Arthur C. Clarke's Final Odyssey

FunkyWaltDogg

Arthur C. Clarke died today.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23697230/

He was pretty doggone old, but it sucks regardless.

MikeMan

A visionary man, and an inspiration.

He will be missed.

electricitylikesme

...

Premier kakos

Goodbye, Arthur. Your books have done more to inspire me and millions of others than you can imagine. Your legacy is safe, my friend.

ege02

For reference:

CNN wrote:

(CNN) -- Author Arthur C. Clarke, whose science fiction and non-fiction works ranged from the script for "2001: A Space Odyssey" to an early proposal for communications satellites, has died at age 90, associates have said.
art.clarke.obit.gi.jpg

Visionary author Arthur C. Clarke had fans around the world.

Clarke had been wheelchair-bound for several years with complications stemming from a youthful bout with polio and had suffered from back trouble recently, said Scott Chase, the secretary of the nonprofit Arthur C. Clarke Foundation.

He died early Wednesday -- Tuesday afternoon ET -- at a hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where he had lived since the 1950s, Chase said.

"He had been taken to hospital in what we had hoped was one of the slings and arrows of being 90, but in this case it was his final visit," he said.

In a videotaped 90th birthday message to fans, Clarke said he still hoped to see some sign of intelligent life beyond Earth, more work on alternatives to fossil fuels -- and "closer to home," an end to the 25-year civil war in Sri Lanka between the government and ethnic Tamil separatists.

"I dearly wish to see lasting peace established in Sri Lanka as soon as possible," he said. "But I'm aware that peace cannot just be wished -- it requires a great deal of hard work, courage and persistence."

Clarke and director Stanley Kubrick shared an Academy Award nomination for best adapted screenplay for "2001." The film grew out of Clarke's 1951 short story, "The Sentinel," about an alien transmitter left on the moon that ceases broadcasting when humans arrive.

As a Royal Air Force officer during World War II, Clarke took part in the early development of radar. In a paper written for the radio journal "Wireless World" in 1945, he suggested that artificial satellites hovering above fixed spot above Earth could be used to relay telecommunications signals across the globe.

He is widely credited with introducing the idea of the communications satellite, the first of which were launched in the early 1960s. But he never patented the idea, prompting a 1965 essay that he subtitled, "How I Lost a Billion Dollars in My Spare Time."

His best-known works, such as "2001" or the 1953 novel "Childhood's End," combined the hard science he learned studying physics and mathematics with insights into how future discoveries would change humanity. David Eicher, editor of Astronomy magazine, told CNN that Clarke's writings were influential in shaping public interest in space exploration during the 1950s and '60s.

"He was very interested in technology and also in humanity's history and what lay out in the cosmos," Eicher said. His works combined those "big-picture" themes with "compelling stories that were more interesting and more complex than another science fiction writers were doing," he said.

Tedson Meyers, the chairman of the Clarke Foundation, said the organization is now dedicated to reproducing the combination of imagination and knowledge that he credited the author with inspiring.

"The question for us is, how does human imagination bring about such talent on both sides of the brain?" he asked. "How do you find the next Arthur Clarke?"

Clarke was knighted in 1998. He wrote dozens of novels and collections of short stories and more than 30 non-fiction works during his career, and served as a television commentator during several of the Apollo moon missions.

Though humans have not returned to the moon since 1972, Clarke said he was confident that a "Golden Age" of space travel was just beginning.

"After half a century of government-sponsored efforts, we are now witnessing the emergence of commercial space flight," he said in his December birthday message.

"Over the next 50 years, thousands of people will travel to Earth orbit -- and then, to the moon and beyond. Space travel and space tourism will one day become almost as commonplace as flying to exotic destinations on our own planet."

I've never read any of his works, but I'm still saddened by his departure. I hope he is right that the Golden Age of space travel is just beginning.

chasm

Gad. My last communication with him was emailing him to replace the autographed copy of 2001 (lost it in Katrina) he'd sent me for my 13th birthday.

zeeny

The videotaped message in question:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qLdeEjdbWE

I'm pretty sure I won't be able to remember my own name @ 90.

FyreWulff

My favorite thing about him was his shirt that said "I invented the satellite and all I got was this lousy shirt".

xraydog

zeeny wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qLdeEjdbWE

So now the last of the big 3 is gone. I don't think we'll ever see their like again.

darthmix

I remember reading 2001 when I was 14 and having it completely blow my mind.

He'll be missed.

Doodmann

Wow that sucks. Is it bad that I didn't even know he was still alive?

