Cool News
Arthur C Clarke no longer is amongst us...
Hey folks, Harry here... Today's a sad day - we lost Anthony Minghella earlier today - and now we've lost one of the most brilliant minds in science fiction, Arthur C Clarke. For many of us - he'll be the man that worked with Kubrick in creating the science fiction Masterpiece... 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - but for fans of the written word he was so much more.
He was one of the true masters - read his RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA or CHILDHOOD'S END. Both titles have been developed for features, but as of yet - have not be cracked. They are incredible works that hopefully will be brought to life. He moved to Sri Lanka in the mid-1950s where he spent the rest of his life. He died their today at the age of 90. He leaves us with over 100 books that challenge our understanding of the universe. This is a sad day.
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Now he is the starchild.
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he will be missed
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First?
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Mr Clarke. Thus shaping my now imaginative brain
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I would like to think that today the monolith opened and there was Kubrick waiting for him. Arthur C. Clarke is now out amongst the stars learning their secrets and seeing the worlds that he imagined. You will be missed here on earth.
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Rama is my absolute favourite book. I used to devour his novels when I was wee.
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A sad, sad day.
I grew up with this mans words echoing through my mind. How few of those great imaginations are still with us. -
That there is one of the greatest pieces of cinema ever. R.I.P., Mr. Clarke. Man, two major losses in one day,....sad.
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...and sad.
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to a true master.
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His best non-fiction book, hands down. Completely convinced me that there was life out there in the universe besides us. I highly recommend picking it up.
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I always wanted to work with him. Now all the sci-fi greats are gone, Asimov, Heinlein, and the greatest Clarke.
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what a sad piece of news. Imagine how different the world would be without his works...damn
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RIP to a great mind.
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Enjoyed all three. Didn't finish 3001. Never read anything else by Clarke. Still, a sad day for literature in general, and sci-fi in particular.
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Mar 18, 2008 5:38:25 PM CDT
They really need to actually greenlight and fund one of those pr
by mukhtabi
As a tribute to the Grand Master, if nothing else.
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The experiences Clarke has given me as a reader have been incomparable. He's a sci-fi a legend, what else can I say?
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I've only read a couple Clarke books, but relished interviews with and essays by the man. A brilliant mind. Too bad David Fincher never got Rendezvous With Rama off the ground, that would have been great.
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I'm sorry, Dave. I can't do that.
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God bless him.
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'Only a few films are transcendent, and work upon our minds and imaginations like music or prayer or a vast belittling landscape. Most movies are about characters with a goal in mind, who obtain it after difficulties either comic or dramatic. “2001: A Space Odyssey'' is not about a goal but about a quest, a need. It says to us: We became men when we learned to think. Our minds have given us the tools to understand where we live and who we are. Now it is time to move on to the next step, to know that we live not on a planet but among the stars, and that we are not flesh but intelligence.' - Although this was written about the film of 2001 it also neatly sums up Arthur C. Clarke's entire oeuvre. He is a giant.
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I've been reading the Rama series of books and this morning I finished reading Rama Revealed. One of the main characters dies of old age in a grand repository of galactic knowledge. I thought the series was pretty good and the ending was done on a fairly good note. Then a few hours later, I find out that Clarke passes away. Put two and two together and I'm blown away by the coincidence! (Read the first page of Rendezvous With Rama for another eerie coincidence involving a specific date in history.) Needless to say, Arthur Clarke will be greatly missed, and will be regarded as one of the greatest sci-fi authors of his age. Farewell!
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RIP brother
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Arthur C clarke gets to the gates of heaven and there is a sign saying 'no writers or directors' St Peter says sorry pal no admission. Then over to one side Arthur sees a scruffy bearded balding man in glasses and a parka scuttling through the gates and says "hey what about him, isnt that Stanley Kubrick?" and St Peter says "no thats god he only THINKS hes Stanley Kubrick"
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...but the sequels with that other author helping sucked (Gentry Lee, I think). Never a big fan of Clarke's socialist utopian futures, but he managed some good stories nonetheless.
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No kidding. It's sad we have to lose such intelligent minds to the void of death.
