Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece

Michael Benson

2018. g. apr. · Simon and Schuster

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The definitive story of the making of 2001: A Space Odyssey, with photos included: “A tremendous explication of a tremendous film. . . . Breathtaking.” —The Washington Post

In 1968, a strikingly original film had its premiere. Still acclaimed as one of the most remarkable and important motion pictures ever made, 2001: A Space Odyssey depicted the first contacts between humanity and extraterrestrial intelligence. The movie was the product of a singular collaboration between Stanley Kubrick and science fiction visionary Arthur C. Clarke. Fresh off the success of his cold war satire Dr. Strangelove, Kubrick wanted to make the first truly first-rate science fiction film. Drawing from Clarke’s ideas and with one of the author’s short stories as the initial inspiration, their bold vision benefited from pioneering special effects that still look extraordinary today, even in an age of computer-generated images.

In Space Odyssey, artist and award-winning filmmaker Michael Benson “delivers expert inside stuff” (San Francisco Chronicle) from his extensive research of Kubrick’s and Clarke’s archives. He has had the cooperation of Kubrick’s widow, Christiane, and interviewed most of the key people still alive who worked on the film. Drawing also from other previously unpublished interviews, Space Odyssey provides a 360-degree view of the film from its genesis to its legacy, including many previously untold stories. And it features dozens of photos from the making of the film, most never before published.

“Enlightening and entertaining . . . rich in both pointed anecdotes and lucid technical expositions.” —The Wall Street Journal

“A fascinating, detail-rich account of the long slog to make the science-fiction masterpiece . . . endlessly interesting.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A new and remarkably comprehensive look at the complex relationship between the two men whose collaboration led to one of the greatest films of all time.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Engrossing, immersive . . . [an] astonishing tale of obsessive genius at work.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Lively, exciting and exhaustively researched . . . expands our understanding of what is truly one of the greatest films ever made.” —Martin Scorsese

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Michael Benson works at the intersection of art and science. An artist, writer, and filmmaker, he’s a Fellow of the NY Institute of the Humanities and a past Visiting Scholar at the MIT Media Lab’s Center for Bits and Atoms. In addition to Space Odyssey he has written such books as Cosmigraphics: Picturing Space Through Time, a finalist for the Science and Technology award at the 2015 Los Angeles Times “Festival of Books.” Benson’s planetary landscape photography exhibitions have been shown internationally. He has contributed to many publications including The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Smithsonian, and Rolling Stone. Visit Michael-Benson.com.