Rendezvous with Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke

The characters in this classic sci-fi novel are not interesting or memorable. So why is this book so beloved? Descriptions. Arthur C. Clarke is really good at describing really weird things. The story is about an abandoned, mysterious, 30-mile long alien spacecraft/tube. A crew of forgettable humans investigates the ship and the cities inside. And that’s the entire story. 

It helps that this is a short book, but what keeps the story moving forward is reading about the wild alien shapes and things that the humans discover inside the ship. Buildings, frozen oceans, robots, there’s something interesting everywhere humans look.

The book inspired just about every piece of modern sci-fi, so reading it feels oddly, and eerily, familiar. And months and years after reading it, I find myself still thinking about the space inside this ship, and the gravity, and the design. That’s the sign of a good book. There are no big action set pieces, there is no epic battle for control of the universe, and you won’t find any karate fights with aliens. And that’s okay! This is a quiet book best read in a very dark room, very late at night. 

If you want realistic characters dealing with deep emotions of love and regret, look elsewhere. If you want to read about the interiors of a big spaceship, you’re gonna love this. 

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