I read the "Rendevouz with Rama" book a couple of years ago when I was on a big Arthur C. Clarke kick and loved it. It was very science heavy, plot driven, and had an ending that I was completely on board with. The idea that an alien spaceship cruises right past us but could not care less about humanity's existence felt right to me. Just because an alien civilization is capable of making a spaceship as advanced as Rama, doesn't mean that they have noticed us in the galaxy; especially if their race died out long before Rama reached our solar system. It was the perfect use of a "make your own ending" ending (which normally I detest).

When I found out there were multiple sequels, I was a little surprised. I could see one more book where humanity learns who the Ramans were, but what else could you explore? Add to that the fact that another author wrote the majority of the sequels and I'm not very interested at all. However, I did find mint condition hardcopies of "Rama II" and "Rama Revealed" at Goodwill for $2 each, so I could not resist :)

I have only made it to about the 100 page mark in "Rama II" and boy am I struggling! The tone of this book is completely different. It is no longer plot driven or science heavy. We spend most of our time in the soap opera that is the cosmonauts' lives. Then, inexplicably one chapter jumps to four months into the journey to Rama II. WTF?! I had to go back and read the ending of the previous "Goodbye, Henry" chapter to make sure I didn't miss something (I took a couple of days off from reading this slog in between those chapters). We didn't get to see the launch, the first few days out in space, nothing... boom... they are at Rama II's doorstep. I thought, "OK, here goes the hard sci-fi action." But nope, we go off on a tangent about one of the crew members getting pregnant. *sigh*

I just can't do it anymore. I'm DNFing this book and probably won't continue the series (even thought I own all 4 now). I don't even know if I care to find out who the Ramans were in the last book (if it even tells us). I haven't been this frustrated with a book series since "Nomad"; which also focused on terrible characters rather than the fascinating science going on around them. I think I'll join the rest of the people that just assume the first book was the only one ever written.

Why the 2 stars? Because I (shockingly) did enjoy the chapter that posed questions to the Pope about how Christianity fit into the existence of the Ramans. I'm not an overly religious person myself, but I'm always fascinated by its role in society.