Clarkes novel 2001 a space odyssey, his short story the sentinel, and kubricks famous film, 2001. As bensons book suggests, in a way the release of 2001 was its least important milestone. How could we possibly appreciate the mona lisa if leonardo le. It was also then that i realized that stanley kubrick had made the greatest film ever. A space odyssey explained were now 18 years past 2001, weve never been to jupiter, and the enigmatic ending of the movie still haunts the generations who watch it. Another part is that a lot of the book is just description of astronomical niftiness.
However, the following quotes indicate a different story. He is brought to what appears to be a hotel room, where his mind and memories are drained from his body, and he becomes an immortal star child, that can live and travel in space. A space odyssey is a true classic in how films look on the screen and the artistic sensibility behind it. The star child then returns to earth, where he detonates an orbiting nuclear warhead. A few published works by scientists on the subject of space exploration or space weapons tangentially discuss 2001. The following content is mainly based off of arthur c. Clarke 19172008 wrote a hundred books and more than a thousand short stories and essays covering science fiction and science fact in a career spanning more than six decades. A space probe with a landing and exploration of the moon and mars. A space odyssey, which turns 50 this week, is closer to home than we think, writes. A space odyssey is a 1968 science fiction novel by british writer arthur c. Rob agers analysis of stanley kubricks scifi masterpiece 2001. The classic science fiction novel that captures and expands on the vision of stanley kubricks immortal filmand changed the way we look at the stars and ourselves. New york, 1999, hardcover, first thus, full number line, with a new introduction by the author.
Its a totally different kind of experience, of course, and there are a number of differences between the book and the movie. This book also shows a realistic interpretation of how ai and man react to each other. The principle of waiting is crucial to all elements of 2001through short story, script, and soundtrack. We look back at the landmark scifi masterpiece 2001. Now this is an interesting number, for by a curious coincidence there are. A space odyssey, this amazing book was written by arthur c. I will say that the god concept is at the heart of 2001 but not any traditional, anthropomorphic image of god. It was developed concurrently with stanley kubricks film version and published after the release of the film. A space odyssey see my film analysis page for details.
Dec 08, 20 this site is dedicated to the science fiction work 2001. Last week, i happen to read a quick post about the end of the movie that also explained the parallel development of the book and movie. So whats up with the title is that clarke is saying, that old greek dude went on a long voyage and had adventures way back when, and so heres a story about the future of 2001, when some other dude is going to go on an awesome voyage also. One of his short stories inspired the world wide web, while another was expanded into 2001. When asked by eric nordern in kubricks interview with playboy if 2001. Before the films production began, director stanley kubrick sought technical advice from over fifty organizations, and a number of them submitted their ideas to kubrick of what kind of products might be seen in a. After seeing space odyssey, i read arthur clarkes book. This site is dedicated to the science fiction work 2001. The acclaimed director then goes on to explain the final scene of 2001. Someone please explain the ending to me like im a 5 year old. Expanded versions of some of these chapters, plus a lot of new information, can be found in my assorted videos on the topic of 2001. I found the book gripping and intellectually satisfying, full of the tension and clarity which the movie lacks.
Clarkes novel 2001 a space odyssey, his short story the sentinel. What do you think about the cinematography in 2001. Clarke has also written a lot of books, like the space odyssey series, childhoods end, and many more. Yet, despite that, the plot actually isnt all that complicated.
Vimeo is an amazing video service for original creative work, but its also a company with real. In 1969, kubrick told joseph gelmis you begin with an artifact left on earth four million years ago by extraterrestrial explorers who observed the behavior of the manapes of the time and decided to influence their evolutionary progression. A space odyssey was a film aboutwell, what is about. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. The dawn of man is a testament to the genius of kubrick, and cleverly sets up the films forthcoming narrative, to produce one of the greatest science fiction films ever. It took many years to figure out the meaning of the ending alone. Understanding the film 2001 is best done through the lens of homers the odyssey. This instalment is in two parts and is slightly different. A space odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by stanley kubrick.
An important thing to understand is that on the one hand there is nothing to understand about this movie, its express purpose is to make you think. A space odyssey from ultimately becoming one of the most revered films of the 20th century. Forty minutes of ape grunts, bone flinging, the otherworldly monolith, spaceship waltzesand the first words of dialog are an empty greeting, a prelude to actual conversation that never happens. So whats up with the title is that clarke is saying, that old greek dude went on a long voyage and had adventures way back when, and so heres a story about the future of 2001, when some. A space odyssey featured numerous fictional future technologies, which have proven prescient in light of subsequent developments around the world. Unfollow 2001 a space odyssey book to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Since the dawn of time, roughly a hundred billion human beings have walked the planet earth.
Clarke, and how it changed our vision of the future forever. The outlines of a simple plot were already in place. The book goes hand in hand with the 2001 space odyssey movie. A space odyssey was a religious film, kubrick elaborated. The digital clock onboard had slowed down and eventually come to a halt. Among his bestselling novels are childhoods end, 2001. Clarke and kubrick worked on the book together, but eventually only clarke ended up as the official author.
A space odyssey film, cowritten by stanley kubrick and arthur c. Thats right, stanley kubrick himself allegedly explains the ending of 2001 in a resurfaced. A space odyssey, which he cowrote with stanley kubrick. The manapes of the world, who lived by gathering berries and nuts, were facing a lack of food.
