Rendezvous with Rama: AI absence, alien wonder, and the case for competent humans
Summary
Mike Woodward revisits Rendezvous with Rama, weighing its sense of wonder against flaws in characterization and dialogue. He notes Clarke's unusual choice to exclude self-aware AI, arguing this keeps the mystery intact and centers human competence and teamwork. The article also explores Rama's alien nature, the possible AI stand-ins (engineered simps), and upcoming movie developments.