Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

This is no where near all the books he's wrote, but here are a few to get us started for the new year!


BOOKS by ARTHUR C. CLARKE

The Rama Series:
Rendezvous with Rama
Rama II
The Garden of Rama
Rama Revealed

The Odyssey Series:
2001: A Space Odyssey
2010: Odyssey Two
2061: Odyssey Three
3001: The Final Odyssey

Stand Alones:
The City and the Stars
The Fountains of Paradise
Childhood’s End
The Songs of Distant Earth
A Fall of Moondust
Earthlight

I’ve read The City and the Stars and Childhood's End recently and liked both. I own Rendezvous with Rama and The Fountains of Paradise but haven’t read either yet.

My goal is to read 2061: Odyssey Three and 3001: The Final Odyssey and then I will have finished the series.

I still have 2001 to read and the movie to watch!

Does it sound good with everyone to start with Rama?

Pat - I vote yes for Rama.

It sounds good to me!

I read Childhood's End two years ago and it really made me fall for sci-fi all over again :) Rama sounds good starting point, I even have it here right now just for waiting for me to start reading!

And happy reading year to everyone!
-Lumi

Sounds good.

Alright! Sounds good! I’ll set up the thread for Rama by the end of today (at work right now) but I was looking for an audiobook or pdf since it’s an old one but I guess because it’s going to be a movie they took all that stuff off. I remember the full audiobook was on YouTube for a while.

I think all of the books listed are in my library’s Hoopla catalog. I counted 38 titles plus a short story collection! The only one I’ve read is Childhoods End. I found Dolphin Island, a children’s novel, which sounds interesting and I’ll probably read. I’m not sure how many books about Rama I will be interested in. I remember reading the Ender series decades ago and I got burnt out after the 3rd book. I’m not really much of a series reader.

I’m 30% done with the children’s book Dolphin island and am enjoying it.

Let’s put it to a vote. Which book shall we read next?

I suggest Earthlight since it's one of his earlier books, published in 1955.
Plus, it looks good.

Earthlight sounds good to me.

Alrighty! I’ll set it up today.

Great!

I may have to pass on Earthlight. Sorry. I feel like I’ve over committed myself between Buddy reads, group reads, book club reads and my personal commitment to reading books I own. I do own 2001: Space Odyssey so I will commit to reading that one, for now.

No worries, Pam. We've got all year!

I've just finished Earthlight. It's a good one.

I read Childhood's End recently, i loved and i can see how influential is this book.

I wonder if anyone has read the whole Odyssey series? What did you think of it? Is it like his other books?

I've read the four books in the series, Cosmic. The second is my favourite. I've read the fourth book since it was first published in the 80s. It's a different kind of book than the first three.

I've read the Odyssey series. I loved 2001 but, like Rama, I thought he should have just quit with the first book.
I'm glad there's no sequel to Childhood's End.

I'll read Earthlight soon!

That's good to hear!

Cosmic wrote: "I wonder if anyone has read the whole Odyssey series? What did you think of it? Is it like his other books?"

The Odyssey Series are great. Personally, I loved them! If you were to read the first one, you could stop there. Same with Dune and Ender's Game imo.

I've decided to reread the Odyssey series, beginning with 2001.
I saw the movie in a widescreen theatre when it was fairly knew and was blown away, but I had no idea what was going on in the final section of the film.

Nobody does.

I've finished another reread of 2001: A Space Odyssey and it's better each time I read it!

How’s everyone doing with their Clarke books?

Does anyone need a longer list to follow?

I've already read over half the books on the list, so I would appreciate some more suggestions, Patrick.

I've started The Sands of Mars, written in 1951.
Our public library has many of his books available as ebooks. I use Libby so it's really easy to get his books anytime I feel like reading one.

I've just finished The Sands of Mars and really enjoyed it!

I finished Earthlight very good!!

Kemu wrote: "I finished Earthlight very good!!"

I agree!

I've just finished A Fall of Moondust. This is by far the most exciting and suspenseful book by Clarke-I highly recommend it!

Earthlight was a very interesting read.

Islands in the Sky was my August/September book.
It's one of his earliest books aimed at a YA and up audience. It was entertaining.

How's everyone doing with their challenges?

I've read six so far and hope to read at least more book. I'm reading his earlier works and they're entertaining and suspenseful, especially A Fall of Moondust.

Oh I believe I've read that. I enjoyed it!

(moved from the thread I accidentally started; oops, sorry!)

I admit, though I had heard of Arthur C. Clarke and of course the 2001: A Space Odyssey, I was born a generation after his heydey, and had neither seen the film nor actually read any of his books. Until now. His most famous book seemed a good place to start, so I did so.

I was amazed by how many of the modernly commonplace sci-fi concepts seem to have come from this man's brain!

Here's a link to my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

John wrote: "Much as I admired some of Clarke's books, I never really loved them as much as I did Asimov's.

Asimov, Clarke and Heinlein are typically called "the big three" - and certainly wrote sci-fi of qua..."

NB--if you read this all and recognize the Heinlein book I can't remember (the very first Heinlein I ever read when I was only 10) please let me know!

I used to read all three of those when I was a teen, but to be honest am not a fan of any of them now for a variety of reasons. And I wonder why they are called the big three when I remember Ray Bradbury being extremely popular as well. Of those four, only Bradbury has a book I still like a great deal.

I remember finding Childhood's End extremely powerful and have never forgotten it although I forgot the title for many years, but when I tried to read it again I couldn't stand it.

I read these authors primarily between the ages of 10 and 16, and after my first Heinlein author had an intense, but relatively brief, desire to become a brain surgeon and a biochemist (and that first novel was not I Will Fear No Evil, but some book that discussed DNA and RNA--the title is long since lost to me--but there was a scientist who was a brain surgeon and biochemist in it. If anyone knows that book, please let me know!

I had a similar experience to you Karin, when I tried to re-read Heinlein last year (but have enjoyed re-reads of Asimov).

I'm sure we could all argue all day about who is best - so my favourite three are -
Isaac Asimov
Ursula Le Guin
Iain M Banks

I like both 2001: A Space Odyssey and 2010: Odyssey Two

I pulled this thread back to active for now and since it is Patrick's thread it is under his threads.

Patrick hope you do not mind.

No that’s fine! Thank you!

Karin wrote: "I used to read all three of those when I was a teen, but to be honest am not a fan of any of them now for a variety of reasons."
I echo this sentiment re Heinlein. I read Asimov in my mid-20s+, and my recollections are positive, but I wonder if they’d hold up upon rereading. I only tried reading Clarke recently and his writing actively irritates me; I doubt that I will read any more of his or Heinlein’s work. I read somewhere that those three authors were marketed together as the preeminent science-fiction writers of that era. Good for them, not so much for everyone else.

My favorite classic sci-fi/fantasy now? LeGuin, Tolkien (fantasy), & most recently, John Wyndham The Chrysalids /The Day Of The Triffids has interested me. And I have to keep Asimov & Frank Herbert too.

Asimov holds up well and Wyndham is a treat to read. If you want a feel good Wyndham, I recommend Chocky.