Arthur Clarke's 2001 Diary
...After various false starts and twelve-hour talkathons, by early May
1964 Stanley agreed that "The Sentinel" would provide good story material.
But our first concept, and it is hard now for me to focus on such an idea,
though it would have been perfectly viable -- involved working up to the
discovery of an extraterrestrial artifact as the climax, not the
beginning, of the story. Before that, we would have a series of incidents
or adventures devoted to the exploration of the Moon and Planets. For this
Mark I version, our private title (never of course intended for public
use) was "How the Solar System Was Won."
So once more I went back to my stockpile of short stories, to find
material which would fit into this pattern. I returned with five:
"Breaking Strain" (from Expedition to Earth), "Out of the Cradle,
Endlessly Orbiting...", "Who's There?~', "Into the Comet", and "Before
Eden" (all from Tales of Ten Worlds). On May 28, 1964, I sold the
lot to Stanley and signed an agreement to work on the projected movie.
Our initial schedule was hilariously optimistic: writing script, 12
weeks; discussing it, 2 weeks; revising, 4 weeks finalizing deal, 4 weeks;
visuals, art, 20 weeks; shooting, 20 weeks; cutting, editing, 20 weeks --
a total of 82 weeks. Allowing another 12 weeks before release, this added
up to 92, or the better part of two years. I was very depressed by this
staggering period of time, since I was (as always) in a hurry to get back
to Ceylon; it was just as well that neither of us could have guessed the
project's ultimate duration -- four years....
The rest of 1964 was spent brainstorming. As we developed new ideas, so
the original conception slowly changed. "The Sentinel" became the opening,
not the finale, and one by one, the other five short stories were
discarded. A year later, deciding (not necessarily in this order) that (a)
it wasn't fair to Stanley to make him pay for something he didn't need and
(b) these stories might make a pretty good movie someday, I bought them
back from him....
The announced title of the project, when Stanley gave his intentions to
the press, was Journey Beyond the Stars. I never liked this,
because there had been far too many science-fictional journeys and
voyages. (Indeed, the innerspace epic Fantastic Voyage, featuring
Raquel Welch and a supporting cast of ten thousand blood corpuscles, was
also going into production about this time). Other titles which we ran up
and failed to salute were Universe, Tunnel to the Stars, and
Planetfall. It was not until eleven months after we started --
April 1965 -- that Stanley selected 2001: A Space Odyssey. As far
as I can recall, it was entirely his idea.
Despite the unrelenting pressure of work (a mere twelve hours was
practically a day off) I kept a detailed log of the whole operation.
Though I do not wish to get bogged down in minutiae of interest only to
fanatical Kubrickologists, perhaps these extracts may convey the flavor of
those early days:
May 28, 1964. Suggested to Stanley that "they" might be machines who
regard organic life as a hideous disease. Stanley thinks this is cute and
feels we've got something.
May 31. One hilarious idea we won't use. Seventeen alien,
featureless black pyramids riding in open cars down Fifth Avenue,
surrounded by Irish cops.
June 20. Finished the opening chapter, "View from the Year 2000," and
started on the robot sequence.
July 1. Last day working at Time/Life completing Man and Space.
Checked into new suite, 1008, at the Hotel Chelsea.
July 2-8. Averaging one or two thousand words a day. Stanley reads
first five chapters and says "We've got a best-seller here".
July 9. Spent much of afternoon teaching Stanley how to use the slide
rule -- he's fascinated.
July 11. Joined Stanley to discuss plot development, but spent almost
all the time arguing about Cantor's Theory of Transfinite Groups. Stanley
tries to refute the "part equals the whole" paradox by arguing that a
perfect square is not necessarily identical with the integer of the same
value. I decide that he is a latent mathematical genius.
July 12. Now have everything -- except the plot.
July 13. Got to work again on the novel and made good progress despite
the distraction of the Republican Convention.
July 26. Stanley's birthday. Went to the Village and found a card
showing the Earth coming apart at the seams and bearing the inscription:
"How can you have a Happy Birthday when the whole world may blow up any
minute?"
July 28. Stanley: "What we want is a smashing theme of mythic
grandeur."
