Clarke's since 2001 and Childhood's End and is a truly grand adventure full of puzzles and ideas that lead you asking more questions than are answe
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Books finished in June: "How to Change Your Mind" by Michael Pollan. A fascinating look into the world and science of psychedelic drugs. "Rendezvous with Rama" by Arthur C. Clarke. One of, if not Clarke's best. It's short for a sci-fi book and almost impossible not to like. "The Hydrogen Sonata" By Iain M. Banks. It certainly wasn't my favorite culture entry,…
on “Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?” ↗…book and I like it (I even read Herbert Jr.'s sequels... spoiler: don't) I'd pick something "shinier." Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, or 2001: An Space Odissey... or go with the weird and pick Rendezvous with Rama. Or just Foundation. Sci-Fi-wise you can't go wrong with Foundation. Ninja-edit: How could I forget The Starmaker by Olaf Stapledon? Written in the late 40s, I didn't give much for it as Sci-fi goes.…
on “Books to Read in a Lifetime” ↗…be summed up in a blog post, but I think he makes a point on cold calling - if you need to do it, suck it up and do it. And that about sums it up. 2.5/5 (message is decent and he does offer some tips) Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke - Liked it, but unsure that I'll continue. 3.5/5. White Fang by Jack London - Enjoyable and descriptive. Had to power through, though. 3.5/5 Treasure Island by RLS - Absolutely loved…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗…about writing better. This is the book I've gifted the most. Several scifi books have also been gifted to friends, mostly Asimov (both the Foundation and Robots series), Herbert's Dune, and Clarke's Rendezvous With Rama. Also, gifted a copy of Our Band Could Be Your Life by Michael Azerrad, which is my favorite book about my favorite bands (and the American punk scene of the early 80s). The recipient was too young to…
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗For those who don't know, this is basically the plot of a classic science fiction novel, Rendezvous with Rama. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendezvous_with_Rama)
on “Breakthrough Listen Project to Observe Interstellar Object ‘Oumuamua” ↗…lot better than two potentially-faulty sensors. I know this isn't a great example, but triple redundancy is enough of a design cornerstone that Arthur C. Clarke made it one of the defining features of Rendezvous With Rama, a classic sci-fi story about an Oumuamua-like object that people manage to land on: >It was now strikingly apparent that the "city", like so much of Rama, was triplicated. It consisted of three identical,…
on “Lack of redundancies on Boeing 737 MAX baffles some involved in developing it” ↗I think he's dated way less badly than Asimov has. Even early Clarke is still quite readable; _The City and the Stars_ and _Rendezvous with Rama_ are still quite wonderful, but I've always had a soft spot for his juvenilia --- _Dolphin Island_ is half a semiautographical memoir of snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, and half a quiet coming-of-age…
on “A Conversation with Arthur C. Clarke (1999)” ↗Rendezvous with Rama - Arthur C. Clarke Set in the near-ish future, a big asteroid comes whizzing into the solar system. Looks weird, so we investigate. It's a total page turner, and reads like an adventure/mystery. Highly…
on “Ask HN: What good books have you read lately?” ↗You may want to read Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke. That's basically the plot.
on “‘Oumuamua: A Hydrogen Iceberg?” ↗…the topic of Rama, what a disappointing conclusion those sequels produced. I'm not sure which was worse, the Rama sequels or Crystal Skull. Either way, best to pretend they don't exist when recommending Rendezvous with Rama to people.
on “When “Foundation” Gets the Blockbuster Treatment, Asimov’s Vision Gets Lost” ↗Shorter time scale but - Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke
on “Super-Earths are ideal targets in the search for life” ↗Fiction Enders game Rendezvous with Rama Hunger Games The old man and the sea Non Fiction Rework Wiseguy Sun Tzu The art of war
on “Ask HN: Good books?” ↗Rendezvous with Rama has a lot of back story involving early solar system exploration/settling, and the main plot is exploration of an unknown object. One of my all time favorite books, but the sequels are mediocre at best.…
on “A $20 Trillion Rock That Could Turn a Startup Into Earth’s Richest Company” ↗Arthur C. Clarke - Rendezvous with Rama is one of the most imaginative and inspiring books I've ever read.
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite books? I'm bored” ↗Some iconic science fiction books that can stand alone: Asimov: The Gods Themselves Clarke: Childhood's End, Rendezvous with Rama Herbert: Dune, Whipping Star Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451 Bester: The Demolished Man, The Stars My Destination (also called "Tiger, Tiger") Niven: Ringworld Niven and Pournelle: The Mote…
on “Beginnings of Science Fiction” ↗