Originally Posted by Chula Vista

One other note on 2001. Kubrick's ending is grand but leaves you wondering what happens after the Star Child arrives at earth.

In the book Clarke explains that Star Child detonates all of the orbiting bombs. Earth detects his presence and gets the message to stop with all of the weapons and war posturing.

Originally Posted by J.R.R. Tolkien

There is only one bright spot and that is the growing habit of disgruntled men of dynamiting factories and power-stations; I hope that, encouraged now as ‘patriotism’, may remain a habit! But it won’t do any good, if it is not universal.