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Encyclopedia > Arthur C. Clarke

Sir Arthur C. Clarke, CBE

Arthur C. Clarke at his home office in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 28 March 2005
Born 16 December 1917(1917-12-16)
Minehead, Somerset, United Kingdom
Died 19 March 2008 (aged 90)
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Pen name Charles Willis,[1]
E.G. O'Brien[1]
Occupation Author, Inventor
Nationality British and
Sri Lankan
Genres Hard Science Fiction, Popular Science
Subjects Science
Notable work(s) Childhood's End
2001: A Space Odyssey
The City and the Stars
The Songs of Distant Earth
Rendezvous with Rama
The Fountains of Paradise
Spouse(s) Marilyn Mayfield (1953-1964)
Influences
Influenced
Official website

Sri Lankabhimanya Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE (16 December 1917–19 March 2008), was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, most famous for the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, written in collaboration with director Stanley Kubrick, a collaboration which led also to the film of the same name; and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World.[2][3] Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... “Ceylon” redirects here. ... is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... , Minehead is a coastal town in West Somerset, England with a population of around 10,000. ... This article is about the county of Somerset in England. ... is the 78th day of the year (79th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... A pen name or nom de plume is a pseudonym adopted by an author. ... This article is about work. ... For other uses, see Author (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Inventor (disambiguation). ... In English usage, nationality is the legal relationship between a person and a country. ... A literary genre is one of the divisions of literature into genres according to particular criteria such as literary technique, tone, or content. ... Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... This article is not about the magazine, Popular Science Popular science is interpretation of science intended for a general audience, rather than for other scientists or students. ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... This article is about a novel. ... A movie poster from the original release of 2001 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is an immensely popular and influential science fiction film and book; the film directed by Stanley Kubrick and the book written by Arthur C. Clarke. ... The City and The Stars (1956) is a science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke. ... Songs of Distant Earth is a 1986 soft science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke, and an earlier science fiction short story by the same author. ... Rendezvous with Rama is a novel by Arthur C. Clarke first published in 1972. ... The Fountains of Paradise is a 1979 novel by Arthur C. Clarke. ... Herbert George Wells (September 21, 1866 – August 13, 1946), better known as H. G. Wells, was an English writer best known for such science fiction novels as The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The First Men in the Moon and The Island of Doctor Moreau. ... This article is about the French author. ... Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany (24 July 1878 – 25 October 1957) was an Anglo-Irish writer and dramatist, notable for his work in fantasy published under the name Lord Dunsany. ... William Olaf Stapledon (May 10, 1886 – September 6, 1950) was a British philosopher and author of several influential works of science fiction. ... Stephen Baxter (born in Liverpool, 13 November 1957) is a British hard science fiction author. ... Sri Lankabhimanya (The Pride of Sri Lanka) is the highest National Honour of Sri Lanka awarded by the President of Sri Lanka on behalf the Government of Sri Lanka. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... is the 78th day of the year (79th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... For other uses, see Author (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Inventor (disambiguation). ... Future studies reflects on how today’s changes (or the lack thereof) become tomorrow’s reality. ... Kubrick redirects here. ... Arthur C. Clarkes Mysterious World was a popular thirteen part television series looking at unexplained phenomena from around the world. ...


Clarke served in the Royal Air Force as a radar instructor and technician from 1941-1946, proposed satellite communication systems in 1945[4][5] which won him the Franklin Institute Stuart Ballantine Gold Medal in 1963 and a nomination in 1994 for a Nobel Prize, and 1999 for literature [6], and became the chairman of the British Interplanetary Society from 1947-1950 and again in 1953.[7] Later, he helped fight for the preservation of lowland gorillas[8][9]. He won the UNESCO-Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science in 1961.[10] RAF redirects here. ... For other uses, see Radar (disambiguation). ... This article is about artificial satellites. ... Franklin Institute Front steps as seen from the adjacent Moore College This article is about the science museum in Philadelphia. ... The Nobel Prize (Swedish: ) was established in Alfred Nobels will in 1895, and it was first awarded in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace in 1901. ... A Chairman is the presiding officer of a meeting, organization, committee, or other deliberative body. ... The British Interplanetary Society (BIS) founded in 1933 by Mr. ... Species Gorilla gorilla Gorilla beringei The gorilla, the largest of the primates, is a ground-dwelling herbivore that inhabits the forests of central Africa. ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... The Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science is an award given by UNESCO for people recognized for their efforts in presenting scientific ideas to lay people. ...