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Another great Clarke book. That and "Childhood's End". Classic stuff. I've read his novels and stories since I was 9 years old. A truly sad day.
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Good Bye Mr. Clarke
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But thankfully he has left us with his work. Rest in peace Mr. Clarke, and say hello to Mr. Kubrick for me.
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I wasn't too thrilled with those themes either, and to be honest, I don't know if that was Gentry Lee's input or Clarke's. However, I did like the personal interaction between characters, and how each member of the family had distinct personalities instead of being paragraph filler. I was actually interested in every member of the family in the later books. There also were story concepts that I thought were interesting and unique. In a way, you could take the socialist utopia and turn it around by saying that it only works if you were an alien or a robot, but because of the way human nature works, it can never be plausible. It's a stretch anyway. I've heard rumblings that Sam Jackson is trying to find a way to get Rendezvous to the silver screen, I wonder how Clarke's death will impact that if that is not a rumor. Despite the political philosophy injection into the story, I still enjoyed the books.
Honoris Causa...
Silverblade -
..was he convicted of anything? just wanted to get it straight before i R.I.P.'d him
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Damn,today is not a good day!Rest in Peace Mr.Clark.Thank you for 2001 and your other GREAT books.
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Anyone else see this? Great documentary on fractal geometry narrated by Arthur C Clarke
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Clarke was the Zeus of the science-fiction pantheon.
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i know there's a lot of great Clarke stuff waiting to be made into films, but FoP is one that i've always thought would be great on the big screen.
First Gygax, now Clarke. Some giants are dying.
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Dave: Something wonderful.
HAL-9000: I'm afraid.
Dave: Don't be. We'll be together.
HAL-9000: Where will we be?
Dave: Where I am now. -
The Star short story changed my life. He was a hero of mine and a true genius. The dude helped to invent the satellite. A space shuttle is named after his creation in 2001.
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I got the feeling it was more Gentry Lee, but if I recall, Childhood's End had that theme too (been a while). The future they were describing was a nightmare, but I got the impression that Clarke considered it progress. Maybe I interpreted it wrong back then, but whatever. I'm not here to dis Clarke. I've loved a lot of his books and short stories. Not to mention a lot of other books which were clearly influenced by Clarke.
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He (along with Ray Bradbury) was pretty much the last remaining giant of the GOLDEN age of science fiction. I've been reading his work since I was a child. How sad that he is gone. He was and forever will be an extreme influence on writers.
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will check now
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people should read that link, ugh!
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Go fuck off you shit.
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R.I.P Dude.
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That I plagiarized one of his older short stories in high school. I've always wanted to write to him & confess (I felt that bad about it), but never got around to it.
Consider this my applogy, Mr. Clarke - rest in peace.
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"I'm still missing and mourning my beloved Chihuahua Pepsi, who left us more than a year ago. I've just heard that dogs aren't allowed in Heaven, so I'm not going there."
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...Judi Dench, Tony Scott or Will Ferrell. Any of those would do for various justifiable reasons that i can't be bothered to go into at this particular moment. Burt Reynolds would also be a fine addition to the mortality rate.
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not everything on the net is true, you brain donors...here is the reality:"In early 1998, Clarke was to be made a knight, with Prince Charles visiting Sri Lanka in order to make the investiture. Just before the ceremony, a British tabloid, The Sunday Mirror, claimed in a sensationalist story that Clarke was a paedophile, giving supposed quotations from Clarke about the harmlessness of his predilection for boys. Clarke released a statement saying that "the accusations are such nonsense that I have found it difficult to treat them with the contempt that they deserve." He also said, "I categorically state that The Sunday Mirror's article is grossly defamatory and contains statements which in themselves and by innuendo are quite false, grossly inaccurate and extremely harmful." He later asked that the investiture of his knighthood be delayed "in order to avoid embarrassment to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales during his visit to Sri Lanka." In answer to the newspaper's allegations, Clarke was investigated by Sri Lankan authorities, who eventually dismissed the accusations. The Sunday Mirror later printed a retraction and Clarke was made a Knight Bachelor on May 26, 2000, in a ceremony in Colombo.] A formal investigation undertaken by Sri Lankan police cleared Clarke in April 1998."
