Arthur C. Clarke

Amen.

Thank you, Dr. Guy, for posting this. I had missed it.

A lovely, truly touching blog post.

 

More than just a scifi writer, Arthur C Clarke was a futurist and a visionary who stood outside of his time to create possible futures we could all share.  He also embodied what it means to work beyond ones limitations through creativity.  He was a great man and will be missed.  Vale, Mr Clarke.

Thanks Roy.

If I had not been googling an issue for work, I would still not know. Thanks for the note.

They should put that on his tombstone. Great testament to a great writer. Thanks

Clarke is no doubt a star child now.

Though you missed one of the Big Three: Heinlein.

Indeed, he went above and beyond anyone else. He'll be missed.

~L

Don't forget what he did for science. Clarke conceived of geosynchronous orbits and is credited as such. He was a genuine visionary.

And to Demosthenes, I'd guess that in the end it will turn out that Heinlein was a visionary and ahead of his time as well - particularly in the social realm.

He is one of my Favorires. WHo can forget Lazarus Long (he did have a hang up with the LLs)? But I put him just below Asimov, Clarke and Sturgeon.

Great pic! Where did you find it?

They called his time the Golden Age of Sci FI. I dont know if it is just me, or it really is. But none have come close since those of the 50s (and beyond, but that was when most got their start - or made it big).

I have heard today's writers are very good. I have read some. But just not the same.

Oh, and before I forget, Frank Herbert is up there too. I know MM will skin me if I do not mention him.

Yea, very much so for writing mostly in the 50s and 60s.

Another author that I really really like, is Stephen Baxter. While I wouldn't say he's the best, or even among the likes of Asimove, Clarke, Bradbury and crew - but he is good. I enjoyed his work The Time Ships. (It was a long book though, geesh.)

I agree, the "classic" authors from Shelley to (I would say) Clarke, and so on, will always be the best. Doesn't mean that others won't become great; you can't just ignore the classics, the building blocks.

~L

I agree that he was a great sci fi writer. Somehow the only human character he created was HAL the computer with a mind of its own in 2001 Space Oddessey.

I guess that depends on the way you define create. He created a lot of characters (Dave? same book). I guess Hal was the most memorable one since it is a nightmare for many - a machine that goes crazy.

I hadn't heard of his death either.  2001: A Space Odyssey is a film I enjoy seeing repeatedly!  A touching tribute Doc!

If you get a chance, read his Childhood's End. It is a masterful work that is both sad, and encouraging. With no real villians or heros. But a fantastic read.

While I think you sell Bradbury short I agree that Clark was one of the greats.

I probably do for Bradbury. As I indicated, his sin was being liked by my English teachers.

I also disagree with your placement of Ray Bradbury; I find his work to be superior to that of Theodore Sturgeon and visionary in as many ways as that of Asimov or Clarke. Bradbury, in my opinion, was and is especially gifted in the realm of understanding and exploring both what it is to be human and human reactions to extraordinary situations.

However, in regards to Clarke, there can be no doubt that Childhood's End is a far superior work to 2001. Frankly, the film was an incomprehensible mess. But more to the point, CE is one of those rare stories that doesn't paint alien beings as "out to get us" (Sagan's Contact is the only other one that springs to mind at the moment).Actually, if you've ever seen (I used to have a copy of it somewhere and I think I misplaced it years ago when I moved out of my parents' house) Barlowe's Guide to the Extraterrestrials, it has a wonderful painting and description of the Overlords.

I really do think that the literary and cinematic fiction of the pre-Sputnik days (and slightly post-) was some of the most imaginative and fascinating speculative work ever created; the authors of the time were, in a way, freed by the lack of knowledge about what space is actually like because we didn't have the technology to really explore it.

I was just over at wikipedia, reading over the synopsis for CE, which I read probably twenty years ago, and I was struck by similarities to the plot of the 1957 film The 27th Day. If you've never seen it, I highly recommend both it and of course, The Day The Earth Stood Still; those are two great benevolent alien stories.

 

WOW! Another one of me.

My demotion of Bradbury, as I pointed out, really has nothing to do with his stuff. I really like him. But so did my english (literature) teachers, and what they liked, I rarely did. So I am prejudiced against him. But I still enjoy his works.

I dont remember how many stories I have read on the subject of "benevolent" aliens, but what got me the most about CE was the fact that the overlords were trapped! While they were far advanced of us technologically, they could go no further, and envied humans that we could. It was just a fantastic read (and it has been more than 20 years for me, sadly - I need to read it again).

Of Course The Day the Earth Stood Still is the best sci-fi movie ever made (which of course has nothing to do with the star, Patricia Neal ). For different reasons than CE, but you did pick up on the commonality with it. I will need to check out the 27th Day. I dont recall that one. but with "200 Channels", I hope it comes on one of them soon.

As for 2001, the movie was OK, the Book was better. But I call those kind of books, Bread and Butter. They keep the author eating, but are not the masterpieces that others are.

And perhaps it was the absense of facts that made it the golden age. That and the abundance of hope as everyone looks back to the 50s as the golden age now (and gloss over the problems of the era - but that is another story). The writers could write about anything. The one theme that seemed to dominate was the future for man was limitless, and that is probably why it is the golden Age of Sci-Fi.

I've reflected a lot recently on the prevalence, especially in modern fiction and film, of the "alien as boogeyman" premise. So much that's classified as science fiction today seems to be dark and pessimistic about the concept of extraterrestrial life; maybe that's why Contact resonated with me so much (well, that and Sagan uses the book to slam creationists again ). It's a great source of generating a basic conflict for a story to say "here are these evil aliens," but I think it's much more interesting to say, "here are these aliens who aren't necessarily evil but want to learn more about us."

I caught The 27th Day on Turner Classic Movies about a year ago. Happy hunting!

Ack! I just saw on wikipedia that someone's remaking The Day The Earth Stood Still--and with KEANU REEVES! I think this can only be proof that there is a Satan!! (:(

Great! I caught (with my son as I insisted he watch it - he is a film buff) Plan 9 from Outer Space recently on TCM (it ws worse than I remembered). I hope they rerun The 27th day!

I miss Sagan as well. He always made facts read like fiction - i.e. very enjoyable.