Arthur C Clarke

(Born 1917, died 2009)

Knighted shortly before his death for his contributions to Science and Science Fiction, Arthur C Clarke was born in Minehead, Somerset. After leaving school, he joined the Civil Service as an auditor with HM Exchequer. He was active in Fan circles pre war, having a number of stories published in fanzines. During the war, he served in the RAF as a RADAR instructor. Once demobbed, he gained a BSc in Physics and Mathematics with Honours.

He held the post of chairman with the British Interplanetary Society twice: 1946 - 47 and 1950 - 53. It was this interest in space science and it's implications for broadcasting that lead to his being recognised in the wider sphere when he published an article about the use of artificial satellites for use in worldwide broadcasting.

He has not really focussed on a particular series or, even, consistent background. Instead, he has let his imagination range much more widely. One of his more evocative novels was Childhood's End, which is the End of Humanity As We Know It tale to end them all.

Apart from his contribution to the telecommunications revolution, ACC's most famous work is the triptych of stories that make up 2001: A Space Oddessy. The first bit of this was the original short story that caught Kubrik's attention, then came the script treatment, which he shared with Kubrik, and finally the novellisation of the film, which varied in a couple of ways - giving us a look at the astronauts pre-launch and giving a somewhat different interpretation of the Star Child at the end. There are a number of sequels that most people would prefer to forget about.

Along with Heinlein and Asimov, Sir Arthur is recognised as one of the three Grand Masters of Science Fiction. Part of this is based on their sheer longevity - Sir Arthur has been publishing for much of the last 70 years, and partly on the effect they have had on the field.

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