The conclusion of the series that began with "2001: A Space Odyssey" explains what really happened to Dave Bowman, who reentered the Discovery to incapacitate the psychotic computer Hal, and speculates about the future relationship between human and machine
Now approaching the millennium, the light of Lucifer is extinguished and for the second time in four million years, the Monolith awakes. The limitless power of an alien technology has decided what part humanity must play in the evolution of the galaxy.