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I read this book years ago, and I am sure that I am probably confusing parts of the book with the movie version (which is also BRILLIANT).

The concept of the book in some ways is pretty simple, but it was received with a lot of confusion when presented as a movie. Stanley Kubrick's visual style and way of telling the story perplexed a lot of the viewing audience.

The story is, in one sense, about a voyage of exploration to Jupiter which is then diverted to Saturn to investigate a mysterious monolith. This diversion is prompted by the discovery of a sister monolith on the moon, which when touched, beams a signal to the monolith orbitting Saturn.

The book was a collaboration between Clarke and film director, Stanley Kubrick and took parts of the story from previous works by Clark, including 'Encounter in the Dawn' which was the origin of the ape sequence at the beginning of the film, and ' The Sentinal' where a mysterious object is found on the moon. In the larger sense, the book is about the evolution of man from a prehistoric primative species to, ultimately, a spacefaring super species.

My memory fails as to the exact quality of the writing. Again, my mind confuses the book and the movie. My overall impression though is one that the book (and the movie) expand the mind and leaves one with the exhilerating state of mind of wander and curiosity.

I've also read 2010: Odyessy Two (and saw the movie). I don't remember if I read 2061: Odyessy Three but was aware of it. I see that now there is 3001: Final Odyessy which I may need to put on my reading list.