Clarke was knighted in 1998.[11] He emigrated to Sri Lanka in 1956 largely to pursue his interest in scuba diving,[12] and lived there until his death. The dignity of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. ... Scuba diving is swimming underwater while using self-contained breathing equipment. ...

Contents

Biography

Clarke was born in Minehead, Somerset, England.[13] As a boy he enjoyed stargazing and reading old American science fiction pulp magazines. After secondary school and studying at Huish's Grammar School, Taunton, he was unable to afford a university education and got a job as an auditor in the pensions section of the Board of Education.[14] , Minehead is a coastal town in West Somerset, England with a population of around 10,000. ... This article is about the county of Somerset in England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Astronomy (disambiguation). ... This article is about inexpensive fiction magazines. ... The Richard Huish College is named after Richard Huish who originally established the college as a grammar school for boys in the 18th century. ... For the community in Florida, see University, Florida. ... Audit can refer to: Telecommunication audit Financial audit Performance audit Completion of a course of study for which no assessment is completed or grade awarded; especially audit is awarded to those who have elected not to receive a letter grade for a course in which letter grades typically awarded. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors of a school, local school district or higher administrative level. ...


During the Second World War he served in the Royal Air Force as a radar specialist and was involved in the early warning radar defence system, which contributed to the RAF's success during the Battle of Britain. Clarke spent most of his wartime service working on Ground Controlled Approach (GCA) radar as documented in the semi-autobiographical Glide Path, his only non-science-fiction novel. Although GCA did not see much practical use in the war, it proved vital to the Berlin Airlift of 1948–1949 after several years of development. Clarke initially served in the ranks, and was a Corporal instructor on radar at No 9 Radio School, RAF Yatesbury. He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer (Technical Branch) on 27 May 1943.[15] He was promoted Flying Officer on 27 November 1943.[16] He was appointed chief training instructor at RAF Honiley and was demobilised with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. After the war he earned a first-class degree in mathematics and physics at King's College London. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... RAF redirects here. ... For other uses, see Radar (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Second World War battle. ... In aviation a ground-controlled approach (GCA), is a type of service provided by air-traffic controllers whereby they guide aircraft to a safe landing in adverse weather conditions based on radar images. ... Glide Path is a novel by Arthur C. Clarke, published in 1963. ... The Soviet Union blocked Western rail and road access to West Berlin from June 24, 1948 - May 11, 1949. ... This article is about the military rank. ... Yatesbury is a village adjacent to Cherhill on the A4 road between Calne and Marlborough in Wiltshire, England. ... A Pilot Officers sleeve/shoulder insignia Pilot Officer (Plt Off in the RAF; PLTOFF in the RAAF and RNZAF, P/O in the former RCAF) is the lowest substantive commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries, ranking only above Acting... is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 331st day of the year (332nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... RAF Honiley was a Royal Air Force station located in Wroxall, Warwickshire seven miles (11 km) southwest of Coventry, England. ... Demobilization is the process of standing down a nations armed forces from combat-ready status. ... A Flight Lieutenants sleeve/shoulder insignia Flight Lieutenant (abbreviated as Flt Lt and pronounced as flight lef-tenant, see Lieutenant) is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. ... A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing a program of study. ... For other meanings of mathematics or uses of math and maths, see Mathematics (disambiguation) and Math (disambiguation). ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... For other uses, see Kings College. ...


In the postwar years, Clarke became the chairman of the British Interplanetary Society from 1947-1950 and again in 1953.[6][17] Although he was not the originator of the concept of geostationary satellites, one of his most important contributions may be his idea that they would be ideal telecommunications relays. He advanced this idea in a paper privately circulated among the core technical members of the BIS in 1945. The concept was published in Wireless World in October of that year.[18][19][20] Clarke also wrote a number of non-fiction books describing the technical details and societal implications of rocketry and space flight. The most notable of these may be The Exploration of Space (1951) and The Promise of Space (1968). In recognition of these contributions the geostationary orbit 36,000 kilometres (22,000 mi) above the equator is officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union as a "Clarke Orbit".[21] A geosynchronous satellite is a satellite whose orbital speed equals the Earths rotational speed. ... Copy of the original phone of Alexander Graham Bell at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris Telecommunication is the assisted transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication. ... Wireless World was the preeminent British magazine for radio and electronics enthusiasts. ... Geostationary orbit A geostationary orbit (GEO) is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earths equator (0° latitude), with orbital eccentricity of zero. ... IAU redirects here. ...