August 1. Ranger VII impacts on moon. Stay up late to watch the first
TV close-ups. Stanley starts to worry about the forthcoming Mars probes.
Suppose they show something that shoots down our story line? [Later he
approached Lloyd's of London to see if hc could insure himself against
this eventuality].
August 6. Stanley suggests that we make the computer female and call
her Athena.
August 17. We've also got the name of our hero at last -- Alex Bowman.
Hurrah!
August 19. Writing all day. Two thousand words exploring Jupiter's
satellites. Dull work.
September 7. Stanley quite happy: "We're in fantastic shape." He has
made up a 100 item questionnaire about our astronauts, e.g. do they sleep
in their pajamas, what do they eat for breakfast, etc.
September 8. Upset stomach last night. Dreamed I was a robot, being
rebuilt. In a great burst of enorgy managed to redo two chapters. Took
them to Stanley, who was very pleased and cooked me a fine steak,
remarking: "Joe Levine doesn't do this for his writers."
September 26. Stanley gave me Joseph Campbell's analysis of myth The
Hero with a Thousand Faces to study. Very stimulating.
September 29. Dreamed that shooting had started. Lots of actors
standing around, but I still didn't know the story line.
October 2. Finished reading Robert Ardrey's African Genesis.
Came across a striking paragraph which might even provide a title for the
movie: "Why did not the human line become extinct in the depths of the
Pliocene?...we know that but for a gift from the stars, but for the
accidental collision of ray and gene, intelligence would have perished on
some forgotten African field." True, Ardrey is talking about cosmic-ray
mutations, but the phrase "A gift from the stars" is strikingly applicable
to our present plot line.
October 6. Have got an idea which I think is crucial. The people we
meet on the other star system are humans who were collected from Earth a
hundred thousand years ago, and hence are virtually identical with us.
October 8. Thinking of plot all morning, but after a long walk in the
sun we ended up on the East River watching the boats. We dumped all our
far-fetched ideas now we're settling for a Galactic Peace Corps and no
blood and thunder.
October 17. Stanley has invented the wild idea of slightly fag robots
who create a Victonan environment to put our heroes at their ease.
November 20. Went to Natural History Museum to see Dr. Harry Shapiro,
head of Anthropology, who took a poor view of Ardrey. Then had a session
with Stan, arguing about early man's vegetarian versus carnivorous
tendencies. Stan wants our visitors to turn Man into a carnivore; I argued
that he always was. Back at the Chelsea, phoned Ike Asimov to discuss the
biochemistry of turning vegetarians into carnivores.
November 21. Read Leakey's Adam's Ancestors. Getting rather
desperate now, but after six hours' discussion Stan had a rather amusing
idea. Our E.T.'s arrive on Earth and teach commando tactics to our
pacifistic ancestors so that they can survive and flourish. We had an
entertaining time knocking this one around, but I don't think it's viable.
November 22. Called Stan and said I didn't think any of our flashback
ideas were any good. He slowly talked me out of this mood, and I was
feeling more cheerful when I suddenly said: "What if our E.T.'s are
stranded on Earth and need the ape-men to help them?" This idea (probably
not original, but what the hell) opened up whole new areas of plot which
we are both explorng.
November 23. Stanley distracted by numerous consultations with his
broker, and wants my advice on buying COMSAT.
December l0. Stanley calls after screening H. G. Wells' Things to
Come, and says he'll never see another movie I recommend.
December 21. Much of afternoon spent by Stanley planning his Academy
Award campaign for Dr. Strangelove. I get back to the Chelsea to find a
note from Allen Ginsberg asking me to join him and William Burroughs at
the bar downstairs. Do so thankfully in search of inspiration.
December 24. Slowly tinkered with the final pages, so I can have them
as a Christmas present for Stanley.
December 25. Stanley delighted with the last chapters, and convinced
that we've extended the range of science fiction. He's astonished and
delighted because Bosley Crowther of the New York Times has placed Dr. S
on the "Ten Best Films" list, after attacking it ferociously all year. I
christen Bosley "The Critic Who Came In from the Cold."
