Arthur C. Clarke (born 1917)
British writer of novels, short stories, and non-fiction.
...
Rendezvous With Rama (1973)
is the story of the discovery and exploration of Rama, an initially lifeless
spaceship-world entering the solar system. As Rama approaches the Sun, it
starts to wake up, providing surprise after surprise for the crew of the
spaceship sent to explore it. This novel contains most of Clarke's themes.
The scientific basis of the explorer's discoveries and speculations are
lucidly explained without often [the word `often' is put in here to be
truthful: there is the odd slow part] dulling their excitement, though,
as in 2001 and Childhood's End,
mysteries always remain. Clarke's excitement
with the idea of contacting alien intelligences is vividly conveyed.
M.H. Zool