In 1953 Clarke met and quickly married Marilyn Mayfield, a 22-year-old American divorcee with a young son. They separated permanently after six months, although the divorce was not finalised until 1964.[22] "The marriage was incompatible from the beginning", says Clarke.[22] Clarke never remarried but was close to Leslie Ekanayake, who died in 1977. Journalists who inquired of Clarke whether he was gay were told, "No, merely mildly cheerful."[23] However, Michael Moorcock has written, "Everyone knew he was gay. In the 1950s I'd go out drinking with his boyfriend."[24] Look up Divorcee in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A journalist is a person who practices journalism. ... Michael John Moorcock (born December 18, 1939, in London, England) is a prolific English writer primarily of science fiction and fantasy who has also published a number of literary novels. ...


Writing career

While Clarke had a few stories published in fanzines, between 1937 and 1945, his first professional sales appeared in Astounding Science Fiction in 1946: "Loophole" was published in April, while "Rescue Party", his first sale, was published in May. Along with his writing Clarke briefly worked as Assistant Editor of Science Abstracts (1949) before devoting himself to writing full-time from 1951 onward. Clarke also contributed to the Dan Dare series published in Eagle, and his first three published novels were written for children. A fanzine (see also: zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleasure of others who share their interest. ... Astounding Stories was a seminal science fiction magazine founded in 1930. ... Rescue Party is a short story by Arthur C. Clarke published in Astounding Science Fiction in 1946. ... The first issue of Science Abstracts was published in January 1898. ... Dan Dare is a classic British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson for the Eagle comic story Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future in 1950 which was also carried in serial format several times a week on Radio Luxembourg. ...


Clarke corresponded with C. S. Lewis in the 1940s and 1950s and they once met in an Oxford pub, The Eastgate, to discuss science fiction and space travel. Clarke, after Lewis's death, voiced great praise for him, saying the Ransom Trilogy was one of the few works of science fiction that could be considered literature. Clive Staples Jack Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an Irish author and scholar. ... The Space Trilogy or Ransom trilogy is a group of three science fiction novels by C. S. Lewis: Out of the Silent Planet (1938), set mostly on Mars Perelandra (1943), set mostly on Venus That Hideous Strength (1945), set on Earth. ...


In 1948 he wrote "The Sentinel" for a BBC competition. Though the story was rejected it changed the course of Clarke's career. Not only was it the basis for A Space Odyssey, but "The Sentinel" also introduced a more mystical and cosmic element to Clarke's work. Many of Clarke's later works feature a technologically advanced but prejudiced mankind being confronted by a superior alien intelligence. In the cases of The City and the Stars (and its original version, Against the Fall of Night), Childhood's End, and the 2001 series, this encounter produces a conceptual breakthrough that accelerates humanity into the next stage of its evolution. In Clarke's authorized biography, Neil McAleer writes that: "many readers and critics still consider [Childhood's End] Arthur C. Clarke's best novel."[22] For other works called The Sentinel, see Sentinel. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... The City and The Stars (1956) is a science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke. ... This article is about a novel. ...


Clarke lived in Sri Lanka from 1956 until his death in 2008, having emigrated there when it was still called Ceylon, first in Unawatuna on the south coast, and then in Colombo.[23] Clarke held citizenship of both the UK and Sri Lanka.[25] He was an avid scuba diver and a member of the Underwater Explorers Club. Living in Sri Lanka afforded him the opportunity to visit the ocean year-round. It also inspired the locale for his novel The Fountains of Paradise in which he described a space elevator. This, he believed, ultimately will be his legacy, more so than geostationary satellites, once space elevators make space shuttles obsolete.[26] The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (ශ්රී ලංකා in Sinhala / இலங்கை in Tamil) (known as Ceylon before 1972) is a tropical island nation off the southeast coast of the Indian subcontinent. ... UNAWATUNA Department of Coast Conservation which was hard pressed to impliment a costal resources management plan under Asian Development bank plan, did not spring into action on the aftermath of the Tsunami, and once again the beach front shacks are mushrooming, some even dumping 20 foot steel containers to house... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... may refer to: Scuba diving, the use of a self-contained breathing set to stay underwater for periods of time. ... Harold Penman was a Business man and founder of The Underwater Explorers Club. The Underwater Explorers Club collapsed when Harold Penman ran out of money and many members migrated to the BSAC. The late Trevor Hampton (British pioneer diver) had dealings with both The Underwater Explorers Club and BSAC [1... The Fountains of Paradise is a 1979 novel by Arthur C. Clarke. ... A space elevator would consist of a cable anchored to the Earths surface, reaching into space. ...


