[dr_lew]

The "novel" was just a novelization of the screenplay, which was based on the short story, THE SENTINEL, by Clarke. All this is spelled out in:

... which includes the text of THE SENTINEL (1950)

[FredZarguna]

Not true.

The novel was a collaborative effort between Kubrick and Clarke based on earlier short fiction by Clarke. Kubrick chose not to use the elements of the story, just as I've written. Because of that, Kubrick did not receive any credit for the novel.

The ending of the novel is deliberately glossed over because of Kubrick's personal creative history. And it sucks.