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this is really sad. He was one of the brilliant minds of our times. Helped me dream of the stars. Thanks for all you did
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Clarke was cleared of all charges by the Sri-Lanka police.
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he did NOT admit it, he was NOT convicted, and he was never charged with a single crime at all.gotta love the internet. you can find the truth with the same facility and expedience that someone else can find slanderous garbage and believe it.
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Not only a great science fiction writer, but a great *writer*, full-stop. Any aspiring author, in whatever genre, should read Clarke and Asimov to learn how to get ideas across in a beautiful yet precise and efficient manner.
(And yeah, the allegations against him were proved false, the Sunday Mirror had to print an apology.) -
BBC has the story too.I wanted to post a link,but I cant get the site to load.Sad.
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to sell their shitty "Newspaper".
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Check your facts, asshole. And when you're done doing that, make sure you fuck off.
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written by Clarke and Stephen Baxter. Really inventive, cool stuff.
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Somewhere, a new star child has been born.
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That's true of pretty much any British newspaper you care to mention. Quite often, money from extra sales > money shelled out in damages, so it's worth the risk (in their coke-addled minds).
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Great storyteller, visionary and godfather of SF. Ranks alongside Isaac Asimov as the greatest of all SF authors. As someone mentioned above, his books in the last decade was as co-author with Gentree Lee and others but he was always the visionary and main plot behind the stories. What he allowed his co-authors to do was write the human character depth and relationships which I am sure Clarke would have easily confessed was not his strength. The Rama series was for me the most riveting (I remember waiting agonising years for the final book, Garden of Rama) and Clarke even has the boldness to explain death, god and the universe! RIP Arthur C Clark.
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Mar 18, 2008 6:30:52 PM CDT
He is now the master of his universe. He doesn't know what to d
by manos
...but he'll think of something.
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Mar 18, 2008 6:30:52 PM CDT
THE FOUNTAINS OF PARADISE, RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA, IMPERIAL EARTH,
by no respectable gentleman
... all would make great films. But what do we get instead? Another Hulk movie, IRON MAN, and JOURNEY 3-D with Brendan Fraser.
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Do anyone remember Arthur C Clarkes Mysterious World? I remember that series was pretty cool (way back in the lates 70s i think) but amusingly at the end of each episode, Clarke always dismisses the whole mystery as something very easily and scientifcally explained. I remember episodes of Big foot, fish falling from the sky, Ufos - he explained it all which was so UN-fantastic!
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you have a british tabloid famous for printing false stories to increase circulation. I have 2 governmental inquiries, local police, and the word of the accused declaring his initial alleged confession to be nonexistent...sure you can never know the truth...but I think we can agree I have a bit more of a leg to stand on.or were you just trying to get attention by crapping on someone in their obit talkback. in the case, I guess you've won, right? attention! attention! attention!
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"The mass of Rama was at least ten trillion tons; to any spaceman, that was not only awe-inspiring but also a terrifying thought. No wonder that he sometimes felt a sense of insignificance, or even depression, as that cylinder of sculptured, ageless metal filled more and more of the sky." (Rendezvous with Rama, 1972).
Thanks, Arthur. Rest in peace. -
http://tinyurl.com/2nrrma
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I hope this sad news prompts someone talented and powerful to finally get the Rama series on the big screen.
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I'm now writing my second obituary TB in less than 4 hrs. I'm afraid to log back onto my computer in the morning! There is nothing I can write that will be even worthy of honouring such a mind and imagination as Clark's so I will simply say Thank You to him and raise a class.
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...The Nine Billion Names of God...
So long A.C.C. -
A remarkable writer. Another star just went out.
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2010 was my fave for characters and plot. 2001 -second for *spoiler* the ending vast ride going the otherside-
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I'm going to add Childhood's End to my list today. God bless you for 2001, one of the brilliant pieces of writing for cinema.
