Rendezvous with Rama is a novel by
Arthur C. Clarke first published in
1972. Set in the 22nd Century, the story involves a mile-long cylindrical alien starship that passes through Earth's solar system on its way to somewhere else, and a group of human explorers sent to examine it. The story is told from the point of view of the humans, and the nature and purpose of the starship and its creators remains enigmatic.
The "Rama" of the title is the starship, which is initially mistaken for a comet and named after the Hindu deity. (By the 22nd century, we are told, scientists have run out of Roman mythological figures to name astronomical bodies after.)
Rendezvous with Rama was followed by three sequels, co-written by Clarke and Gentry Lee[?].
- Rendezvous with Rama (1972)
- Rama II (1989)
- Garden of Rama (1991)
- Rama Revealed (1993)
Gentry Lee also wrote two further novels set in the same Rama-Universe.
- Bright Messengers (1996)
- Double Full Moon Night (2000)