Click HERE to see this thread with all of the graphics, features, and links.

Or, the question could be - what were the Monoliths in 2001: A Space Odyssey? Because they were the same ones.
I haven't read extensively what Arthur C. Clarke may have claimed elsewhere about them, but in the films they are still enigmatic.

Yea they were different generations of Superintelligence created by a mortal race.

The intro of 2001 sums most of it up it up with the ape-men scene.

They were made to find life, serve as observation devices and to promote evolution if the life they found was deemed worthy of attaining higher consciousness.

The Quatermass and The Pit (aka 5 Millions Years to Earth) deals with a similar concept of human evolution being due extraterrestrial forces, but not in a benign manner as the Monoliths in 2001/10. Decent 60's horror flick it is, though I have a fondness for the cheesiness of Hammer Films.

...and I thought they were something from IKEA's 2010 Summer Catalog.

Has anybody read 3001, a pretty good read and probably a worthwhile sequel if they were to do it. It answers some questions about the Monoliths quite well.

These things looked pretty good, and some that I can learn, and I hope to learn more on it!

they sure pissed those monkeys off

Basically they are swiss army knives. In the books they were the tools of the Alien intelligence and how it interacted with us. They were able to teach, evolve and even turn Jupiter into a sun by adding more mass so fusion could start. All these worlds are yours except etc.

Originally posted by mardook
Has anybody read 3001, a pretty good read and probably a worthwhile sequel if they were to do it. It answers some questions about the Monoliths quite well.

You missed a book, the third book was 2061 odyssey three.