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Arthur C. Clarke’s novel 2001: A Space Odyssey is the story of the discovery of a strange monolith on the moon that prompts a space mission to the planet Saturn. Adapted from a film of the same name the author had also written the screenplay for, the story has been regarded as one of the most culturally and aesthetically significant works.
The author, Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008), was for many years part of the ‘Big Three’ of science fiction, which included Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov. It is clear in A Space Odyssey that he is a big proponent and avid populariser of space travel, as shown by his attention to detail and scientific accuracy in many of his works, especially this one. His love for exploration also shines in the story of A Space Odyssey, as in real life, he discovered the underwater ruins of an old Sri Lankan temple complex.
Strangely enough, the story begins with something one would not expect to be in a sci-fi story – The discovery of the aforementioned monolith takes place during the time when men were still not quite distinguishable from apes. During the first arc, Arthur C. Clarke demonstrates his writing skills, building quite the realistic, believable world of the man-ape protagonist, his surroundings, and the simple, instinctual thoughts running through his primitive brain.
As far out from the planet Earth as the story travels, the technology in this somewhat utopian future remains quite grounded in reality. Well-advised in science, Arthur C. Clarke has been considered one of the most significant writers of the ‘hard science fiction’ genre, a derivative of sci-fi concerned with scientific accuracy and logic. The ideas put into his story are way ahead of his time, considering when the story was written The construction of space stations, which although in the real world at the time of the book’s publishing was still a few years away from the first ever space station being built. It had been only eight years after the first man was launched into space, and already a trip all the way to Saturn through plausible means had already been conceived. One of the main characters is even a spaceship’s onboard AI, the famous HAL-9000, during a decade that had just begun with the replacement of vacuum tubes, and before UNIX was even a thing. Deep hibernation is featured as a method to shorten the lengthy duration for the perception of those aboard the spaceship, with the computer and a few chosen astronauts taking care of the vehicle as it approaches its destination.
One of the most prolific, almost philosophical ideas featured in 2001: A Space Odyssey is the theme of the transcension of humans past their physical bodies. Almost like a prophet, Arthur C. Clarke speaks of the discarding of flesh, surpassing a physical body placing our minds into artificial ones, and eventually transcending past that into what the author describes as god-like beings.
Speaking of AI earlier, Arthur C. Clarke also prophesizes the uprising of A. I am against its human creators, although this is not a new idea by the time this novel was published. The malfunction of HAL 9000, however, is not through the stereotypical plot development of A. I gaining sentience and turning against its masters simply because it views itself as superior, instead through gaining sentience itself, it has become a flawed being that causes errors and commits sins.
It is quite amazing how half a century later, a story written during the dawn of space travel continues to stay relevant to readers up to this day. As not only an author but a futurist and populariser of space travel, Arthur C. Clarke has managed to inspire those to look towards a unity of man and technology for the purpose of a promising future.
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