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Sir Arthur C. Clarke, one of the three most important science fiction writers of his era, was a gifted scientist and inventor. He suggested the use of satellites for planetary telecommunications, which has come true. He wrote over 30 novels and 30 non-fiction works, including “The Sentinel,” which inspired the film 2001. He was knighted in 2000, and although he was accused of child abuse, he was cleared of all charges. He was partially or totally dependent on a wheelchair due to post-polio syndrome since 1988.
Sir Arthur C. Clarke is best known for his work which inspired the film 2001 and its 2010 sequel. An avid writer, who has always relished the possibilities for real-life applications of science fiction to science, Clarke is regarded as one of the great three, or one of the three most important science fiction writers of his era. The other two, Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov, predeceased Clarke, born in 1916.
Clarke was born and educated in England and worked as a radar specialist for the British Air Force during World War II. After the war ended, Clarke graduated from King’s College with a degree in mathematics and physics. Besides being a good writer and greatly inspired by the many pulp science fiction magazines he read as a boy, Sir Arthur C. Clarke was also a gifted scientist and inventor. One of his most famous ideas was his suggestion that satellites could be used to support planetary telecommunications communications. While it’s mostly a prediction where he made it, it has clearly come true with the many commonly used satellite phones and GPS devices.
Clarke is known for his fiction pieces and for writing and developing several science fiction shows for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). He is less known for a number of non-fiction works that he published during his career. Glide Path for example, although told in fictional form is autobiographical. Other non-fiction works include The Promise of Space and The Exploration of Space.
The short story Sir Arthur C. Clarke wrote, which later inspired 2001, was called “The Sentinel” and was rejected in 1948 by the BBC when Clarke submitted it for a short story competition. It wasn’t released until 1951, and it would be another 17 years before the story was significantly edited and altered for Stanley Kubrick’s classic sci-fi film. “The Sentinel” remains Clarke’s best-known work, although he has also published several novels. These include Childhood’s End, Rendezvous with Rama and The City and the Stars. In total he has written over 30 novels, published over ten short story collections and 30 non-fiction works.
Besides being an avid stargazer and interested in all things science and science fiction, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, also loved scuba diving, prompting his relocation to Sri Lanka. For his contributions to literature and science, Clarke was knighted in 1998. He declined this initial offer because at the same time, a British tabloid ran an inflammatory piece about him claiming he was a paedophile. The allegations led to an investigation by the Sri Lankan government, and Clarke was eventually cleared of all child abuse charges. In 2000 he was knighted and was knighted bachelor of England, where he retains his citizenship, although he is also a citizen of Sri Lanka.
Since 1988, Sir Arthur C. Clarke has been partially or totally dependent on a wheelchair due to post-polio syndrome. In 2007, he stated that he was completely dependent on a wheelchair and that he would no longer travel from Sri Lanka. His fertile imagination continues to serve him and he will always be remembered as the man who wrote one of the most important pieces of science fiction Earth has yet to receive.
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