When, fourteen years ago, I typed the final words “For though he was master of the world, he was not quite sure what to do next. But he would think of something” I felt I had closed the circuit and precluded all possibility of a sequel. Indeed, for the next decade I ridiculed the very idea, for what seemed to me conclusive reasons. Since 2001 was concerned with the next stage of human evolution, to expect me (or even Stanley) to depict it would be as absurd as asking Moon-watcher to describe Bowman and his world.
Despite my protests, it is now obvious that my busy little subconscious was hard at work, perhaps in response to the constant stream of letters from readers wanting to know “what happened next.” Finally, as an intellectual exercise, I wrote a pr�cis of a possible sequel in the form of a short movie outline and sent copies to Stanley Kubrick and my agent, Scott Meredith. As far as Stanley was concerned, this was an act of courtesy, for I knew that he never repeats himself (just as I never write sequels), but I hoped that Scott would sell the outline to Omni magazine, which had recently published another outline, “The Songs of Distant Earth.” Then, I fondly hoped, the ghost of 2001 would be finally exorcised.
Stanley expressed guarded interest, but Scott was enthusiastic – and implacable. “You’ve simply got to write the book,” he said. With a groan, I realized that he was right…
So now, gentle reader (to coin a phrase), you can find what happens next in 2010: Space Odyssey Two. I am extremely grateful to New American Library, copyright holders of 2001: A Space Odyssey, for permission to use Chapter 37 in the new novel; It serves as a link, connecting the two books together.
A final comment on both novels as seen from a point now almost exactly midway between the year 2001 and the time when Stanley Kubrick and I started working together. Contrary to popular belief, science fiction writers very seldom attempt to predict the future; indeed, as Ray Bradbury put it so well, they more often try to prevent it. In 1964, the first heroic period of the Space Age was just opening; the United States had set the Moon as its target, and once that decision had been made, the ultimate conquest of the other planets, appeared inevitable. By 2001, it seemed quite reasonable that there would be giant space-stations in orbit round the Earth and – a little later – manned expeditions to the planets.
In an ideal world, that would have been possible: the Vietnam War would have paid for everything that Stanley Kubrick showed on the Cinerama screen. Now we realize that it will take a little longer.
2001 will not arrive by 2001. Yet – barring accidents – by that date almost everything depicted in the book and the movie will be in the advanced planning stage.
Except for communication with alien intelligences: that is something that can never be planned – only anticipated. No one knows whether it will happen tomorrow – or a thousand years hence.
But it will happen someday.
ARTHUR C. CLARKE
Colombo, Sri Lanka
November, 1982