Episode Twenty-Eight of Stories from Space — “The Enduring Influence of 2001: A Space Odyssey” — is now Live!
This week’s episode is dedicated to what is arguably the most influential and inspired science fiction film of all time. The movie and novelization of 2001: A Space Odyssey were released simultaneously in 1968 and had a massive impact on audiences and cinematic history. It combined hard science, futuristic predictions, and cosmology with inspired ideas about extraterrestrials, evolution, and classic philosophy. It also combined Arthur C. Clarke’s knowledge and predictive powers with Stanley Kubrick’s famous “show, don’t tell” style of filmmaking.
But there are several lesser-known facts about the film that have to do with its inspiration and production. In addition to being a consultant and co-author on the script, the film was based on two of Arthur C. Clarke’s short stories — “The Sentinel” and “Encounter at Dawn.” There’s also the way Kubrick struggled to find a realistic depiction of advanced extraterrestrials. Carl Sagan was brought in to advise Kubrick on this, and (middle, middle, middle) the Monolith was born! Check it out below:
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Originally published at http://storiesbywilliams.com on February 12, 2023.
