The fourth book that I have read thus far is 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke. I had often heard of this novel, but had never come to read it. Finally, this challenge of mine has brought this book to my attention once more, and I am glad that I have finally read it. I found it to be a very interesting and well-written book, which is refreshing after the novels I have read thus far.2001: A Space Odyssey is a science-fiction novel written in 1968 but situating itself from the age of ape-men up to 2001, consequently spanning 3 million years. Although quite hard to explain in a short book review, it is a story about the evolution of humankind from the ape-men originating in Africa to the human civilization that we know today. Most of the story occurs between 1999 and 2001 as a team of astronauts go into space for a secret mission regarding a large black crystal monolith and the planet Saturn. It is difficult to explain more of this novel without revealing what you will come to discover as you read it, but the essence of it is that technology has evolved immensely throughout evolution, highly intelligent and automatic technology can lead to unforeseen consequences, and perhaps we shall never know what else there is in this universe, apart from "us" humans.
I loved the story, characters and descriptions in this novel, but the last couple of pages felt unfamiliar compared to the rest of the novel. I found myself having to read more slowly to make sure I understood and grasped the message the author was trying to convey. I think I missed it, but nonetheless 2001: A Space Odyssey was a very good book. The best so far.
Edit: Soon after finishing this book, I learned that it is actually part of a series of four novels; 2010: Odyssey Two, 2061: Odyssey Three and 3001: The Final Odyssey. As such, these past couple of weeks I have read all three and thus recently completed the Space Odyssey series. There were some discrepancies between the first book and the second, but overall they were very good. I'm glad that I took the time to read them. These novels made me realize that we never know what the future holds in store for us! I wonder if, millennia from now, we will see any of the technologies proposed in these books.
