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2001: A Space Odyssey, The Book in Light of the Movie

    In my quest to learn what is good science fiction, I recently had the privilege of reading Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.  The film 2001 is of course iconic, but while certainly a great art picture, I always thought it lacked entertainment value for all but the most cerebral of audiences.   I was a little afraid that the experience of reading the novel would be much the same.   However, I discovered that when the events of 2001 are experienced through the eyes of complex and engaging characters, it leads to one of the most engrossing experiences I have had thus far with the genre.

    When I first showed the film 2001: A Space Odyssey to a college roommate of mine, it provoked laughter.  The film’s most iconic moments seem farcical today especially given the deadpan seriousness of their presentation.  It is quite funny watching a man in a monkey-suit figure out which end of club to hold while Richard Straus’s Also sprach Zarathustra plays in the background.   However, the sense of comedy is more than just situational.  Space stations dancing to The Blue Danube, epic spacecraft slowly crawling through the darkness, and Hal’s line “I am sorry Dave, but I can’t do that” seem trite even to a first-time viewer.  The film is such a classic, its motifs so repeated, emulated, and parodied, it has turned itself into a cliche through its own influence and success.

    The novel, just like the film, contains many elements that have been repeated ad nauseam in science fiction.  Aliens manipulating human evolution, non-corporeal beings, faster than light travel, and ancient alien artifacts all make an appearance.  These may seem tired and worn to a twenty-first century reader, but it must be considered that Arthur C. Clarke deserves a great deal of credit for popularizing these ideas.  Even if these elements are familiar, the way in which they are woven into the narrative is interesting and draws the reader in.

    There are minor differences between the plots and settings of the film and the book, but the greatest contrast occurs in the portrayal of characters.  The film’s human characters seem distant, flat, and mechanical.  This may have been a stylistic choice because it tends to emphasize the humanness of Hal, the artificial intelligence who controls the spacecraft Discovery.   Hal has anxieties and concerns that his flesh and blood counterparts lack.  This makes the audience sympathize with him and, consequently, heightens the twisted and frightening nature of his betrayal in the penultimate act of the film.  A stylistic choice or not, the audience is left unengaged by most of the players in the drama and apathetic to their fates.

    On the contrary, Clarke’s novel has excellent characterization.  The reader’s engagement with the characters makes this average sized novel a fast read.  The ability to leap into the minds and motives of Moon-Watcher, Floyed, and Bowmen concretizes their world and energetically drives the narrative in a way the film does not accomplish.  The power of the narrative is grounded in the perspective of these three as they witness the development of the human race  in its progression from animal savagery to trans-human existence. 

    The book is not without its weaknesses and slow points.  After speeding through the first half, I was bored by the descriptions of life aboard Discovery.  I will credit Clarke’s artistic ability enough to suggest that this may be intentional, as the chapters focus on the banal aspects of day to day life in space.  However, I think that the most important quality of a  novel is that is it through and through engaging and entertaining.  So while I could perhaps allow such artistic licence for a chapter, in 2001 it goes on for far too long.

    Trudging through this portion is well worth it of course, for novel’s transcendental finish.  My perspective may be somewhat biased.  I have discovered that I am something of Hard SF snob and really wanted to like the film because of its emphasis on scientific and technical accuracy.  Although I do think it was one of the great pictures of the twentieth century, its slowness discourages me from seeing it again and again.  However, where the film falls flat, the novel really comes to life. Not only does it contain good science, it presents the story in a truly interesting way.  Because I wanted to like the film, I loved the book.

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