a Space Odyssey 1- the Dawn of Man

As an amateur scientist, Sir Arthur Clarke's "a Space Odyssey" is one of the best books I ever read. The science is presented flawlessly, and it points out quite a few interesting facts. For example, there are about twenty billion stars in our galaxy which, coincidentally, is the same number of people that have ever lived over the past three million years.
Building off of that, the book starts out in prehistoric Africa. In the now drought-ridden Rift Valley, small tribes of ape-men are now threatened with total extinction. It figures- they still don't know enough to tell between plants and rocks yet.
Then, one day, something bizarre happens. A new, rectangular rock appears in the middle of the valley. It towers above everything and marks an otherwise featureless landscape. At first, the rock isn't much use, but as the ape-men come to know it, they realize that it has a special effect on their minds. In a matter of days, they teach themselves how to tie crude knots, how to use sharp sticks to bring down meaty food, and store that food in their caves above the valley. Long after the rock vanishes, these new beings are stronger through their new unity and their new-found basic intelligence.
They don't know what to do with it yet, but they'll think of something...

Rendered in Blender 2.6, Inspired by the works of Sir Arthur C. Clarke.