My accidental order of discovery for the Monolith Mythos was, I now see, the best possible. Here is that order:

1. See 2010. I did this with Shawn Miller, son of the great economist and professor of economics at UT Arlington, Roger LeRoy Miller. It was the first time I ever got excited by a religion. Or: it was the first time religion was plausible. This is what Deus sive Natura does: it evolves aggressive and self-protecting organisms that, over time, become first just and then compassionate and then divine. After organisms have evolved (and self-engineered) to the point of becoming de facto gods, they spend their time working as nanny-curators for other incipient biological lines. God or Nature evolves gods cultivate other gods-to-be. A crazy idea, I know; but every alternative story that combines “god” and “universe” is even crazier.
2. Read 2010. My great uncle George Heftler bought me this one Christmas, when I was 13. It was hardcover and the edges of the pages were fancily rough-hewn and uneven. What is the mystery of the babe in the abyss?
3. Read 2001. After the movie in Sun Valley, I got “sick.” So I stayed inside our cabin. By the comforting and rustic and fun (there are no fireplaces in Miami) fireplace, I drank gay Celestial Seasonings Emperor’s Choice (Christmas spice scented) and put hot spices in my socks. In 2001, Clarke explains the metaphysics of the situation. And I thought, Finally—a religion I can take seriously. Because a religion has to be metaphorical, because our vedana houses contents that are only stimulated by association. Since religion has to be made-up and symbolic to work, we might as well capture and expose the metaphysics of the hope-story inside the mechanics and stuff of the story’s reality. And the ingredients in the 2001 mythos are all just the best of the scientific knowns. Intelligence evolves. Evolution occurs in leaps. Tools made a big difference. Meat intake promoted brain development. Humans are innately curious and must venture ever away, and up contains 99.9 percent of it.
4. See 2001. Finally, you are ready! And you, unlike everyone else who has not undergone the above preparation, will really grok those final amazing scenes that all the anti-symbolists got so angry about.