A giant, a visionary, a prophet has passed.
Sir Arthur C. Clarke has passed away today at the age of 90. It’s impossible for me to express how formative this great man’s writings have been upon my personality, my interests, even my career. Along with Isaac Asimov, who passed away when I was a freshman in college, Sir Arthur was my gateway into science fiction and a lifetime of intellectual curiosity and simple appreciation for the fruits of the mind.
On my recent trip to Colombo, the idea of meeting him crossed my mind, but was rejected immediately as an impossibility. But at least I came close.
I don’t think I’m worthy to express the loss of such a modern age prophet…
…I need to dig up some books.
and some linkage, if you haven’t found it, youtube has Sir Arthor’s 90 birthday reflections. A very interesting watch.
The first time I read “Rendezvous with Rama”, chills ran down my spine when the lights came on. I hadn’t realized a book could do that.
agreed. I had a similar experience in Childhood’s End when the physical appearance of the visitors was revealed…
My wife and I sat (almost) next to him at the 1979 WorldCon in Brighton. But we were much too timid to do more than smile and nod. (We were not alone — people were so respectful of him I almost wonder if he didn’t feel a bit lonely).