#30 in Classics
Rendezvous with Rama
- 256
- Pages
- about 4.5 h
- Reading time
- Film 2027
- On screen
- Hugo Award for Best Novel
- Nebula Award for Best Novel
- Locus Award for Best Novel
- John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
- BSFA Award for Best Novel
- NPR Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books
- Seiun Award for Best Translated Long Work
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Our view
“Rendezvous with Rama” is hard science fiction in a pure form: a vast alien cylinder drifts into the Solar System, a crew goes inside, and the book is content simply to explore it, carefully and in detail. There is no great twist to spoil, which is exactly why it rewards rereading. It suits readers who want wonder and plausibility, and who like to feel part of the expedition.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Rendezvous with Rama is a 1973 science fiction novel by British writer Arthur C. Clarke. Set in the 2130s, the story involves a 50-by-20-kilometre (31-by-12-mile) cylindrical alien starship that enters the Solar System. The story is told from the point of view of a group of human explorers who intercept the ship in an attempt to unlock its mysteries. The novel won the Hugo, Locus, and Nebula awards upon its release, and is regarded as one of the cornerstones of Clarke's bibliography. The concept was later extended with several sequels, written by Clarke and Gentry Lee.
Reading order · Rama
Full order & progress →- Rendezvous with RamaThis book
8.38.3 / 10 - Rama II
7.37.3 / 10 - The Garden of Rama
7.47.4 / 10 - Rama Revealed
7.57.5 / 10
On screen
This book has been adapted for the screen once.
- FilmRendezvous with RamaIMDb
Adaptation data: Wikidata · On screen →
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.1 across 1,224 ratings. With that many, the reader vote carries 89% of the weight and the score stays at 8.3 — the Classics average of 7.7 barely moves it. A further +0.20 comes from the small bonus for major awards.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.3 | 101 | 8% |
| Google Books | 8.0 | 5 | 0% |
| Hardcover | 8.1 | 1.1K | 91% |
Frequently asked
How long is Rendezvous with Rama?
It has 256 pages — shorter than 85% of the ranked books in Classics.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Classics — with scores between 8.2 and 8.3, closest to this book.