I decided to pass that information along to you with this explanation and analysis of the book. One of the more common reactions to stanley kubricks 2001. Renata adler, in the times, described the movie as somewhere between. In a 1969 interview with joseph gelmis, kubrick explained the plot in a very straightforwar. It depicts the differences between the written work and the movie production, and analyzes possible alternate meanings to certain themes and motifs. A space odyssey concludes as a visual poem which tells a story about human evolution and steps taken to get there. A space odyssey is wait, what the hell happened exactly. I always found this a pretty disappointing end to the film because it seemed to make no sense. And the first answer to this great question has to do with. Did stanley kubrick finally explain the films ending. A collaboration of ideas with director stanley kubrick in the late 1960s it begins at the dawn of man and then leaps to the year 2001 where a mission to saturn jupiter in the film is mounted to try and answer questions raised by the discovery of an. A giant monolith appeared on earth one day and began to experiment with many of them, probing and developing their minds. The widely held belief is that arthur c clarke wrote the book and kubrick then. Sep 22, 2015 weve always defined ourselves by the ability to overcome the impossible.
One of its most enduring qualities is how open to interpretation it isover the years, the enigmatic film has. Clarke, and was inspired by clarkes short story the sentinel and other short stories by clarke. Weve always defined ourselves by the ability to overcome the impossible. Early in its making, clarke had said, if this film can be completely understood, then we have failed, and his third law of science fiction states, any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. A space odyssey wasnt so much a movie based upon a book as much as it was a collaboration between kubrick and clarke. As near i can tell its just some nebulous poorly explained concept thats far too often used as a crutch in scifi as the ultimate trump card for feigning depth where there wouldnt normally be any. Id like to hear some interpretations from others and see if i cant grasp what kubrick was going for. A novel that proposes an idea about how the human race might have begun and where it might be headed. The two soon met at trader vics in new york and started hashing out a story that became 2001.
In terms of its themes and symbolism, 2001 was con. Find great deals on ebay for 2001 a space odyssey book and 2001 a space odyssey book hardcover. It entails the nature between man and the unknown while giving life to the universe around the main cast of characters. A space odyssey, in which astronaut david bowman keir dullea, after. A space odyssey for the first time, and although the ending sequence was really cool, i didnt quite understand what was going on.
A space odyssey remains a mystery kubrick may have set out to make a sciencefiction film, but 2001. In case the amazing visuals in the trailers for interstellar didnt give it away, christopher nolans upcoming movie is intended to be a 2001. A space odyssey is based on the final version of the script for the 1968 motion picture, but, even so, in some regards they differ due to late changes made by director stanley kubrick to that picture after the novel had largely been completed. The book explains the monolith much more specifically than the. Clarke foreword behind every man now alive stand thirty ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnumber the living. The result is that 2001 manages to cover a lot of ground without much plot. But those two hours in 1968 watching 2001 defined an image of what the computational future could be. Citizen kane is also one of the greatest films ever made. Stars were rushing past bowmans field of vision as if he were moving incredibly quickly, but the end of the star gate never seemed closer. Clarke has many degrees that allow him to give depth to the plot.
Summary of 2001 a space odyssey and personal response essay. A space odyssey predicted the future50 years ago wired. The widely held belief is that arthur c clarke wrote the book and kubrick then adapted the book into a film. A space odyssey and assume at least some of the orbiting satellites are space weapons. Made before the days of digital scifi effects, 2001 was nothing. Get a full month of mubi, a handpicked selection of cult, classic and award winning films, for free. The odyssey is a long greek poem by homer about a dude named odysseus who goes on a long voyage. Well explore the events in the book, discuss and analyze its main themes, and finish with a short quiz. Over the course of the next four years, kubrick and clarke talked and corresponded frequently. Oct 16, 2014 in case the amazing visuals in the trailers for interstellar didnt give it away, christopher nolans upcoming movie is intended to be a 2001. From the savannas of africa at the dawn of mankind to the rings of saturn as man ventures to the outer rim of our solar system, 2001. In a 1969 interview with joseph gelmis, kubrick explained the plot in a very straightforward manner.
A space odyssey and you loved it but you kinda dont. The screenplay was written by kubrick and arthur c. An alternative treatment of the films plot where more is explained and the discovery finished up at saturn instead of jupiter more specifically iapetus was, as noted above, one of the first books i remember buying. A space odyssey, the great work on film by jay weidner. As a fan of stanley kubrick and cinema in general, i find that the cinematography of 2001. A space odyssey spoilers i just finished watching 2001. The novel, for example, attempts to explain things much more. In 1945, he proposed global broadcasting via communication satellites in geostationary orbit. A space odyssey movie features bizarre colours and the main character appearing in a bed, then becoming an old man and finally a fetus. It actually was my favorite film until i began to unravel the truth that stanley kubrick embedded into his masterpiece 2001. A space odyssey is one of the most cryptic films ever made, having spawned high brow critiques and debates that have endured for decades. There are many people who think 2001 is about the afterlife, or how nothing really matters. A big part of that is because theres no real character development to speak of. The novel starts millions of years in the past, with a bunch of manapes.
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