10 Things You Didn't Know About 2001: A Space Odyssey
5. The Movie And The Book Were Developed Concurrently
Many fans are often confused about the relationship between 2001: A Space Odyssey and its literary counterpart, also written by the screenplay’s co-writer, Arthur C Clarke. In fact, the book was actually written after the screenplay.
When developing the screenplay, Kubrick was told by Roger Caras, the publicist for Dr. Strangelove, to get in touch with Clarke, the writer of the science fiction short story, “The Sentinel”.
The original plan was for Kubrick and Clarke to write the screenplay last, and the novel would be developed beforehand.
However, in the end, they wrote parts of the novel and script at the same time, and the film version ended up being released before the book.
According to reports, the difference between the novel and the film is that Clarke gave clearer descriptions of certain story elements (including The Star Gate and The Monolith). Kubrick, on the other hand, opted for a more puzzling interpretation, with more emphasis on visual storytelling and less emphasis on detailed explanations.