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4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
583 global ratings
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22%
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2 star
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Ian M. Walker
5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating.
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2018
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Having recently found myself in need of the comfort of an old escape - one of my favourite authors during my teens and early years 20's) I revisited the Space Odyssey series. I had purchased it months ago in digital format as a set upon discovering that the final book, 3001 had somehow escaped my notice!

I have now zipped through the second and third books as I could hardly put them down. I'm once again reminded of the skill with which Clarke manages to captivate even though some of the content could, perhaps, be considered dry or technical. The interesting characters, fascinating problems and the all too possible scenarios make this series an absolute pleasure.

Now on to the final chapter from this prescient author.
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Bit Twiddler
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Sequel
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2020
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Seems to me this book made for a more integrated story series, expanding on the previous two books and clarifying a few things. I didn't feel it was as good as the first two, but then it has been over 50 years since I first saw the movie and read the first book, about 40 since the second. I just read this one for the first time and am a somewhat different person than back then (part of the aging process I guess) so hard to fairly judge.

No matter, it is a good read and well worth the money spent.
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Ben
4.0 out of 5 stars Even the fact that the author magically moved the story from Saturn to Jupiter makes the sequels feel like their own stories tha
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2015
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I've seen some reviews that complain about this book adding nothing to the Odyssey storyline, but I'd have to disagree. I thought this book added quite a few interesting details about Haley's comet, the development of Europa, and even Ganymede (which was kind of surprising). The first Odyssey book had a straight plot that followed one guy all the way through to the end, but neither of the first 2 sequels have really done that. Sure, 2010 and 2061 follow Heywood Floyd, but it's not so much about him as it is about discovering the possibilities of the Jovian system (he just happens to be our perspective on the events). Even the fact that the author magically moved the story from Saturn to Jupiter makes the sequels feel like their own stories that happen to live in the same universe as the original. They are really not directly comparable, I think.

The only reason that I didn't give this one 5 stars is because the characters themselves were not very interesting. I really didn't connect with any of them, so there was little sense of peril when things started to go badly. I just felt like a passive observer waiting for the outcome to unfold. But I could definitely see myself reading this one again later.
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Steve King
3.0 out of 5 stars A Bit of Fluff in the 20xx Universe
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2012
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2061: Odyssey Three picks up with a 160+ year old Heywood Floyd - still vigorous thanks to advances in medical technology and many decades of living at 1/6th gravity on a space station - ready to undertake another adventure, this time to land on Haley's Comet as a highly visible "celebrity" passenger. Finding out his estrange grandson is a crew member aboard a similar vessel doing research in the Jovian/Lucifer system when that ship is hijacked and forced to land on Europa, Floyd and the crew of the space ship he's traveling with must come up with an ingenious method to reach Europa in time to save the crew of the downed ship.

2061: Odyssey Three is a contrast to the earlier books in the 20xx universe. Where 2001 and 2010 were both fairly intense books, with a strong degree of antagonism (whether it be from a person or a hostile environment) and even a little bit of a fear factor, 2061 showcases Clarke as a master story teller - because it's only through his mastery of prose that Clarke can write a book that's almost entirely a fluff piece and still spin a tale that people want to read. To me, 2061 felt, very literally, like a group of youngsters sitting around a fireplace begging grandpa to "tell us about the time you went to Haley's comet" one more time. The fairly short novel (hardcover clocks in at 204 pages) really lacks any sort of antagonistic element, and is more a simple adventure story with a lot of flashbacks and other odds and ends.

While a good story, told by a sci-fi master, I kept wanting a little more from it. The "exciting" part of the book really doesn't start until we're over 100 pages in (keeping in mind that's nearly halfway through the book), when the star ship that Floyd's grandson is a crew member on, is hijacked and forced to crash land on Europa. Fans of 2010 will remember when the obelisk/star child tells humanity "all of these planets are yours, except Europa, attempt no landings there," but when one ship crash lands there and another is sent to rescue it, the response from Europa is a bit lackluster (I wont reveal what actually happens, don't want to spoil things) and I think Clarke missed an opportunity to expand on the cryptic, otherwordlyness of that particular plot element.

As others who gave the book 3 and 4 stars point out frequently, 2061 is by no means a bad book and is worth reading, but it doesn't do much to advance the 20xx universe outside of adding a little depth and detail.
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I Like Things
4.0 out of 5 stars The worst of the four, but on its own still a great read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 7, 2017
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There's nothing worse than a review that spoils the book, so I'm going to attempt to write this without giving anything away.
Ok, so without a doubt this book is by far the worst in the Odyssey series. However because this is Clarke we are talking about, that means that it is still pretty good! I would certainly recommend it to anyone who likes the preceding two books and want to complete the series. Whether you actually NEED to read it before 3001 is open for debate, however it does set up certain aspects of the story which role into 3001 so I suppose read on if you want that added depth. My main criticism, and I suspect that this is why some other reviews are less than keen is that while 2001 and 2010 have this great overarching cosmic mystery about the obelisks and their creators 2061 is much more closer to home and the comparatively more mundane personal relationships and crises of those within our solar system. So temper your expectations but if you enjoyed the series so far it is certainly a nice read before the excellent finale.
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tencsboc
4.0 out of 5 stars A.C. turns another story in to a trilogy of unfinished business.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 22, 2015
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Arrived quickly as described no hassles.

NO SPOILERS

what is it with Mr Clarke. Yes we all owe him a massive debt of gratitude for the satellite and comms world we live in. No doubt of it.

But we also have to thank him for the unfinished......thought, idea, sentence? -

Its really annoying when he starts something brilliant and then doesn't finish it. This is not the only example of his writing where the initial concept was staggering and the possibilities were tantalisingly hinted at and laid out before us. however, rather than give us a complete, finished, rounded piece of work he is quite content to either leave it hanging.......or just churn out more in the same vein and then leave it hanging.

If you're happy with the 'journey' and actually like inconclusive endings then A.C.'s your man.

Don't misunderstand me I love his books and his ideas - I just wish one of them could be concluded. Perhaps it's me and I'm just not capable of seeing the ending. Or then again it is a great money spinning M.O. to maximise the return on one idea.

ACID TEST: Would I advise someone to read this - NOT if they wanted a reveal/explanation etc
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KARL O NEILL
4.0 out of 5 stars An out of this world read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 14, 2019
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Went the distance from 2001 etc. to this. Addictive reads. As I write this I have read 75% of 3001. I know I won't be dissapointed by the ending though I expect some suprises from the late Mr. Clarke's Oddysey. A brilliant collection of books. Highly recommend for realists and sci-fi Fans. Karl O'Neill.
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Alistair
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book but wrong cover!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 2, 2020
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Bought all of the books in the series and really enjoyed them! Gave it 4* because the cover on 'Odyssey Three' was not the same as the other 3 books in the series that arrived in the same box from the same company (gave the other books individually 5*). Hence i now have a series where one of the books is off and will probably have to buy it again anyway!
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LG65
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 4, 2019
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Brilliant book good value
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