The Space Odyssey series is a science fiction series of novels and films created from 1948 to 1997 primarily by the science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke and by the film director Stanley Kubrick. The series consists of two films and four novels. The two films were directed by Kubrick and by Peter Hyams, respectively. The first film screenplay was written by Kubrick and Clarke jointly, based on the seed idea in an earlier short story by Clarke (which bears little relation to the film other than the idea of an alien civilization having left something to alert them to mankind's attaining the ability of space travel). The second film had a screenplay by Hyams based on the novel by Clarke, who was not directly involved in its production as he had been with the first film. Kubrick had no involvement in any of the later projects.
Another Arthur Clarke story, Encounter at Dawn (1953), bears resemblance of plot elements with the first story in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Opening part of another Arthur Clarke story, Transience, has plot elements set in about the same time in human history as the first story in 2001 A Space Odyssey, but the two stories are unrelated.
The series combines several science-fiction narrative conventions with a metaphysical tone. Since the stories and settings in the various book and film entries all diverge, Clarke has stated that the continuity of the series represents happenings in a set of parallel universes.
The A Time Odyssey novels are an "orthoquel" to the Space Odyssey series.
Series listing
- "The Sentinel" (written in 1948, first published in 1951 as "Sentinel of Eternity")
- "Encounter at Dawn" (First published in 1953 as "Encounter in the Dawn")
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968 novel and film)
- 2010: Odyssey Two (1982 novel and 1984 film, 2010: The Year We Make Contact)
- 2061: Odyssey Three (1987 novel)
- 3001: The Final Odyssey (1997 novel)
Also:
- The Lost Worlds of 2001 (book, 1972 Signet)