Cryztal_Flame

Man, I was all over the literature forum looking for this. "Did this REALLY pass the entire Penny Arcade forum by?", never thought to look in here. First time I've ever gotten misty about a celebrity dying.

moniker

Incenjucar

FunkyWaltDogg wrote: »

He was pretty doggone old, but it sucks regardless.

I haven't had the chance to get into his works, but this is the important part.

It's sad when good people die, but it's incredibly sad when they don't get a chance to live first, so I'm glad he got in an incredibly accomplished life. Best kind of death to have.

deowolf

Say hi to Dave, Arthur.

MKR

And be sure to give Carl Sagan a status report. Earth is still a rotting shithole, but less of one.

Hacksaw

You will be missed, Sir Arthur. Godspeed you glorious erudite.

Octoparrot

MKR wrote: »

And be sure to give Carl Sagan a status report. Earth is still a rotting shithole, but less of one.

Wasn't Sagan a huge atheist?

The best thing that could come of this is that maybe, maybe this will spur the development of the last two Odyssey films.

MKR

Octoparrot wrote: »

MKR wrote: »

And be sure to give Carl Sagan a status report. Earth is still a rotting shithole, but less of one.

Wasn't Sagan a huge atheist?

The best thing that could come of this is that maybe, maybe this will spur the development of the last two Odyssey films.

If there is some sort of afterlife where good people go, they're in it.

moniker

Octoparrot wrote: »

MKR wrote: »

And be sure to give Carl Sagan a status report. Earth is still a rotting shithole, but less of one.

Wasn't Sagan a huge atheist?

The best thing that could come of this is that maybe, maybe this will spur the development of the last two Odyssey films.

One of his books (not the Odyssey series) is not only in pre-development, but in pre-development with Morgan Freeman signed on.

Curly_Brace

moniker wrote: »

Octoparrot wrote: »

MKR wrote: »

And be sure to give Carl Sagan a status report. Earth is still a rotting shithole, but less of one.

Wasn't Sagan a huge atheist?

The best thing that could come of this is that maybe, maybe this will spur the development of the last two Odyssey films.

One of his books (not the Odyssey series) is not only in pre-development, but in pre-development with Morgan Freeman signed on.

Rendezvous with Rama. Better than 2061 or 3001, I say. I'm really looking forward to it.

Clarke is a titan among men. A visionary with very few peers. The modern world would likely not be here if it were not for visionaries like Clarke. Not to mention his incredible science fiction work.

Godspeed, Sir Arthur C. Clarke. You're walking the true Stairway of the Gods now.

Gim

He was the one who wrote "The Nine Billion Names of God"? Interesting. I remember someone telling me the basics of that story and it freaked me right the hell out. It still does, actually.

Clarke, you were worthy. If there were any sort of justice on this earth, your entire body would be shot out into space.

I think some Clarke books are in my near future.

Gim

Mogwai just switched their MySpace profile picture to a picture of the Star Child.

Zilla360

x2001

Crimson King

First Terry Pratchett gets Alzheimer's, then Gygax goes, now Clarke...

If Alan Moore gets hit by a bus I'm giving up on nerdhood and taking up football.

ArcticMonkey

Gim wrote: »

He was the one who wrote "The Nine Billion Names of God"? Interesting. I remember someone telling me the basics of that story and it freaked me right the hell out. It still does, actually.

Clarke, you were worthy. If there were any sort of justice on this earth, your entire body would be shot out into space.

I think some Clarke books are in my near future.

Wikipedia has a link to The Nine Billion Names of God. It's short and very good. And the end somehow seems fitting today.

darleysam

ArcticMonkey wrote: »

Gim wrote: »

He was the one who wrote "The Nine Billion Names of God"? Interesting. I remember someone telling me the basics of that story and it freaked me right the hell out. It still does, actually.

Clarke, you were worthy. If there were any sort of justice on this earth, your entire body would be shot out into space.

I think some Clarke books are in my near future.

Wikipedia has a link to The Nine Billion Names of God. It's short and very good. And the end somehow seems fitting today.

That's a fantastic short story.

Dalboz

Octoparrot wrote: »

MKR wrote: »

And be sure to give Carl Sagan a status report. Earth is still a rotting shithole, but less of one.

Wasn't Sagan a huge atheist?

The best thing that could come of this is that maybe, maybe this will spur the development of the last two Odyssey films.

I hope not. I like Clarke's work, and loved 2001 and 2010, but personal found the last two Odyssey books lacking. And 3001 really can't be made into a movie. It will just leave the average audience scratching their heads, and they would probably change it so much that it would be 3001 in name only.