His many predictions culminated in 1958 when he began a series of essays in various magazines that eventually became Profiles of the Future published in book form in 1962. A timetable[27] up to the year 2100 describes inventions and ideas including such things as a "global library" for 2005.


Early in his career Clarke had a fascination with the paranormal and stated that it was part of the inspiration for his novel Childhood's End. He also said that he was one of several who were fooled by a Uri Geller demonstration at Birkbeck College. Although he eventually dismissed and distanced himself from nearly all pseudoscience he continued to advocate research into psychokinesis and similar phenomena. Paranormal is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of reported anomalous phenomena. ... Uri Geller (‎, born Gellér György[1] December 20, 1946 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is an Israeli-British performer and celebrity famous for claiming to have psychic powers. ... Birkbeck, University of London, sometimes referred to by its former name Birkbeck College or by the abbreviation BBK, is a College of the University of London. ... A typical 18th century phrenology chart. ... The term psychokinesis (from the Greek ψυχή, psyche, meaning mind, soul, or breath; and κίνησις, kinesis, meaning motion; literally movement from the mind)[1][2] or PK, also known as telekinesis[3] (Greek + , literally distant-movement referring to telekinesis) or TK, denotes the paranormal ability of the mind to influence matter, time...


Last years

In the early 1970s Clarke signed a three-book publishing deal, a record for a science-fiction writer at the time. The first of the three was Rendezvous with Rama in 1973, which won him all the main genre awards and has spawned sequels that, along with the 2001 series, formed the backbone of his later career. Rendezvous with Rama is a novel by Arthur C. Clarke first published in 1972. ...


In 1975 Clarke's short story "The Star" was not included in a new high school English textbook in Sri Lanka because of concerns that it might offend Roman Catholics even though it had already been selected. The same textbook also caused controversy because it replaced Shakespeare's work with that of Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Isaac Asimov. The Star is a science fiction short story by Arthur C. Clarke that appeared in the science fiction magazine Infinity Science Fiction in 1955 and won the Hugo award in 1956. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Shakespeare redirects here. ... This article is about the recording artist. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... Isaac Asimov (January 2?, 1920?[1] – April 6, 1992), pronounced , originally Исаак Озимов but now transcribed into Russian as Айзек Азимов [1], was a Russian-born American author and professor of biochemistry, a highly successful writer, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. ...


In the 1980s Clarke became well known to many for his television programmes Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World, Arthur C. Clarke's World of Strange Powers and Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious Universe. Arthur C. Clarkes Mysterious World was a popular thirteen part television series looking at unexplained phenomena from around the world. ...


In 1986 he was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America.[28] The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is an award given by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. ... Science Fiction Writers of America, or SFWA, (SFWA is pronounced seff-wah) was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight and James Blish. ...


In 1988 he was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome, having originally contracted polio in 1959, and needed to use a wheelchair most of the time thereafter.[23] Sir Arthur C Clarke was for many years a Vice Patron of the British Polio Fellowship.[29] Post-polio syndrome (PPS) is a condition that frequently affects survivors of poliomyelitis, a viral infection of the nervous system, after recovery from an initial paralytic attack of the virus. ... Poliomyelitis (polio), or infantile paralysis, is a viral paralytic disease. ...


In the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours Clarke was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) "for services to British cultural interests in Sri Lanka".[30] The same year he became the first Chancellor of the International Space University, serving from 1989 to 2004 and he also served as Chancellor of Moratuwa University in Sri Lanka from 1979 to 2002. The honours system of the United Kingdom is a means of rewarding personal bravery, achievement or service to the country. ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in order of seniority: Knight or Dame Grand Cross... International Space University was founded in 1987 by Peter Diamandis, Todd B. Hawley, and Robert D. Richards. ... Moratuwa University is one of the leading technical Universities in Sri Lanka. ...


