Rendezvous with Rama is a 1973 science fiction novel by British writer Arthur C. Clarke. Set in the 2130s, the story involves a 50-by-20-kilometre (31-by-12-mile) cylindrical alien starship that enters the Solar System. The story is told from the point of view of a group of human explorers who intercept the ship in an attempt to unlock its mysteries. The novel won the Hugo, Locus, and Nebula awards upon its release, and is regarded as one of the cornerstones of Clarke's bibliography. The concept was later extended with several sequels, written by Clarke and Gentry Lee.
Plot An asteroid strikes the Po Valley in northern Italy on September 11, 2077, destroying the cities of Venice, Verona, and Padua and prompting the creation of the Spaceguard system to track potentially hazardous objects in space. In 2131, Spaceguard detects an interstellar object entering the Solar System, designating it "31/439" before naming it Rama after the Hindu god. A space probe reveals that Rama is a perfectly smooth cylinder 50 kilometres (31 mi) long and 20 kilometres (12 mi) in diameter, indicating that it was constructed by intelligent beings. Endeavour is sent to study Rama, being the only ship close enough to do so. The crew navigates through a triple airlock system and descends one of three identical staircases. Inside Rama, they discover two plains that stretch across the interior circumference, divided by a frozen body of water they name the Cylindrical Sea. They identify several city-sized clusters of geometric structures, which they name after major cities on Earth. The United Planets follows their progress closely, and scientists are assembled to form a Rama Committee that considers theories and advises Commander Norton. As Rama drifts closer to the Sun, the Cylindrical Sea melts, the temperature shift causes a storm, and three massive lights activate on each plain to illuminate the world. Boris Rodrigo, a crewman who adheres to an ancient astronaut-inspired sect of Christianity, suggests that Rama is a new Noah's Ark that will change course to begin orbiting the Sun. The crew floats across the Cylindrical Sea on a raft to reach an island they name New York, and a sample of the water reveals the presence of microorganisms. The structures in New York are positioned in patterns of three, without any openings, and their purpose is unidentifiable. Crewman Jimmy Pak approaches Norton to admit that he smuggled a sky-bike onto their ship and offers to fly it above a cliff to reach the otherwise inaccessible southern plain. He flies to the other end of Rama, which is defined by a large spike several kilometres in length and surrounded by smaller spikes. Pak realizes that a static field is building around the spikes, which then emits a concussion that knocks his sky-bike out of the air and destroys it, stranding him in the southern plain. As he recovers from the crash, a crab-like creature arrives to disassemble the sky-bike and dispose of its parts. Pak is unable to determine whether the creature is biological or robotic. Pak explores the patchwork terrain of the southern plain while he waits for rescue. He finds a single alien flower, which he takes. A rescue crew arrives on the raft, and Pak jumps from the cliff into the Cylindrical Sea so they can pull him aboard. A course change by Rama triggers a series of large waves, but Sergeant Ruby Barnes navigates them to safety. They see a damaged starfish-like creature emerge from the sea, and shark-like creatures arrive to disassemble it. After returning to their camp, a spider-like creature with three eyes and three legs studies all of their equipment. More arrive, and one falls from a higher platform to its destruction. Surgeon-Commander Laura Ernst takes the opportunity to dissect the creature and finds that it is both biological and robotic, so they conclude that the creatures were designed by the Ramans and begin referring to them as biots. The government of Mercury, having decided that Rama is too dangerous, launches a nuclear weapon to destroy it. Rodrigo intercepts the missile and disarms it, taking advantage of the 12-minute time lag for radio communication between it and Mercury. The crew prepares to evacuate as Rama gets too close to the Sun. For their final expedition, they visit a city with a laser and cut a hole into the side of a structure. Inside they find a collection of holograms that provide details on various Raman artefacts, including a suit designed for a three-legged humanoid. As they leave, the biots return to the sea to be disassembled and the lights begin to dim. The crew boards Endeavour and leaves Rama. Rama changes course to move directly toward the Sun and moves alongside it to gather energy. It then activates a space drive to propel itself out of the Solar System in the direction of the Large Magellanic Cloud. After Rama leaves, a member of the Rama Committee considers that the Ramans do everything in threes.
Reception John Leonard of The New York Times, while finding Clarke "benignly indifferent to the niceties of characterization", praised the novel for conveying "that chilling touch of the alien, the not-quite-knowable, that distinguishes sci-fi at its most technically imaginative". Other reviewers have also commented on Clarke's lack of character development and overemphasis on realism.
Awards and nominations The novel received the following awards:
Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1973 British Science Fiction Association Award in 1973 Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1974 Jupiter Award for Best Novel in 1974 John W. Campbell Memorial Award in 1974 Locus Award for Best Novel in 1974 Seiun Award for Best Foreign Language Novel in 1980
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