To say that this is one of the greatest science fiction books of all-time is an almost laughable understatement. It is quite simply one of the greatest books of all-time, in any category. A brilliant masterpiece. There is a sense of awe and wonder throughout the book, you cannot possibly put it down. I have read many Clarke books and this is probably his best, with the possible exception of 2001 (and yes I've read Rendzevous With Rama). If you are a SF or Clarke fan and you have not yet read this, you should be ashamed of yourself.