In 1994, Clarke appeared in a science fiction film; he portrayed himself in the telefilm Without Warning, an American production about an apocalyptic alien first contact scenario presented in the form of a faux newscast.


On 26 May 2000 he was made a Knight Bachelor "for services to literature" at a ceremony in Colombo.[31] The award of a knighthood had been announced in the 1998 New Year Honours,[32] but investiture with the award had been delayed, at Clarke's request, because of an accusation, by the British tabloid The Sunday Mirror, of paedophilia.[33] [34] The charge was subsequently found to be baseless by the Sri Lankan police.[35][36][37][38][39][40] According to The Daily Telegraph (London), the Mirror subsequently published an apology.[41] Clarke was then duly knighted. is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The dignity of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. ... The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom. ... The Daily Mirror is a British tabloid daily newspaper. ... This article concerns the British newspaper. ...


In September 2007, he provided a video greeting for NASA's Cassini probe's flyby of Iapetus (which plays an important role in 2001: A Space Odyssey).[42] For other uses, see NASA (disambiguation). ... Cassini-Huygens is a joint NASA/ESA/ASI unmanned space mission intended to study Saturn and its moons. ... Iapetus (eye-ap-ə-təs, IPA , Greek Ιαπετός) is the third-largest moon of Saturn, discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1671. ...


In December 2007 on his 90th birthday, Clarke recorded a video message to his friends and fans bidding them good-bye.[43]


Clarke died in Sri Lanka on 19 March 2008 after suffering from breathing problems, according to Rohan de Silva, one of his aides,[44][45][23][46] only a few days after he had reviewed the final manuscript of his latest work, The Last Theorem, co-written with Frederik Pohl.[47] He was buried in Colombo in traditional Sri Lankan fashion on March 22, with his younger brother, Fred Clarke, and his Sri Lankan adoptive family among the thousands in attendance.[48] is the 78th day of the year (79th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... The Last Theorem is an Arthur C. Clarke science fiction novel with an anticipated publication date in 2006. ... Frederik George Pohl, Jr. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...


Position on religion

Themes of religion and spirituality appear in much of Clarke's writing. In 2000, Clarke told the Sri Lankan newspaper, The Island, "I don't believe in God or an afterlife,"[49] and he identifies himself as an atheist.[50] He was honoured as a Humanist Laureate in the International Academy of Humanism.[51] He has also described himself as a "crypto-Buddhist", insisting that Buddhism is not a religion.[52] He displayed little interest about religion early in his life, for example, only discovering a few months after marrying his wife, that she had strong Presbyterian beliefs. Buddhism is a variety of teachings, sometimes described as a religion[1] or way of life that attempts to identify the causes of human suffering and offer various ways that are claimed to end, or ease suffering. ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ...


In a three-day interview described as "a dialogue on man and his world" with Alan Watts, Clarke said that he could not forgive religions for the atrocities and wars over time and admitted a bias against religion in a 1972 interview.[53] From The Essential Alan Watts Alan Wilson Watts (January 6, 1915 – November 16, 1973) was a philosopher, writer, speaker, and expert in comparative religion. ... For other senses of this word, see bias (disambiguation). ...


In a reflection of the dialogue where he more broadly stated "mankind", his introduction to the penultimate episode of Mysterious World, entitled, Strange Skies, Clarke said,

I sometimes think that the universe is a machine designed for the perpetual astonishment of astronomers.

Near the very end of that same episode, the last segment of which covered the Star of Bethlehem, he stated that his favourite theory[citation needed] was that it might be a pulsar. Given that pulsars were discovered in the interval between his writing the short story, The Star (1955), and making Mysterious World (1980), and given the more recent discovery of pulsar PSR B1913+16, he said, Adoration of the Magi by Florentine painter Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337). ... It has been suggested that Radio pulsar be merged into this article or section. ... The Star is a science fiction short story by Arthur C. Clarke that appeared in the science fiction magazine Infinity Science Fiction in 1955 and won the Hugo award in 1956. ... PSR B1913+16 is a pulsar in a binary star system, in orbit with another star around a common center of mass. ...

