Arthur C. Clarke

Sir Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008) was born in Minehead, Somerset, England. He studied physics and mathematics at King's College, London. He served as a flight lieutenant in the RAF from 1941-46 and was a specialist in radar and satellite communications. In 1954, he got married and undertook an underwater exploration, photographing the seabed around the reefs of Australia and the coasts of Ceylon. He provided commentary for the CBS television network on the Apollo 11, 12, and 15 moon missions. Clarke was a member of numerous scientific societies and served as president of the British Interplanetary Society. He was honored with awards and distinctions from British and American scientific institutions for his scientific work. However, as a science fiction author, he gained worldwide recognition, having written over 100 books on space, science, and the future. His most famous books include "Childhood's End" (1953), "Rendezvous with Rama" (1972), and "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968), based on an earlier short story, "The Sentinel" (1951), which was simultaneously developed into a novel and a screenplay for Stanley Kubrick's film. He later wrote three more sequels: "2010: Odyssey Two" (1982), "2061: Odyssey Three" (1988), and "3001: The Final Odyssey" (1997). A central theme in Clarke's science fiction works is the insight into the near or distant future, the exploration of the conditions of life in space, and the liberation of humanity—all based on a solid understanding of scientific, physical, and astronomical data. Along with Isaac Asimov, he was considered one of the greatest science fiction authors. He passed away in Colombo, Sri Lanka—where he had lived since the 1950s—from respiratory failure, following health complications that had confined him to a wheelchair for years, on March 19, 2008, at the age of 90. Previously, in a recorded message for his readers on the occasion of his 90th birthday, he stated that he still awaited the discovery of some form of intelligent life in space and wished for the end of the 25-year civil war in Sri Lanka between the government and Tamil rebels ("although peace is not just something you wish for..."). More information about Arthur C. Clarke can be found on the official website of the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation: www.arthurcclarke.net.