Rendezvous with Rama

It is.

And we see this exact same theme of cosmic indifference but handled at an entirely different scale in Arthur C. Clarke's 1973 novel, Rendezvous with Rama.

Let's talk about the scale of Rama because it's just staggering.

You have this massive, perfect cylinder 50 kilometers long that just casually enters our solar system.

And Arthur C. Clarke.

I read, if you've ever read Rendezvous with Rama, but that book is, I love that.

And they're making a movie out of that.

I can't wait.

Exactly.

Arthur C. Clarke's 1973 classic, Rendezvous With Rama.

A masterpiece

It really is.

Um, i- it's, it's, it's one of these things that I really like in, in great sci-fi where you get just enough to get your mind spinning, but it's not overexplained.

Like Rendezvous with Rama is one of the best examples of this, of like everything about that book, not just the, the central quest, but when you learn about life on Earth and what, you get like, "What? Wait, wait, their culture does this? What?" And, and it's just enough, and I feel like that's what you've really tapped into here, which is pretty exciting.

And I'm wondering, did, did you have the worry about overexplaining some things? Or, or did it just feel, feel natural or...?

It, it felt pretty natural, but, eh, eh, definitely I would never, you know, like this is like my 30th book or something like that.

there, let's see, I really, okay, a story I really enjoyed was defective.

I was curious, if there was any influence at all in the naming of the advanced species, the Agni, if there was any reference back to rendezvous with Rama, and the naming of things all the way down to the Indian pantheon?

Yeah, no, no, I,

or was it just a fiery gaze?

Right.

So it was still useful back then.

Um, so yeah, no, I mean, I haven't, I read Rendezvous with Rama once when I was in high school.

So it was basically the year it came out.

Rach, do you want to give a teaser for the book we're going to cover in the next episode?

The previous episodes, we've been to outer space in Rendezvous with Rama in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and A Wrinkle in Time.

You should check those episodes out if you're interested.

We like outer space so much, we're going to head out there again, this time to save humanity.

The publication of the novel fulfilled a contract for three books, which was the most lucrative ever signed by an SF writer.

The previous books were Rendezvous with Rama from 1973 and Imperial Earth, published in 1975.

At one time, Clarke had viewed Imperial Earth as the big one.

but was ultimately disappointed with it.

His fictionalised portrayal of Sri Lanka puts its people in a distinctly passive and secondary position, but the setting is apt for a novel which, at its best, does summon up a sense of wonder.

far more substantial than Imperial Earth.

The Fountains of Paradise rivals Rendezvous with Rama for the status of Clarke's best novel of the 1970s, and while it may have been somewhat dated on publication, its optimism is refreshing today.

Finally, to get in touch, use the contact form on my site or hit the link in the episode description to send a text message.

Um, but-

Who was it that wrote Rendezvous with Rama? 'Cause there's this whole thing in that S- uh, Rendezvous...

And, um, music is, is actually-

Arthur C. Clarke.

If I remember correctly

...

in Rendezvous with Rama-

Mm