The Bearer of Light Brings No Morning

I just finished reading 2061: Odyssey Three by Arthur C. Clarke. For some reason this book felt a little longer that the other two. Anyway this one takes place some 50 years after the second novel, and one of the main characters, one Heywood Floyd, has returned at the ripe old age of 103. Though through living in reduced gravity and having undergone two hibernation cycles in the previous book he may be more like 65. So anyway I’m gonna do something different here and give you a little plot. OOOOooooo. Don’t get used to it.

In the last book, the humans rendezvoused with Discovery and HAL, life was found on Europa, Jupiter was collapsed by the Monoliths, and humanity was told not to land on Europa. There that should catch you up. Well humanity has improved its space faring ability and has stretched out its hands to the solar system. The Jovian system’s ministar Lucifer, Bearer of Light, has vastly changed the climate on the planets surrounding it. Europa’s shrouded in clouds, but sensors indicate what appears to be a Monolith on the surface. Suddenly a several kilometer high mountain appears on the planet, and no one can explain it. That is until one man makes a remarkable discovery. He travels to The Jovian system aboard the Galaxy to test his theory, but he’s been too careless with his information. A rival group is on the ship with him and forces a landing on Europa, against the instructions from the message 50 years earlier. Now the only ship that can rescue them is the Universe, on its maiden flight on the other side of the system, in the middle of an expedition to Halley’s Comet. Heywood Floyd, aboard the Universe, must once again travel to the Jovian system aboard the fastest ship in the solar system to reach a stranded vessel. Only this time His Grandson is aboard the stranded ship and no one knows if the rescue mission will be allowed to land.

There, look, plot. BE AMAZED. Anyway, it’s a pretty good third installment. You can tell Clarke worked the second book and this one with continuations in mind. They are quite different than the first book. Anyway, this one is at least as good as the last one, though I have to say I still prefer the Rama series. It’s also nice to see the similarities and differences to the Time Odyssey series. On to the last book.