For some reason, no digital artist seems to be able to create an accurate rendition of the landscape of Rama as described in the books. They always add things that do not belong there, like bridges and forests, or make everything too small.
I remember reading "Rendezvous With Rama" in the 90's and then running out to buy the rest of the books. The trying to get through those first 150 pages... I just couldn't. The heart and soul that was the first book was replaced with some sort of bad daytime soap opera story line that had me take all but the first novel to the used book store and turning them in.
I understand your opinion. I have read Rama 2 and it does have a different tone from the first book, but with patience, it does have an interesting story and it lays the foundation for the next two books. "The Garden of Rama" and "Rama Revealed" were both excellent.
It's been MANY years sense I read this series as well and also don't remember much but I did remember the lead character. Especially with all the stuff going on with the real royal family these days. Not what you'd usually think of when you're talking about science fiction predicting the future. Nice summary. Carry on. I believe the other books get really heavy with social commentary.
OMG!! I LOVED RwR when I read it thirty years ago in college. I loved it again when I read it to my son during our bedtime reading sessions several years ago. Now I decided that I ought to read the sequels so I went looking for Rama II and found this video. Thank God I did. While I was listening to your synopsis, I realized that I had actually read this drivel back in college and I had just blocked it from my mind. Thank you for saving me from it again.
I just finished the first book and I'm kind of glad I stopped at that point but have your videos to see what could have happened without having to waste my time. They sound pretty bad, but its nice to get it as a perspective on what could have happened next rather than what did happen next.
The second novel was a tough read and didn’t feel like Clarke at all (because it wasn’t). But the next two went somewhere more exciting. Not so exciting they live with me every day, or anything. Just worth the read if you have the time and are curious to see where it’s going. I have a similar relationship with the Space Odyssey sequels.
Pass on the Gentry Lee adaptations of the Rama story. Silly. The physics of Clark’s story make the first narrative great, the wild cosmology of it. This stuff undermines the entire premise of this living ship travelling the solar systems to refuel from the stars and then home to their incredibly advanced non binary “civilizations.”
Wow. Thanks for saving me the time. Rendezvous with Rama is classic optimistic sci-fi filled with mystery and wonder. Gently turns it into a mediocre story from the darkest timeline.
Don't bother. I just reread the first three. Rama was a great story idea that left the reader hanging and tantalized. That part was as good as any of it gets. Meh. Rama 2 and Garden were poorly-executed messes that would have gone unpublished if not for the first one. The whole thing could have been a great short story. Don't let the vultures feed on the estate of a good writer.
Yeah, I debated doing this vid for a long time. But people are curious. And if I didn't do it someone else would. Probably someone monetized. I really did try to be positive for this video, but even still, I couldn't help but throw in a few shots.... You should see how many I deleted that never made it to final cut. lol
IIRC they kept entering formulas into the computer for things like nuclear fission, and force vectors. Hinting at a nuclear missile. But having read the whole series a few times, I really doubt they needed to. The Ramans have done this thousands of times. And have tech beyond anything we can understand. I'm sure this isn't the first time they have been shot at.
Denis Villeneuve has to finish DUNE 2 first which is slated to come out late 2023. Then he might decide to do DUNE Messiah which would be 2025 maybe. Rama would come after that so sometime between 2025 and say 2028 depending ...
I agree, more than 1/2 this book is character development driven, and most of those characters are pointless. When I re-read this book, I skip more than the first 1/2 and go straight to entering Rama 2. From there it does get interesting. To this day, I still do not understand all that pointless first half. Anyway I ask again for you to do 'A World Out Of Time' by Larry Niven and 'The Door Into Summer' by Robert Heinlein
A terrible book. Based on Rama 2, Lee is a lousy writer. The perfect example is near the beginning of the book at the party. The protagonist happens upon the wife of the lead scientist. The wife talks about how SHE made some great discovery and her advisor took credit for it and married her to keep her quiet. That's reasonable enough, but the wife wasn't telling anyone this, she was talking out loud to NO ONE. Just sitting in the garden, all by herself, explaining how the lead scientist is a fraud. Unbelievably lazy writing.
