Customer Reviews

Arthur C. Clarke's Calendar: 2001

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I am the administrator of a Web area devoted to Sir Arthur's life and works, and have been a follower of Sir Arthur's work for 35 years.

The title I've given this short review implies something a little less than a rave. It would appear that Sir Arthur wasn't able to (or interested in) securing the rights from MGM to reproduce artwork and/or stills from the now-lengendary 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey," on which he was the collaborator with Stanley Kubrick. Instead, we are treated day to day with a snippet relating to the science-fiction and fantasy genres, its authors and many of its ideas. It's a good second choice, but even then it would have been nice -- and a lot more extra work, I realize -- to relate the information to the day in question (Dec. 16 doesn't mention, for example, that it's Sir Arthur's own birthday). Such calendrical information is conspicuously absent.

However, Sir Arthur has chosen to lend his name to *this* calendar for the year 2001; and it is an interesting and noteworthy effort, even if it's incomplete in our eyes. We wanted something a little different, but perhaps Sir Arthur is more creative than we give him (or us) credit for. I will use this calendar, and learn from it. And I can still watch "2001" on tape or DVD any time I want.

My quick scan of Dec. 16 in the calendar didn't include the actual lengthy text, which *does* refer to Sir Arthur's birthday, as it is a rumination on the anticipated arrival of ACC's 84th birthday. Unlike most calendars that stick to a theme, this calendar still tends to ignore major events in the SF world and does not delineate them -- nor is there a delineated reference to Sir Arthur's birthday. Sorry about the confusion!!!

For many people, including myself, this was an excellent companion to adventures that happened during the year 2001. Now that years have gone by since that year, it can continue to be of value as an occasional reference guide with windows into many dimensions of culture, possibility, opportunities, threats, hopes, and dreams. Clarke provides brief, interesting notes that touch upon the cosmic and the practical, the individual and the human race, and weaves them together wonderfully. If you bought this calendar for 2001 and then kept it intact, it may serve you well to revisit portions of it again once in a while. If you did not previously buy it, then seeking it could be especially worthwhile if you have an interest in any of the following: science, history, philosophy, science fiction, space, and the distant future.