2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke
2061: Odyssey Three by Arthur C. Clarke
3001: The Final Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
as well I've read the book that was referenced in this thread dealing with space elevators
The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke
what I loved the most was that there was a competing book on exactly the same subject that came out at the same time.
The Web Between The Worlds by Charles Sheffield,
When Clarke's publisher threatened to sue for "stealing" Clarke's idea, Clarke went and got a copy of the other author's manuscript. He recognized that it was an original work and worthy of publishing. He even went so far as to write the forward for Sheffield's book. Clarke's book is still in print, but Sheffield's is not, but I still think they both brought a lot to the idea. Clarke actually liked Sheffield's solution for connecting the bottom of the elevator to Earth over his own. Now that is a true scientist.
I actually have a photo-copy of a photo-copy (ad infinitum) of his original paper on geostationary satellites with his hand written notes. I know it isn't worth anything, per se, but I treasure it, none the less.
I also have a personal connection to 2001, the movie. My Dad was involved with a major wholesale drug company and they sponsored some of the first cross promotion ads for a big movie, namely 2001. They ran big ads in one of THE 2 big magazines, Look Magazine (where Kubrick worked for some time), tying in things like vitamins and Tang with long duration space missions with the planned release of 2001 in early 1967. Unfortunately, in January 1967 the Apollo 1 fire happened and the movie studio had second thoughts about releasing the movie right then. They decided to postpone the movie for several month. Unfortunately, the magazine ads had already been bought and paid for. My dad even hosted a dinner with Stanley Kubrick, Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood, even though the movie had been postponed. I still have some keepsakes from that dinner. Ah well.
I was a kid in '67. But I read Popular Science religiously, and knew all about the movie before it came out. Read the book before I saw the movie too.
I remember I rode the train from Oklahoma (The Santa Fe Chief - before Amtrak) to Chicago for some family stuff. They had an early limited engagement of 2001 in the city, and I begged for days for them to take me. Unfortunatly I had to wait till it came to home town Oklahoma.
Hmmm, I never knew that. I had read that Kubrick was still editing 2001 up until the last minute. Perhaps the extra time did some good. Also, Kubrick had to change a line in Dr. Strangelove because of JFK's assassination. Speaking of Kubrick and historical events. Did you ever see the article drawing the similarities between the Excavation pit at the WTC with the excavation pit at TMA1?