This book is a must have to anyone who loves SF. It's one of the classics and as you read you can figure it out. Of course the book is from 1968 and it's not so rich in terms of Hard Science as the books coming out today. Too much have happen in the world of Science and Science Fiction and this book must be read with an open mind because it was written almost 50 years ago. If you can do that then you are in for a ride. Excelent book. If you can read the book and then watch the film from Kubrick. This is one of the rare cases where the movie equals the book and each bring something different. I would advice reading both to enjoy it as I enjoy it. After all the book and the screenplay were written simultaneously. Clarke went for clearer explanations of the mysterious monolith and Star Gate and Kubrick kept the film mysterious and enigmatic with minimal dialogue in order to convey what many viewers have described as a powerful sence of sublime and munimous without specific explanations of events. There are some differences and I've found people who enjoy the book greater than the movie and vice-versa. I think they both complete themselves. Watch and Read.