How romantic, if even now, we can hear the dying voice of a star, which heralded the Christian era.

Clark left written instructions for a funeral that stated: For other uses, see Funeral (disambiguation). ...

Absolutely no religious rites of any kind, relating to any religious faith, should be associated with my funeral.[54]

Themes, style, and influences

Clarke's work is marked by an optimistic view of science empowering mankind's exploration of the solar system. His early published stories would usually feature the extrapolation of a technological innovation or scientific breakthrough into the underlying decadence of his own society.


"The Sentinel" (1948) introduced a religious theme to Clarke's work, a theme that he later explored more deeply in The City and the Stars (and its earlier version, Against the Fall of Night). His interest in the paranormal was influenced by Charles Fort and embraced the belief that humanity may be the property of an ancient alien civilisation. Surprisingly for a writer who is often held up as an example of hard science fiction's obsession with technology, three of Clarke's novels have this as a theme. Another theme of "The Sentinel" was the notion that the evolution of an intelligent species would eventually make them something close to gods, which was also explored in his 1953 novel Childhood's End. He also briefly touched upon this idea in his novel Imperial Earth. This idea of transcendence through evolution seems to have been influenced by Olaf Stapledon, who wrote a number of books dealing with this theme. Clarke has said of Stapledon's 1930 book Last and First Men that "No other book had a greater influence on my life ... [It] and its successor Star Maker (1937) are the twin summits of [Stapledon's] literary career".[55] For other works called The Sentinel, see Sentinel. ... Paranormal is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of reported anomalous phenomena. ... This article is not about Charles Forte. ... This article is about a novel. ... William Olaf Stapledon (May 10, 1886 – September 6, 1950) was a British philosopher and author of several influential works of science fiction. ... Last and First Men: A Story of the Near and Far Future is a science fiction novel written in 1930 by the British author Olaf Stapledon. ... Star Maker (1937) is a cornerstone work of science fiction by Olaf Stapledon, in which he undertakes the immense task of describing the entire history of life in the universe. ...


Adapted screenplays

2001: A Space Odyssey

Clarke's first venture into film was the Stanley Kubrick directed 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kubrick and Clarke had met in 1964 to discuss the possibility of a collaborative film project. As the idea developed, it was decided that the story for the film was to be loosely based on Clarke's short story "The Sentinel", written in 1948 as an entry in a BBC short story competition. Originally, Clarke was going to write the screenplay for the film, but this proved to be more tedious than he had estimated. Instead, Kubrick and Clarke decided it would be best to write a novel first and then adapt it for the film upon its completion. However, as Clarke was finishing the book, the screenplay was also being written simultaneously. Kubrick redirects here. ... For other works called The Sentinel, see Sentinel. ...


Clarke's influence on the directing of 2001: A Space Odyssey is also felt in one of the most memorable scenes in the movie when astronaut Bowman shuts down HAL by removing modules from service one by one. As this happens, we witness HAL's consciousness degrading. By the time HAL's logic is completely gone, he begins singing the song Daisy Bell. This song was chosen based on a visit by Clarke to his friend and colleague John Pierce at the Bell Labs Murray Hill facility. A speech synthesis demonstration by physicist John Larry Kelly, Jr was taking place. Kelly was using an IBM 704 computer to synthesise speech. His voice recorder synthesiser vocoder reproduced the vocal for Daisy Bell, with musical accompaniment from Max Mathews. Arthur C. Clarke was so impressed that he later told Kubrick to use it in this climactic scene.[56] HALs iconic camera eye. ... Daisy Bell is a popular song whose lyrics (Daisy, Daisy, Give me your answer do. ... John Robinson Pierce (March 27, 1910 - April 2, 2002), was an American engineer and author. ... Bell Laboratories (also known as Bell Labs and formerly known as AT&T Bell Laboratories and Bell Telephone Laboratories) was the main research and development arm of the United States Bell System. ... Murray Hill is a locality of Berkeley Heights, New Jersey located in Union County in north-central New Jersey. ... Speech synthesis is the artificial production of human speech. ... John Larry Kelly, Jr. ... An IBM 704 mainframe (image courtesy of LLNL) The IBM 704,[1] the first mass-produced computer with floating point arithmetic hardware, was introduced by IBM in April, 1954. ... A vocoder (name derived from voice encoder, formerly also called voder) is a speech analyzer and synthesizer. ... Max Vernon Mathews was born in Columbus, Nebraska, on November 13, 1926. ...