At the time 'RAMA II' was published in paperback, I was excited to revisit the RAMA spacecraft and that got me through this sequel. I listened to the audiobook version a couple of years ago......thinking there would be enough SF and detail about the spacecraft (and suggestions about its builders) to make it worthwhile. Gentry Lee is a very intelligent and successful man. 'RAMA II' is a pot-boiler written by a talented man who is not a natural writer. It's bloated. It lacks sufficient skill to really differentiate the various aspects and sections of the book. Everything reads and feels more or less the same. The character backstories and motivations all feel routine. The book needed a more rigorous editor and a more experienced writer.
Thank you, SFS, for saving me from reading that drivel. The first book was great and I never got around to reading this, thank goodness.
I'm listening to the audiobook and the first few hours seems like an introduction that has been stretched out
For some reason, no digital artist seems to be able to create an accurate rendition of the landscape of Rama as described in the books. They always add things that do not belong there, like bridges and forests, or make everything too small.
I remember reading "Rendezvous With Rama" in the 90's and then running out to buy the rest of the books.
The trying to get through those first 150 pages...
I just couldn't. The heart and soul that was the first book was replaced with some sort of bad daytime soap opera story line that had me take all but the first novel to the used book store and turning them in.
I understand your opinion. I have read Rama 2 and it does have a different tone from the first book, but with patience, it does have an interesting story and it lays the foundation for the next two books. "The Garden of Rama" and "Rama Revealed" were both excellent.
That's how I felt about Endymion
It's been MANY years sense I read this series as well and also don't remember much but I did remember the lead character.
Especially with all the stuff going on with the real royal family these days.
Not what you'd usually think of when you're talking about science fiction predicting the future.
Nice summary.
Carry on.
I believe the other books get really heavy with social commentary.
Read all bocks 20 years ago but dont remember much. Must read again.
But I WANT a longer video! How am I going to drift in/out of sleep. 🤣
Thanks for this, I’m glad I never read the sequels and I won’t bother now!
OMG!! I LOVED RwR when I read it thirty years ago in college. I loved it again when I read it to my son during our bedtime reading sessions several years ago.
Now I decided that I ought to read the sequels so I went looking for Rama II and found this video. Thank God I did. While I was listening to your synopsis, I realized that I had actually read this drivel back in college and I had just blocked it from my mind.
Thank you for saving me from it again.
I appreciate your work, thank you!
I believe this summary was more than adequate. Thank you.
I just finished the first book and I'm kind of glad I stopped at that point but have your videos to see what could have happened without having to waste my time. They sound pretty bad, but its nice to get it as a perspective on what could have happened next rather than what did happen next.
The second novel was a tough read and didn’t feel like Clarke at all (because it wasn’t). But the next two went somewhere more exciting. Not so exciting they live with me every day, or anything. Just worth the read if you have the time and are curious to see where it’s going. I have a similar relationship with the Space Odyssey sequels.
3 mins of whit and comedy thanks
I have read all the Rama books and they are some of my favorite Sci-fy. I'm looking forward to tentatively planned movie, "Rendezvous With Rama".
damn. Im curious but also scared. The first book was so mysterious. Rama didnt care about us.
Rama stood on it's own. This book sounds tragic af.
Pass on the Gentry Lee adaptations of the Rama story. Silly. The physics of Clark’s story make the first narrative great, the wild cosmology of it. This stuff undermines the entire premise of this living ship travelling the solar systems to refuel from the stars and then home to their incredibly advanced non binary “civilizations.”
Wow. Thanks for saving me the time. Rendezvous with Rama is classic optimistic sci-fi filled with mystery and wonder. Gently turns it into a mediocre story from the darkest timeline.
