The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 7 books · 1953 to 1997

Arthur C. Clarke

Science fictionClassic science fictionHard science fiction

Arthur C. Clarke wrote rigorous, visionary science fiction. 2001: A Space Odyssey, developed with Stanley Kubrick, sends Dave Bowman and the computer HAL to Saturn; Rendezvous with Rama explores a vast, silent alien ship.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip. The later Rama sequels were written with Gentry Lee and are not charted.

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Who appears in which book

Click a name to follow that character from book to book, or a book title to see its cast.

LLeadMMajor·MinorHas a note
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Arthur C. Clarke books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

Space Odyssey

4 books · Set in spaceClassic science fictionHard science fiction
  1. 12001: A Space Odyssey1968With Dave BowmanBuy on Amazon
  2. 22010: Odyssey Two1982With Heywood FloydBuy on Amazon
  3. 32061: Odyssey Three1987With Heywood FloydBuy on Amazon
  4. 43001: The Final Odyssey1997With Frank PooleBuy on Amazon

Rama

1 book · Set in spaceHard science fiction
  1. 1Rendezvous with Rama1973With Commander Bill NortonBuy on Amazon

Standalone

2 books · Mostly set in Earth and beyondClassic science fiction
  1. 1Childhood's End1953Buy on Amazon
  2. 2The Fountains of Paradise1979With Vannevar Morgan · Set in TaprobaneBuy on Amazon

Characters

7 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

The Odyssey

Rama

Standalone leads