Penny T. (iluvmysteries) reviewed Rama II: The Sequel to Rendezvous with Rama on + 431 more book reviews
I had read the orignal Rama book many years ago and hadn't realized that a great story continues for several more volumes.
In 1973, Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama won the Hugo, Nebula and Campbell awards. This new novel is the second in a trilogy about the mystifying world-ships and their flybys of our solar system. Unfortunately, the focus is no longer on alien mysteries, but on the petty concerns of an unlikely assortment of cosmonauts. The 12 specialists chosen to explore a second Raman craft passing through human space 70 years after the first are more involved with adultery, religion and media contracts than they are with scientific advancement. Not only are their actions unrealistic, but the chapter titles telegraph what comes next. The excitement of discovery that was present in the first book is altogether missing from this soap opera plot.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.--
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.--
Second book in the trilogy ... not as impressive as the first in the series but is still a good read.
I wouldn't call the original novel a science fiction classic, but it was a good book. It always kept to the point and knew to keep the pace going. And admittedly, writing a sequel was an ambitious undertaking. And while Clarke managed to franchise off the space odyssey series (especially 2010), the Rama sequel in the end in no way lives up to the original story.I feel I can sum up the problems with this novel by comparing the pacing to the original. With the original Rendezvous, the explorers make contact with the spacecraft within three chapters and begin exploration immediately. In Rama II, it takes 100 pages just to get to the craft, and then another 100 before anything actually starts to happen. Rama II is stuffed full of unnecessary ramblings, character development, and bureaucracies that get in the way of what the novel is trying to accomplish.
However, Rama II does have some moments of brilliance. A few ideas contained in the ramblings are interesting. And once the first 200 pages are passed, the actual exploration of the craft that happens, is comparable to the original novel. However, once the exploration ends, the rest of the novel falls back on its overwritten ramblings.
I have no doubt Gentry Lee contributed to this overly indulgent writing. And while we do get characters within a Clarke novel, reading Rama II is pretty much a slog. The book is 460 pages, and could have sufficed as another 250 page novel. I'd only reccomend Rama II for Clarke enthusiasts, or people interested to see where the Rama universe goes. Though this may not be a particularly great book, good conversation can arise on the specifics that could make it better.
However, Rama II does have some moments of brilliance. A few ideas contained in the ramblings are interesting. And once the first 200 pages are passed, the actual exploration of the craft that happens, is comparable to the original novel. However, once the exploration ends, the rest of the novel falls back on its overwritten ramblings.
I have no doubt Gentry Lee contributed to this overly indulgent writing. And while we do get characters within a Clarke novel, reading Rama II is pretty much a slog. The book is 460 pages, and could have sufficed as another 250 page novel. I'd only reccomend Rama II for Clarke enthusiasts, or people interested to see where the Rama universe goes. Though this may not be a particularly great book, good conversation can arise on the specifics that could make it better.
Teresa H. (cedarwoman) reviewed Rama II: The Sequel to Rendezvous with Rama on + 89 more book reviews
Years ago, the enormous, enigmatic alien spacecraft called Rama sailed through our solar system as mind-boggling proof that life existed-or had existed - elsewhere in the universe. Now, at the dawn of the twenty-third century, another ship is discovered hurtling toward us. A crew of Earth's best and brightest minds is assembled to rendezvous with the massive vessel. They are armed with everything we know about Raman technology and culture. But nothing can prepare them for what they are about to encounter on board Rama II: cosmic secrets that are startling sensational _ and perhaps even deadly.