2001 was mind-blowing though. The proverbial "good science fiction novel" that seems like it might be dense at first, but then you read the whole thing in one sitting because you can't put it down.

I still need to read the Rama series. And I guess Stephen Baxter is going to have to finish the Time Odyssey series on his own.

evilbob

Dalboz wrote: »

I still need to read the Rama series.

Yes you do.

unilateral

He was an answer today on Jeopardy...which is pretty crazy since Jeopardy is filmed in advance I believe.

deowolf

Dalboz wrote: »

Octoparrot wrote: »

MKR wrote: »

And be sure to give Carl Sagan a status report. Earth is still a rotting shithole, but less of one.

Wasn't Sagan a huge atheist?

The best thing that could come of this is that maybe, maybe this will spur the development of the last two Odyssey films.

I hope not. I like Clarke's work, and loved 2001 and 2010, but personal found the last two Odyssey books lacking. And 3001 really can't be made into a movie. It will just leave the average audience scratching their heads, and they would probably change it so much that it would be 3001 in name only.

As much as I loved Heywood Floyd as a character, 2061 was just so 'meh' that I couldn't fathom picking up 3001. Actually, 2061 was pretty good, but the ending was 'meh'. It was the excerpt I read in Playboy of 3001 that made me want to pass on it. The sky elevators were a cool idea, but after reading the wiki about the general plot I grimaced and had to take a pass.

Nine Billion Names of God remains one of my favorite short stories of all time.

xraydog

The Sentinel is pretty good too. There's a really good spoken audio version in 7 parts on Youtube. Here's part 1... http://youtube.com/watch?v=kyiUNEaGJfE

Never mind the picture, I don't know who that is just listen to the audio.

Tofystedeth

When I got home yesterday my roommate said "Hey <tof> your dad died. I mean, your dad called, to tell you Arthur C. Clarke died."

I was like D:D:D:D:
Almost dropped my fucking supper.

Operative21

I'll confess I never really got into Clarke's work, but there's no denying the man's work was part of the very foundation of the Science Fiction genre. Suffice it to say I have a tremendous respect for both the man and his work, his death is a tremendous loss. Still, I wish him well on his final journey and hope that his legacies will stand the test of time.

Andrew_Jay

evilbob wrote: »

Dalboz wrote: »

I still need to read the Rama series.

Yes you do.

Just the first one, really.

darleysam wrote: »

ArcticMonkey wrote: »

Wikipedia has a link to The Nine Billion Names of God. It's short and very good. And the end somehow seems fitting today.

That's a fantastic short story.

I really like The Star.

But Songs of Distant Earth is probably my favorite novel by Clarke.

No-Quarter

Rest in peace sir. May your spirit travel the cosmos for eternity.

Brynj

Andrew_Jay wrote: »

evilbob wrote: »

Dalboz wrote: »

I still need to read the Rama series.

Yes you do.

Just the first one, really.

Agreed.

The sequels were not written by Clarke, but Gentry Lee. Clarke just read and gave some ideas during their creation. Not bad, not good either. Though the 2nd made a decent adventure game for the PC. Hopefully, this increased awareness will get the movie out of development hell.

I was shocked when I heard because just a few weeks ago I found a compilation of his books that I bought as a kid and had just reread Rama and 'The City and the Stars'.

No more Clarke, Heinlein, Asimov.... sucks.

Dalboz

Brynj wrote: »

No more Clarke, Heinlein, Asimov.... sucks.

Bradbury is still around, but he is getting up there in years.

I didn't know Clarke was suffering from post-polio syndrome. Same thing that took Robert Anton Wilson.

These last couple of years have really sucked for us losing great writers.

Xenocide Geek

seriously we're going to run out of hard science fiction authors here soon

where are all the young science fiction writers. we need some fresh blood.

ye shall be missed, mr. clarke. i'd only read 2001 and 2010, but 2010... man. that shit literally blew my mind, and i'd read a lot of scifi at that point in time.

fuck... the ending. amazing. dude was a creative genius.

Cherrn

I just noticed his collected short stories on Amazon. That shit is like 1000 pages. So bought.

FyreWulff

Dalboz wrote: »

Brynj wrote: »

No more Clarke, Heinlein, Asimov.... sucks.

Bradbury is still around, but he is getting up there in years.

Bradbury is dedicated to removing all highways and replacing them with social get together spaces.

I am not shitting you. He despises highways.