Heehee...nice one, danlo!
Actually, I
have gotten back into a Rama frame of mind. Jotted down notes a few days ago. Apologies for my absence.
Thanks, duchess, for your contributions!
Clarke seemed to have a matter-of-fact attitude toward gender and sexual activity in his stories. Which perhaps made him too dry for readers wanting more hot-blooded prose. (The writing in the Rama sequel novels is indeed more sexually charged, thanks to series co-writer Gentry Lee.)
As to the character of Dr. Laura Ernst, well...she's like the lone "token" female member in a male-dominated crew - or at least the lone female figure of authority. But I guess it was progressive coming from a
male author in 1973. I'm not here to make a big deal out of it, I'm just saying I notice these things as a guy who grew up in the "post-feminist" era.
The simps are a fascinating creation. I suppose it was a very futuristic idea back then. But with all the advances made in genetic research these days, I could imagine that a simp would be almost child's play. Of course, in the "real world" NASA might have a real tough time justifying to Congress the expense of training such creatures.
