Sir Arthur C. Clarke one of Sri Lankas most respected and loved citizens, and science fiction legend passed away at 1.30 AM due to breathing complications. He was suffering from post polio syndrome for some time. He was 90.
Sir Arthur is the reason I started loving science fiction. When I was 10 years old I first got my hands on his famous short story: The Sentinel. Ever since then I was hooked. And I couldnt wait to get my hands on more of his work. Which was by no means easy. Sir Arthur was a prolific writer with more than a 100 books to his credit along with numerous essays and short stories. Even wikipedia can only put up a partial bibliography. What made him so appealing was that although the science in his science fiction was of the highest levels his writing was very simple, very entertaining and very powerful. And his stories were more about the story than the science.
Sir Arthur was a well learned individual and quite the bright spark. He was a prominent chairman of the British Interplanetary Society and had a few debates with C.S. Lewis on Science fiction and Space Travel. He held a first class degree in physics and mathematics from Kings College London and was a radar specialist far the RAF in World War 2 with the rank of flight lieutenant. It was around this time, in 1945, he published his most famous achievement: The concept of a geostationary satellite for global communications.
"Clarke's work, which led to the global satellite systems in use today, brought him numerous honors including the 1982 Marconi International Fellowship, a gold medal of the Franklin Institute, the Vikram Sarabhai Professorship of the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, the Lindbergh Award and a Fellowship of King's College, London. Today, the geostationary orbit at 36,000 kilometers above the equator is named The Clarke Orbit by the International Astronomical Union." - The Arthur C. Clarke Foundation [List of Awards]
Not satisfied with the heights he was also an explorer of the depths. After Scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef Sir Arthur was hooked. He even ran a diving company here in Sri Lanka. Writing many novels on underwater wonders, including those of Sri Lanka, from as far back as the 1950's.
His prophetic status never dimmed. His predictions both amazingly wonderful and insanely funny have warmed the hearts of many in the science world. Noted are his belief that space elevators will one day be the method of travel to low earth orbit (It doesnt sound loony at all when you read his proposals in detail), Domesticated apes as household servants and a global library by 2005. All of these culminated in Profiles of the Future - a collection of his predictions. He was quite the debunker of myths too. Some might remember the TV show Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World. But he professed interest in research into real paranormal phenomena. Sir Arthur's Three Laws of Prediction will always be fondly remembered.
His best remembered novel would be 2001: A Space Odyssey which was written simultaneously as a book and a screenplay which was used by Stanley Kubrick far his film. But thats only the tip of the iceberg. The Rama Quadrilogy, Against the fall of Night, The Deep Range, Childhoods End, Cradle and my all time favourite - The Songs of Distant Earth are some of his more well known novels which in total number more than 70. His novels are so amazing they can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of their take on science fiction. He's touched subjects ranging from empowerment through science, to exploration, religion, decadence and transcendence.
He was a real nice funny dude. At his 90th birthday party he's made not one but three wishes: The end of Sri Lanka's civil war, the world adopting cleaner sources of energy and for evidence of extraterrestrial beings to be discovered. He's told Associated Press that his DNA will be sent to space.
"One day, some super civilization may encounter this relic from the vanished species and I may exist in another time," he said. "Move over, Stephen King." - Associated Press
Sorely missed, and always loved - Goodbye Sir Arthur.
The Clarke Foundation, AP article, Some Short Stories by Sir Arthur
Arthur C Clarke on wikipedia - on mininova
Sir Arthur was a well learned individual and quite the bright spark. He was a prominent chairman of the British Interplanetary Society and had a few debates with C.S. Lewis on Science fiction and Space Travel. He held a first class degree in physics and mathematics from Kings College London and was a radar specialist far the RAF in World War 2 with the rank of flight lieutenant. It was around this time, in 1945, he published his most famous achievement: The concept of a geostationary satellite for global communications.
"Clarke's work, which led to the global satellite systems in use today, brought him numerous honors including the 1982 Marconi International Fellowship, a gold medal of the Franklin Institute, the Vikram Sarabhai Professorship of the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, the Lindbergh Award and a Fellowship of King's College, London. Today, the geostationary orbit at 36,000 kilometers above the equator is named The Clarke Orbit by the International Astronomical Union." - The Arthur C. Clarke Foundation [List of Awards]
Not satisfied with the heights he was also an explorer of the depths. After Scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef Sir Arthur was hooked. He even ran a diving company here in Sri Lanka. Writing many novels on underwater wonders, including those of Sri Lanka, from as far back as the 1950's.
His prophetic status never dimmed. His predictions both amazingly wonderful and insanely funny have warmed the hearts of many in the science world. Noted are his belief that space elevators will one day be the method of travel to low earth orbit (It doesnt sound loony at all when you read his proposals in detail), Domesticated apes as household servants and a global library by 2005. All of these culminated in Profiles of the Future - a collection of his predictions. He was quite the debunker of myths too. Some might remember the TV show Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World. But he professed interest in research into real paranormal phenomena. Sir Arthur's Three Laws of Prediction will always be fondly remembered.
- When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
- The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
- Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
His best remembered novel would be 2001: A Space Odyssey which was written simultaneously as a book and a screenplay which was used by Stanley Kubrick far his film. But thats only the tip of the iceberg. The Rama Quadrilogy, Against the fall of Night, The Deep Range, Childhoods End, Cradle and my all time favourite - The Songs of Distant Earth are some of his more well known novels which in total number more than 70. His novels are so amazing they can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of their take on science fiction. He's touched subjects ranging from empowerment through science, to exploration, religion, decadence and transcendence.
He was a real nice funny dude. At his 90th birthday party he's made not one but three wishes: The end of Sri Lanka's civil war, the world adopting cleaner sources of energy and for evidence of extraterrestrial beings to be discovered. He's told Associated Press that his DNA will be sent to space.
"One day, some super civilization may encounter this relic from the vanished species and I may exist in another time," he said. "Move over, Stephen King." - Associated Press
Sorely missed, and always loved - Goodbye Sir Arthur.
The Clarke Foundation, AP article, Some Short Stories by Sir Arthur
Arthur C Clarke on wikipedia - on mininova
5 words of wisdom:
RIP.
i guess it was his time to go..
A great man he was... and I truly admired the fact that he loved our country like his own.. He valued it more than we do... and was always sincere about it..
May he RIP...
A great man and a great loss. May he rest in peace.
He will be missed, but fortunately he has left us with a great legacy in his writing and in his concepts which will continue to inspire the spirits and the imaginations of those he left behind.
Queen of DA: SO wish it wasnt. His imagination opened up so many worlds. How much more could he have shown us...
lady divine: I still am amazingly touched that he wished Sri Lanka peace in his last video statement. You think, prophet that he was, he knew what was in store for him?
vindi: Right On. Absolutely. [thanks for dropping by too :)]
lisa damian: He will indeed be missed. I doubt there'll be anyone that could possibly fill his shoes, but his works will definitely inspire generations [glad you came by, thanks for the comment :) ]
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Any Words of Wisdom to add? =)