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  • Rendezvous with Rama

  • Rama Series, Book 1
  • Written by: Arthur C. Clarke
  • Narrated by: Toby Longworth
  • Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (190 ratings)

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Rendezvous with Rama

Written by: Arthur C. Clarke
Narrated by: Toby Longworth
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Publisher's Summary

This audiobook was re-recorded with a new narrator, and the new product uploaded on 25th June 2014. Please note that written reviews prior to that date refer to a different narrator.

Winner of the 1973 Nebula and BSFA Awards and the 1974 Hugo, Campbell, and Locus Awards.

At first, only a few things are known about the celestial object that astronomers dub Rama. It is huge, weighing more than 10 trillion tons. And it is hurtling through the solar system at inconceivable speed.

Then a space probe confirms the unthinkable: Rama is no natural object. It is, incredibly, an interstellar spacecraft. Space explorers and planet-bound scientists alike prepare for mankind's first encounter with alien intelligence. It will kindle their wildest dreams...and fan their darkest fears. For no one knows who the Ramans are or why they have come. And now the moment of rendezvous awaits - just behind a Raman airlock door.

Bonus Audio: Includes an exclusive introduction by Hugo Award-winning author Robert J. Sawyer, who explains why Rendezvous with Rama will make the listener ‘feel both humbled and exhilarated at the same time’.

Arthur C. Clarke was born in Minehead in 1917. During the Second World War he served as an RAF radar instructor, rising to the rank of Flight-Lieutenant. After the war he won a BSc in physics and mathematics with first class honours from King's College, London.

One of the most respected of all science-fiction writers, he also won Kalinga Prize, The Aviation Space-Writers' Prize and The Westinghouse Science Writing Prize. He shared an Oscar nomination with Stanley Kubrick for the screenplay of 2001: A Space Odyssey, which was based on his story, 'The Sentinel'. He lived in Sri Lanka from 1956 until his death in 2008.

©1973 Arthur C. Clarke (P)2013 Audible Ltd

What the critics say

“Arthur C. Clarke is awesomely informed about physics and astronomy, and blessed with one of the most astounding imaginations ever encountered in print.” ( New York Times)
“Arthur C. Clarke is one of the truly prophetic figures of the space age ... The colossus of science fiction.” ( New Yorker)
“Quite memorable and at times magical… We glimpse our own future in this technological artifact - a future as magical as it is mysterious.” (Brian W Aldiss)
“For many readers Arthur C. Clarke is the very personification of science fiction.” ( The Encyclopaedia of Science Fiction)

What listeners say about Rendezvous with Rama

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent story and superb narrator.

Toby long worth is always a treat. The imagination and creativity of this story is believable much like the expanse.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, poor narration

I just could not listen to the narrator. His voice dips way too much at the end of sentences and he pauses in weird moments. I know I have to give every new narrator some time before I get used to their voice. I was in chapter 6 and just couldn't follow the story.
Read it the old fashioned way, fantastic story! love Arthur C Clarke and his works.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

one of my favorite books growing up

this was one of my favorite audiobook so far. I read the book many times over the years but my eyes site bot the bestanymore for reading. one again I climb thd staircase to the gods.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Arthur c. Clarke is my first favorite ...

I'd rate this story somehow moderate among author's works,, it's a great book but not his best

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A prequel to Denis Villeneuve's movie

I went in to learn more about the upcoming movies, and got out amazed by this story! It is what I would call a masterpiece of science fiction. I felt I was there with them on Rama. loved it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic narration

Loved the writing style, very captivating performance throughout. Cannot recommend enough. Perfect length for a first book, im excited to listen to the rest of the series

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Splendid

The Best audiobook narration I’ve ever listened to. One of the best sci-fi books too.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic!!!

As a big fan of Arthur C Clark's other work I expected to enjoy the sorry and I did very much. The sense of wonder as the crew explore the mysterious Rama was expertly told and kept me on the proverbial edge of my seat.

What I did not expect was the narrator's incredible performance. While great during the narrative sections, the character voices performed were beyond expectation.The accents he performs for the characters were amazing and 100% believable to my ear (British, Australian, American, Spanish, Russian, other?). I'm not one to normally go for character voices in my audiobooks as if they're not well done I find them more distracting than anything, but the character voices performed here added much to the performance. Bravo.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Gripping book and excellent narration

The plot of the book is engaging and suspenseful, definitely worth picking up. Each chapter brings a new angle to the problem of Rama. The ending is somewhat anticlimactic but I suppose that makes some sense given the fact that there are sequels. The narrator does a great job of using different voices and accents for all of the characters which makes it easy to tell them apart and gives them more personality.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I thought it would be better.

Arthur C Clarke is renowned to be sure. But I found this story wanting. Its straight forward, little excitement and no twists. It's not bad....but its also not great.

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