I almost didn’t post this, others have done it on hundreds of blogs, but I owe it to the man who gave us Rendezvous with Rama, The Songs of Distant Earth, The Nine Billion Names of God, and of course Sentinel, which gave birth to his Space Odyssey series
And started me on my 27 year love affair with a psychotic, homicidal onboard A.I. with schizophrenic self-image issues.
"I can never look now at the Milky Way without wondering from which of those banked clouds of stars the emissaries are coming.If you will pardon so commonplace a simile, we have set off the fire alarm and have nothing to do but to wait. "
"I do not think we will have to wait for long."
Arthur C. Clarke is probably one of the best known names in Science Fiction, and indeed the world of fictional/factual literature of the past 60 years. He wrote some of the greats, along with Asimov, Heinlein and Bradbury, and their legacy has in turn spawned new authors to look heavenward and write of the if-when time we travel through the stars. A scientist and scholar of the arts as well as a self-styled adventurist, Clarke’s essays on his journeys beneath the seas were as captivating as his novels of life beyond the stars. I have a little over 30 of his books, collections and articles scattered around my library, and there’s not a one I can’t pick up and read for the first or 101st time with the same interest.
If a man’s life can be measured by his achievements, then Arthur C. Clarke stands as a giant among men.
He was a respected scientist who brought legitimacy to Science Fiction.
He was a professional diver, with dozens of essays, books and documentaries on the world beneath the sea.
He mentored aspiring authors, and lectured often.
He was knighted by Prince Charles.
He ran a diving school in Sri Lanka.
He survived the tsunami (although his diving school didn’t!)
In one of what would be dozens of cases where life imitates art, in 1945, a 28 year old Clarke wrote an essay for Wireless World in which he invented the concept of communications satellites. 20 years later, we would see this idea to fruition. Because of his scientific knowledge and background, Clarke was often sought after by leading researchers and scientists for his expertise in any number of fields.
Although he managed to beat the Reaper with a full house on every deal, Clarke knew he was living in his last days these past couple of years. He had hoped to hold out until 90, and wanted to give his thoughts on the past century in a farewell message on his 90th birthday in December 2007. They played it at the Science Fiction museum here in Seattle a couple of months ago, and the standing ovation at the end was deafening. We were practically screaming, and almost all of us had tears in our eyes. You never heard someone exit this world with such grace and hope for the future.
“I want to be remembered most as a writer, one who entertained readers, and hopefully, stretched their imaginations as well.”
Farewell, Sir Arthur. It was a privilege to live on this planet in your time. I hope you, Asimov, C.S. Lewis, Heinlein, Philip K. Dick, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and maybe H. P. Lovecraft are sitting down to a grand game of poker in the blue light of Vega, and sending L. Ron Hubbard out for pizza so he doesn’t bother you.
1 comment:
*speechless*
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