This one I loved and it compelled me to get the other 2 Book itself looks nice and reads easily, including type and layout and etc. This is a great read and I'm happy to recommend it. I also enjoyed the squabbling scientists, including the revelation that the expedition only happens because the people voting have a vested interest ensuring that money isn't spent elsewhere possibly debunking their view of the Universe! You got to see the best and worst aspects of humanity in this, and as an extension of that I liked the way the Hermians weren't left as brutish people, they were humanised in a way, despite how they act. I didn't expect that in a Sci-Fi book, honestly Did the guy ever win gold in the Lunar Olympics. Why does the commander have 2 wife's, and how does Xmas look, for example. It's silly, but I felt often I wanted to know more about the characters. Also when the 2nd in command gets a message and breaks protocol, and the series of wink-wink-nudge-nudge that happens as other people are subtly reminded that there's nothing to see here. One of the crew smuggles a piece of equipment on, and the book spends a whole chapter with the captain teasing it out of him and then we learn all about the crew member. They wonder joking if women in space should be allowed, as their boobs distractingly bounce in zero G. They get excited sailing across an ocean. They wonder if they should cheekily wave to camera's. The science in the book feels decent, and well researched, so helps pull you in. There are 'chapters' of intense drama and excitement mixed with slow and purposeful exploration. You get many answers, including to some technical wondering of Rama, but never get a purpose of its visit. The sense of mystery runs through the whole work, and in that way, it's ending is pleasing.

So it was with, perhaps, some luck I have started with this, and it makes me want to read more of his works. I don't do much fiction reading, but I do like Sci-Fi, and so I knew of Clarke already but I'd struggle to come up with the title of any of his works.

Rendezvous with rama first edition