Rendezvous with Rama

A series of novels by Arthur C. Clarke in which a group of scientists explore an alien spaceship they find in space,there's no antagonists on board Rama but it is a very alien setting,so its about exploration rather then conquest.

The summary is based off the first book I've read,I've not cared to try the other books in series,this thread was actually prompted by discussions in the film topic for Dune,notably because for a long time it was thought to be impossible to make a movie based off either Dune or Rendezvous with Rama, partly because because Dune is very,very weird in places and Rama hasn't the villains and heroes to make to make it attractive as a film for Hollywood

Notably Denis Villeneuve wants to be the one to make a Rendezvous with Rama movie after the two Dune movies which is also what led to this thread's creation.

Edited by Ultimatum on Apr 8th 2024 at 2:46:32 PM

So what drives the narrative, then? I assume it's more than just an extended tour of the scenery?

the narrative is exploring the ship

Let me back this up a little.

Rendezvous with Rama is a science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke about humans encountering aliens. A series of belated sequels was written by Gentry Lee in collaboration with Clarke.

In the first book, a gigantic interstellar probe shows up in the solar system. A hastily organized expedition of astronauts is sent to investigate. They find a hollow, cylindrical spacecraft with fantastic technology, seemingly uninhabited save by robots. Since it is on a hyperbolic trajectory back out into interstellar space, they only have a few weeks to return to Earth, so much of the film's conflict is derived from the urgency of the timeline and the dangers encountered within Rama. There is No Antagonist save for the need to get back home.

In the sequel, Rama makes a second encounter with Earth, only this time it's on a mission — to collect humans and take them back to the spacecraft's mysterious masters. Gentry Lee's novels spend a lot more time on the interpersonal relationships of its cast and on the politics of Earth.

There's a wonderfully tense sequence in the second book in which Earth governments launch a nuclear missile at Rama while the astronauts are aboard and the ship has to protect itself.

Edited by Fighteer on Apr 8th 2024 at 11:06:48 AM

That sounds like it would be better for a documentary than a movie.

Hey, if they could make a videogame of this, they can probably make a movie.

Edited by M84 on Apr 8th 2024 at 10:54:47 PM

I didn't even know there was a video game!

It was also covered in one of Ross' Gaming Dungeon reviews.

It's a sad commentary on modern media when a story about exploring a giant alien spacecraft isn't exciting enough to make a movie that people will sit through.

For myself, I'm mainly concerned that Villeneuve will feel compelled to spice it up with extra action scenes and/or political messaging. Not that political messaging is bad per se, but it would be out of keeping with Clarke's original intent. It also wouldn't be the first time that a film adaptation of one of his books got "spiced up"; see 2010: The Year We Make Contact.

Another possibility would be to merge the first and second books, so the first encounter is also the one where the astronauts get collected. There's more than enough melodrama in Rama II to satisfy audiences.

Edit: On the other hand, people really liked The Martian despite it having no antagonist, just a character drama about an astronaut trying to get home. If framed in that manner, Rama could work.

Edited by Fighteer on Apr 8th 2024 at 11:22:07 AM

I could see Rama being portrayed as eldritch in nature so they get to play up the horror aspects

The Rama isn't particularly eldritch, just alien. It's not really played for existential horror.

Even the videogame wasn't truly a horror game. It attempted to get across what it might really be like to explore a truly alien spaceship. There's some discomfort, but there's more mystery and wonder.

Clarke really enjoyed writing stories about the discovery of extraterrestrial life spurring human social and technological development. After Rama passes, humanity gets its shit together in some ways and loses its shit in others, and Rama II strongly reflects those changes.

I mentioned Lost in Space earlier, and not just for giggles. The character of "Dr. Smith" in that show is strongly reminiscent of Francesca Sabatini from Rama II: a sociopath who attempts to sabotage the mission over her personal grievances.

But all of this is framed against Rama having visited Earth before and everyone collectively freaking out about it. You need the setup to get the payoff.

Edited by Fighteer on Apr 8th 2024 at 3:43:36 PM

Villeneuve, at least, is probably the right person to get across this really alien spaceship, and the thing is like, the ticking clock is established right from the start and there’s a lot of stuff in the book that could be interpreted as someone doing something on purpose. Build up a big mystery and leave the audience wondering, along with the characters, why Rama was built and launched empty.

The other element is that Rama is gigantic and the way in and out is, uh, really unwieldy and time-consuming. Having the characters be impacted by this issue of having less than two days to explore this huge thing or be trapped forever on an empty spaceship forever is a pretty good source of stress.

Edited by Zendervai on Apr 8th 2024 at 11:43:48 AM

Given how poorly Villeneuve adapted the plot of Dune IMO, I shudder to think of what he'd try to do to a story that's mostly about the wonders of exploring an alien craft and partly about fighting the innate human tendency towards panic and stupidity. So it's a "humanity against itself" story.

It could actually be done as a documentary, or rather the process of documenting the exploration as it occurs, and be quite interesting.

Surprised so many here are mentioning the sequels; I thought they were widely considered Canon Discontinuity(I read them as a kid and remember liking them but don't know what I'd think if I read them again).

Honestly, I have no idea if Clarke ever disavowed them. It's not like he wrote anything else himself that might contradict Gentry Lee's work.

My main concern with adapting Rendezvous with Rama to film is that it's not really a character drama. It's a survival thriller at best. Maybe that's what Villeneuve wants to make, and if so, great. At least I'll give it a shot.

Edited by Fighteer on Apr 9th 2024 at 5:07:09 AM

Hence why I thought a documentary style would maybe fit better. Wouldn't be the first faux documentary about an alien world, either.