From these notes, it would appear that by Christmas 1964, the novel was
essentially complete, and that thereafter it would be a fairly
straightforward matter to develop the screenplay. We were, indeed, under
that delusion -- at least, I was. In reality, all that we had was merely a
rough draft of the first two-thirds of the book, stopping at the most
exciting point. We had managed to get Bowman into the Star Gate, but
didn't know what would happen next, except in the most general way.
Nevertheless, the existing manuscript, together with his own salesmanship,
allowed Stanley to set up the deal with MGM and Cinerama, and Journey
Beyond the Stars was announced with a flourish of trumpets.
Through the spring of 1965, we continued to revise and extend the
novel, and threw away -- again and yet again -- whole sections which we
had once imagined to be final and complete. All this time, Stanley was
also hiring staff, checking designs, negotiating with actors and
technicians, and coping with the millions of other prob1ems which arise in
the production of even the most straightforward movie. The rush of events
became far too hectic to enter more than a small fraction of them in my
log, and few of them (luckily) concerned me directly. My primary job was
still polishing the novel, though I was constantly involved in technical
discussions with the artists and production staff. (Sometimes with
disastrous results; see entry for November l0, below.)
February 9, 1965. Caught Dali on TV, painting in a Fifth Avenue store
window to promote Fantastic Voyage. Reported this to Stanley, who
replied: "Don't worry -- we've already reserved a window for you."
March 8. Fighting hard to stop Stan from bringing Dr. Poole back from
the dead. I'm afraid his obsession with immortality has overcome his
artistic instincts.
April 6. To COMSAT Headquarters, Washington, for launch of first
commercial communications satellite, "Early Bird." Introduced to
Vice-President Humphrey, who is also Chairman of the Space Council, and
told him we were spending ten million dollars to publicize space. Added
that one character in the movie would be the Chairman of the Space Council
. . . thirty years from now. "Oh," said H.H.H. at once, "I still intend to
be chairman then."
April l2. Much excitement when Stanley phones to say that the Russians
claim to have detected radio signals from space. Rang Walter Sullivan at
the New York Times and got the real story -- merely fluctuations in Quasar
CTA 102.
April 14. Reception at Harcourt, Brace and World. Those present
included Bill Jovanovich (president), Jeremy Bernstein (New Yorker
Magazine), Dennis Flanagan (Scientific American), Dr. Robert
Jastrow (Goddard Space Center), Stanley and Christiane Kubrick, Al
Rosenfeld (Science Editor, Life), Sylvester (Pat) Weaver, Scott
Meredith, and many other friends. There was a general belief that the
party was to celebrate Harcourt's publication of Journey Beyond the
Stars, but I explained that this was not definite, and depended upon
the size of the mortgage they could raise on the building.
April 19. Went up to the office with about three thousand words Stanley
hasn't read. The place is really humming now -- about ten people working
there, including two production staff from England. The walls are getting
covered with impressive pictures and I already feel quite a minor cog in
the works. Some psychotic who insists that Stanley must hire him
has been sitting on a park bench outside the office for a couple of weeks,
and occasionally comes to the building. In self-defense, Stan has secreted
a large hunting knife in his briefcase.
May 1. Found that a fire had broken out on the third floor of the
Chelsea. Waited anxiously in the lobby while the firemen dealt with
it...visions of the only complete copy of the MS going up in smoke....
May 2. Completed the "Universe" chapter -- will soon have all Part
Three ready for typing, hurrah.... Stan phoned to say he liked the
"Floating Island" sequence. Strange and encouraging how much of the
material I thought I'd abandoned fits in perfectly after all.
May 3. Finished first draft of the runaway antenna soquence.
May 25. Now Stanley wants to incorporate the Devil theme from
Childhood's End....
June 7. Bad book review in the Tribune says I should stick to
science exposition and am an amateur at fiction.
Late June. Read Victor Lyndon's production notes, they left me
completely overwhelmed. Glad that's not my job. One scene calls for
four trained warthogs.
On that note, more or less, I returned to Ceylon after an absence of
over a year, and subsequently rejoined Stanley at the MGM studios at
Boreham Wood, fifteen miles north of London, in August. His empire had now
expanded vastly, the art department was in full swing, and impressive sets
were being constructed. My time was now equally divided between the
apparently never-ending chore of developing ideas with Stanley, polishing
the novel, and almost daily consultations at the studio.
