Finished 2001: A Space Odyssey.  I’ll venture into the next in the series later tonight.  Though lacking in any in-depth internal dialogue or analysis, the story does a pretty good job of depicting astronaut Bowman’s dogged perseverence to hold on a get through what becomes an increasingly mind-boggling crisis.  The novel definitely goes into more depth than the movie from which it was drawn (“adapted from the screenplay”).  The film, which I admittedly love, is pretty hard to understand towards the end of the story.  But of course, that’s Bowman’s experience of it, so Kubrick did perhaps portray it effectively.  Nice to have the background all spelled out for me, though.  I like books.

Just finished Carl Sagan’s Contact — my second time reading the novel, and even more enjoyable this time around. The book, of course has more depth than the movie, and Ellie’s thoughts about what is unfolding are one aspect that enriches the story in written form.  Also, it’s wonderful to think that in the sciences world which has been so hostile to women, Carl Sagan, a male, would write so eloquently of Ellie’s dogged persistence in slogging through the muck and alternately gaining respect and being dismissed as a woman in the field.  I definitely recommend this book.

On a different track, but with the same theme of following the first clues left by extraterrestial life, I decided to re-read Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, and plan to read the sequels as well.  A much more dry style in this one, and less introspective — Contact constantly touched on questions like:why are we doing what we do? what are the potential consequences?

And in 1968, all the major players are men.  There are references to wives, girl children, and “men and women” in and audience of moon techies and administrators.  But it’s a pretty testosterone-rich environment in Clarke’s future.  sigh  None-the-less, a good story.