Don't bother.
I just reread the first three. Rama was a great story idea that left the reader hanging and tantalized. That part was as good as any of it gets. Meh. Rama 2 and Garden were poorly-executed messes that would have gone unpublished if not for the first one. The whole thing could have been a great short story. Don't let the vultures feed on the estate of a good writer.
Yeah, I debated doing this vid for a long time. But people are curious. And if I didn't do it someone else would. Probably someone monetized.
I really did try to be positive for this video, but even still, I couldn't help but throw in a few shots.... You should see how many I deleted that never made it to final cut. lol
@@SciFiSecrets right on. Good review.
Keep em comin!
Did you will summary The Garden of Rama?
This is going to get huge when the film comes out 🙂
hoping someone will make a movie, Rama deserves it.
Thank You
Make the full video
hey there, great content! would love to get these as audio only, are you on audea?
Nicole Jardin is an Olympic downhill ski champion
Can you explain how Richard and Nicole communicated their message warning to the Raman’s?
IIRC they kept entering formulas into the computer for things like nuclear fission, and force vectors. Hinting at a nuclear missile.
But having read the whole series a few times, I really doubt they needed to. The Ramans have done this thousands of times. And have tech beyond anything we can understand. I'm sure this isn't the first time they have been shot at.
Now I'm disappointed I bought Rama II, but at least you saved me some hours of reading. Thanks. :) I'll find another Clarke book instead.
Any idea when the movie comes out?
Denis Villeneuve has to finish DUNE 2 first which is slated to come out late 2023.
Then he might decide to do DUNE Messiah which would be 2025 maybe.
Rama would come after that so sometime between 2025 and say 2028 depending ...
longer
I agree bro. Lots of balllss
I agree, more than 1/2 this book is character development driven, and most of those characters are pointless. When I re-read this book, I skip more than the first 1/2 and go straight to entering Rama 2. From there it does get interesting. To this day, I still do not understand all that pointless first half. Anyway I ask again for you to do 'A World Out Of Time' by Larry Niven and 'The Door Into Summer' by Robert Heinlein
in the minority i like this story more than the 1st novel
Gentry Lee got this huge. CHRISTIAN CRAPPPOLA GOING ON BORING AS HELL
This second story sucks; the first was great.
Rama 2 straight away sounds so pathetic and comical with the character of the black french woman. Only the original Rama for me.
The PC game was better than the book.
A terrible book. Based on Rama 2, Lee is a lousy writer. The perfect example is near the beginning of the book at the party. The protagonist happens upon the wife of the lead scientist. The wife talks about how SHE made some great discovery and her advisor took credit for it and married her to keep her quiet. That's reasonable enough, but the wife wasn't telling anyone this, she was talking out loud to NO ONE. Just sitting in the garden, all by herself, explaining how the lead scientist is a fraud. Unbelievably lazy writing.
Amen.
At the time 'RAMA II' was published in paperback, I was excited to revisit the RAMA spacecraft and that got me through this sequel. I listened to the audiobook version a couple of years ago......thinking there would be enough SF and detail about the spacecraft (and suggestions about its builders) to make it worthwhile. Gentry Lee is a very intelligent and successful man. 'RAMA II' is a pot-boiler written by a talented man who is not a natural writer. It's bloated. It lacks sufficient skill to really differentiate the various aspects and sections of the book. Everything reads and feels more or less the same. The character backstories and motivations all feel routine. The book needed a more rigorous editor and a more experienced writer.
That’s enough thanks.
Rendezvous with Rama was a great book, Rama 2 is a catastrophe, pathetic, don't waste time reading it, trust me.
Once again, humans violent nature shines through towards a completely ambivalent life form. Shame on the writers.
Yeah, all the sequels are progressively worse and worse. A great disappointment. How is that possible?
1 minute and 40 seconds into the video. For f***'s sake, turn the f****** music off and get to the f****** point.