Due to the hectic schedule of the film's production, Kubrick and Clarke had difficulty collaborating on the book. Clarke completed a draft of the novel at the end of 1964 with the plan to publish in 1965 in advance of the film's release in 1966. After many delays the film was released in the spring of 1968, before the book was completed. The book was credited to Clarke alone. Clarke later complained that this had the effect of making the book into a novelisation, that Kubrick had manipulated circumstances to downplay Clarke's authorship. For these and other reasons, the details of the story differ slightly from the book to the movie. The film contains little explanation for the events taking place. Clarke, on the other hand, wrote thorough explanations of "cause and effect" for the events in the novel. James Randi later recounted that upon seeing 2001 for the first time, Clarke left the movie theatre during the first break crying because he was so upset about how the movie had turned out.[57] Despite their differences, both film and novel were well received.[58][59][60] A novelization (or novelisation in British English) is a work of fiction that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work. ...


In 1972, Clarke published The Lost Worlds of 2001, which included his account of the production and alternate versions of key scenes. The "special edition" of the novel A Space Odyssey (released in 1999) contains an introduction by Clarke, documenting his account of the events leading to the release of the novel and film.


2010

In 1982 Clarke continued the 2001 epic with a sequel, 2010: Odyssey Two. This novel was also made into a film, 2010, directed by Peter Hyams for release in 1984. Due to the political environment in America in the 1980s, the novel and film present a Cold War theme, with the looming tensions of nuclear warfare. The film was not considered to be as revolutionary or artistic as 2001, but the reviews were still positive. 2010: Odyssey Two, is a science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke (January 1982) and also a motion picture (1984) by Peter Hyams entitled simply 2010, or sometimes 2010: The Year We Make Contact. ... 2010: The Year We Make Contact, also known as 2010, is a science fiction film released in 1984 directed by Peter Hyams. ... Peter Hyams (born July 26, 1943) is an American screenwriter, director and cinematographer. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... The Titan II ICBM carried a 9 Mt W53 warhead, making it one of the most powerful nuclear weapons fielded by the United States during the Cold War. ...


Clarke's email correspondence with Hyams was published in 1984. Titled The Odyssey File: The Making of 2010, and co-authored with Hyams, it illustrates his fascination with the then-pioneering medium and its use for them to communicate on an almost daily basis at the time of planning and production of the film while living on different continents. The book also includes Clarke's list of the best science-fiction films ever made. E-mail, or email, is short for electronic mail and is a method of composing, sending, and receiving messages over electronic communication systems. ...


Rendezvous with Rama

Clarke's award-winning 1972 novel Rendezvous with Rama was optioned many years ago, but is currently in "development hell". Director David Fincher is assigned to the project together with actor Morgan Freeman. Rendezvous with Rama is a novel by Arthur C. Clarke first published in 1972. ... Development hell is media-industry jargon for a film, television screenplay, or computer program[1] (or sometimes just a concept or idea) getting stuck in development and never going into production. ... David Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director and music video director known for his dark and stylish films, particularly Fight Club and Se7en. ... For the Dawsons Creek director, see Morgan J. Freeman. ...


Beyond 2001

2001: A Space Odyssey, Clarke's most famous work, goes well beyond the 1968 movie, and its 1984 sequel (2010). There were two more sequels that have not been adapted to the cinema: 2061: The Third Odyssey and 3001: The Final Odyssey. In 2061: The Third Odyssey, Halley's Comet swings back to nearby Earth, and Sir Arthur uses the event as an excuse to take an aged Dr. Heywood Floyd on a romp through the solar system, visiting the comet before crash-landing on Europa, where he discovers the fates of Dave Bowman, HAL 9000, and the Europan lifeforms which have been protected by the Monoliths. This article is about the comet. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... This article is about the Solar System. ... Comet Hale-Bopp Comet West For other uses, see Comet (disambiguation). ... HALs iconic camera eye. ... For the computer game company, see Monolith Productions. ...


With 3001: The Final Odyssey, Clarke returns to examine the character of astronaut Frank Poole, believed killed outside Discovery by HAL in the original novel and film.