August 25. Suddenly realized how the novel should end, with Bowman
standing beside the alien ship.
September 25. Visitors from NASA -- Dr. George Mueller, Associate
Administrator, and "Deke" Slayton (Director of Flight Crew Operations).
Gave them the Grand Tour -- they were quite impressed. George made several
useful suggestions and asked wistfully if he could have the model of the
Discovery for his office when we'd finished with it. Deke was later
reported to have said: "Stanley, I'm afraid you've been conned by a used
capsule salesman." An improbabable story -- I suspect the fine Italian
hand of Roger Caras, Stanley's vice-president in charge of promotion.
October 1. Stanley phoned with another ending. I find I left
his treatment at his house last night -- unconscious rejection?
October 3. Stanley on phone, worried about ending...gave him my latest
ideas, and one of them suddenly clicked -- Bowman will regress to infancy,
and we'll see him at the end as a baby in orbit. Stanley called again
later, still very enthusiastic. Hope this isn't a false optimism: I feel
cautiously encouraged myself.
October 5. Back to brood over the novel. Suddenly (I think) found a
logical reason why Bowman should appear at the end as a baby. It's his
image of himself at this stage of his development. And perhaps the Cosmic
Consciousness has a sense of humor. Phoned these ideas to Stan, who wasn't
too impressed, but I'm happy now.
October 15. Stan has decided to kill off all the crew of
Discovery and leave Bowman only. Drastic, but it seems right. After
all, Odysseus was the sole survivor....
October 17. For the first time, saw Stan reduced to helpless hysterics
as we developed comic ideas. There will be no one in the hibernacula: all
the trainees chickened out, but the mission had to go ahead regardless.
October 19. Collected by studio car, and spent all day working (or
trying to work) with Stan. Despite usual crowds of people getting at him,
long phone calls to Hollywood, and a "work-to-rule" the unions called, got
a lot done and solved (again!) our main plot problems.
October 26. Had a discussion with Stanley over his latest idea -- that
Discovery should be nuclear-pulse driven. Read a resently
declassified report on this and was quite impressed -- but the design
staff rather upset.
November l0. Accompanied Stan and the design staff into the Earth-orbit
ship and happened to remark that the cockpit looked like a Chinese
restaurant. Stan said that killed it instantly for him and called for
revisions. Must keep away from the Art Department for a few days.
November 16. Long session with Stanley discussing script. Several good
ideas, but I rather wish we didn't have any more.
November 18. Peeling rather stale -- went into London and saw Carol
Reed's film about Michelangelo, The Agony and the Ecstasy. One line
particularly struck me -- the use of the phrase "God made Man in His own
image." This, after all, is the theme of our movie.
November 30. To the Oxford and Cambridge Club with Roger Caras and Pred
Ordway (Technical Adviser) to meet Dr. Louis Leakey and his son Richard.
Dr. Leakey is just as I imagined him -- full of enthusiasm and ideas. He
thinks that Man now goes back at least four to five million years. He also
confided to me that he'd written a play -- a fantasy about primitive man
which he thought would make a fine movie. It's about a group of
anthropologists who are sent back into the past by a witch doctor. I said
(breaking all my rules) that I'd be glad to see the manuscript --which is
true.
December 16. My 48th birthday -- and Somerset Maugham dies. Trying to
make something of this (last of the competition?).
December 25. Christmas Day, ha-ha! Hacked my way to Jupiter -- slow but
steady going.
December 26. Working all day. Stan phoned to thank me for the presents
and sent a driver to collect what I'd written. He called later to say that
he didn't think much of the dialogue. I agreed.
That Christmas of 1965 we were really under the gun, and no one had a
holiday. Stanley was up against a unbreakable deadline. The enormous set
of the TMA-1 excavation, containing the monolith found on the Moon, had
been constructed at the Shepperton Studios, in South West London -- and it
had to be torn down by the first week of the New Year, so that another
production could move in. Stanley had only a week to do all his shooting,
for the second crucial encounter between Man and Monolith....
Excerpted from Lost Worlds of 2001 by Arthur C. Clarke,
New
American Library (New York), 1972. Used by Permission.