2001: A Space Odyssey (novel) top sellers with 300,000 hardcover copies and 1.75 million first paperback editions printed. 2001: A Space Odyssey (novel) 2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 science fiction novel by British writer Arthur C. Clarke. It was developed concurrently with Stanley Kubrick's and published after the release of the film. Clarke and Kubrick worked on the book together, but eventually only Clarke ended up as the official author. The story is based in part on various short stories by Clarke, including "The Sentinel" (written in 1948 for a BBC competition, but first published in 1951 under the title "Sentinel of Eternity").
2001: A Space Odyssey (comics) by David Anthony Kraft. Shortly after the publication of the treasury edition, Kirby continued to explore the concepts of "2001" in a monthly comic book series of the same name, the first issue of which was cover dated December 1976. In this issue, Kirby followed the pattern established in the film. Once again the reader encounters a prehistoric man ("Beast-Killer") who gains new insight upon encountering a Monolith as did Moon-Watcher in the film. The scene then shifts, where a descendant of Beast-Killer is part of a space mission to explore yet another Monolith. When he finds it, this Monolith