Essays and short stories

Most of Clarke's essays (from 1934 to 1998) can be found in the book Greetings, Carbon-Based Bipeds! (2000). Most of his short stories can be found in the book The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke (2001). Another collection of early essays was published in The View from Serendip (1977), which also included one short piece of fiction, "When the Twerms Came". He wrote short stories under the pseudonyms of E. G. O'Brien and Charles Willis. He also wrote a story called "The Secret." The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke, (ISBN 0312878214), first published in 2000, is a collection of almost every science fiction story shorter than novel length that Arthur C. Clarke has ever published: more than 100 in all arranged in order of publication, from Travel By Wire in 1937 through... When the Twerms Came, is short, short story by British author Arthur C. Clarke. ...


Concept of the geostationary communications satellite

Geostationary orbit
Geostationary orbit
Main article: Geostationary orbit

Clarke's most important scientific contribution may be his idea that geostationary satellites would be ideal telecommunications relays. He described this concept in a paper titled Extra-Terrestrial Relays — Can Rocket Stations Give Worldwide Radio Coverage?, published in Wireless World in October 1945. The geostationary orbit is now sometimes known as the Clarke Orbit or the Clarke Belt in his honour. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Geostationary orbit A geostationary orbit (GEO) is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earths equator (0° latitude), with orbital eccentricity of zero. ... Geostationary orbit A geostationary orbit (GEO) is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earths equator (0° latitude), with orbital eccentricity of zero. ... A geosynchronous satellite is a satellite whose orbital speed equals the Earths rotational speed. ... Copy of the original phone of Alexander Graham Bell at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris Telecommunication is the assisted transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication. ... Wireless World was the preeminent British magazine for radio and electronics enthusiasts. ... Geostationary orbit A geostationary orbit (GEO) is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earths equator (0° latitude), with orbital eccentricity of zero. ... A geostationary orbit (abbreviated GEO) is a circular orbit in the Earths equatorial plane, any point on which revolves about the Earth in the same direction and with the same period as the Earths rotation. ... A geosynchronous orbit is a geocentric orbit that has the same orbital period as the sidereal rotation period of the Earth. ...


However, it is not clear that this article was actually the inspiration for the modern telecommunications satellite. John R. Pierce, of Bell Labs, arrived at the idea independently in 1954 and he was actually involved in the Echo satellite and Telstar projects. Moreover, Pierce stated that the idea was "in the air" at the time and certain to be developed regardless of Clarke's publication. Nevertheless, Clarke described the idea so thoroughly that his article has been cited as prior art in judgements denying patents on the concept.[citation needed] John Robinson Pierce (March 27, 1910 - April 2, 2002), was an American engineer and author. ... Bell Laboratories (also known as Bell Labs and formerly known as AT&T Bell Laboratories and Bell Telephone Laboratories) was the main research and development arm of the United States Bell System. ... Echo 1 sits fully inflated at a Navy hangar in Weeksville, North Carolina. ... The original Telstar had a roughly spherical shape. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ...


Though different from Clarke's idea of telecom relay, the idea of communicating with satellites in geostationary orbit itself had been described earlier. For example, the concept of geostationary satellites was described in Hermann Oberth's 1923 book Die Rakete zu den Planetenräumen[61](The Rocket into Interplanetary Space) and then the idea of radio communication with those satellites in Herman Potočnik's (written under the pseudonym Hermann Noordung) 1928 book Das Problem der Befahrung des Weltraums — der Raketen-Motor (The Problem of Space Travel — The Rocket Motor) section: Providing for Long Distance Communications and Safety [62] published in Berlin. Clarke acknowledged the earlier concept in his book Profiles of the Future.[63] Oberth (in front) with fellow ABMA employees. ... Herman Potočnik (pseudonym Hermann Noordung) (December 22, 1892 - August 27, 1929) was a Slovene rocket engineer and pioneer of cosmonautics (astronautics). ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ...


Awards, honours and other recognition

Description Role: Earth and Lunar Orbit Crew: 3; CDR, CM pilot, LM pilot Dimensions Height: 36. ... Description Role: Earth and Lunar Orbit Crew: 3; CDR, CM pilot, LM pilot Dimensions Height: 36. ... This article is about the Apollo mission. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... Kubrick redirects here. ... The Arthur C. Clarke Award is a British award given for the best science fiction novel first published in the United Kingdom during the previous year. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... High Commissioner is the title of vario