At first, only a few things are known about the celestial
object that astronomers dub Rama. It is huge, weighing more
than ten trillion tons. And it is hurtling through the solar
system at inconceivable speed. Then a space probe confirms
the unthinkable: Rama is no natural object. It is,
incredible, an interstellar spacecraft. Space explorers and
planet-bound scientists alike prepare for mankind’s first
encounter with alien intelligence. It will kindle their
wildest dreams… and fan their darkest fears. For no one
knows who the Ramans are or why they have come. And now the
moment of rendezvous awaits — just behind a Raman airlock
door.