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Mar 18, 2008 6:42:12 PM CDT
I'M SURE HE'S HAVING A BEER WITH WELLS, SAGAN AND EINSTEIN RIGHT
by burgertime
Boy would I love to be the fly on the wall for THAT conversation. RIP sir. You took us on some fantastic journeys.
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But I dont quite see the films being of box office material. A good director at the helm would at best churn out something like Solaris or Contact. Even 2001 was quite an enigma, but then so was Stanley Kubrick who somehow commanded an audience to be transfixed at Apes grunting for 20 minutes such was his power. If Rendevous with Rama was put on to the big screen then I expect either it will either be similar to Sagan's Contact (one with Jody Foster) or made into a Gung ho film , aka I Robot with some sexy kick ass chick like Uma Thurman and a completely different story.
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is one of the all time great reads period!
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could you please delete the inflammatory posts that consist of regurgitated stories, published by the gutter press, that have been proven to be bullshit? I'm not a fan of censorship, but the fact is many will respond to these "Trolls", thus ruining a forum for people to say how they feel about the passing of a true great.
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Do we really need the ignorant comments of Yobo here on a page remembering one of the truly great people of our age? I'm all for free speech, but straight out biased character assassination is another thing. All that crap was well disproved by dozens of independant investigations.
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Sort it out guys
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maybe there will be more interest in finally getting more big stories adapted for film. That guy sure knew how to dream big. The world is a better place because of folks like that.
Someone else mentioned that communication satellites were orginally conceived by Arthur C. Clarke. I read that geosyncronous orbit (stays above the same point on Earth) is named a Clarke orbit. (sigh)
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Everyone knows about the pedo rumour but that was quashed and was never officially charged etc. Did he get even get an OBE, or MBE?
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CE was of the very first adult science fiction novels I ever read, I think when I was around 7 or 8, and it had a profound impact on me. A few years later, I couldn't help noticing that the opening of V, with the arrival of all of the massive saucers, was a complete rip-off! (And ripped again in Independence Day). Yes, we still have much evolving to do before we stop demonizing everything and move on. RIP Arthur C.
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i thought he had died at least 10 years ago and they made a big deal of it on abc news or something.
maybe i was in another dimension. -
One of my favorite series. I remember reading the Rama books and dreaming about what it would be like to explore this beautiful mysterious new world.
Ah man...I always said that when Clarke or Bradbury died it would be a very very sad day. So today is. -
Was just reading up on the potentially ill advised Childhood's End film (Akiva Goldsman was rumoured to be involved) and I thought, how long more will he be around? Well, got my answer...
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2001 continues to be inspirational, even if mankind never lived up to the potential he envisioned by raping the earth and abusing all its precious resources.
Is Yobo running his mouth off again? -
These TBs are never really monitored or censored hence the very "liberal" nature of posts. It is ironically, why people like AICN. Of course, it also means to expect insensitive posts. Just ignore them if it bothers you which is all I can advice (which you didnt ask for, I know!). But also consider that some people do believe certain tabloid rumours. Its not their fault. It is their choice. It is also their free will to post whatever they like on TB. I dont mind that they do - its sometimes enlighening to find that some are more naive people then myself so I actually welcome them, as I feel much better for myself knowing I am not them :) Arthur C Clarke passed away today and we celebrate his life with recounting our memories here on TB of reading his books. Let the others believe what they want.
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And not that just because Dune is my fave book by the way.... http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=22209 Some editorial control is needed. This is a giant of a man we are talking about here. He invented communication satellite's and help developed radar for fucks sake!!! Can anyone here even imagine what our world would be like without just one of those two items??? Repeating allegations that were blown out of the water by several investigations just to get noticed in a talk back about a man, who's contribution to science and the world in general makes anything what we might do in our lifetimes seem like the day to day doings of cockroaches, is beyond petty and low, even by the low standards that some in these talk backs seek to achieve.
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He will be missed.
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I have read a number of Clarke's works and, regardless of my disdain for his politics, I always appreciated his attention to detail and firm desire to draw the reader into the universe he created. RIP
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Mar 18, 2008 7:23:02 PM CDT
My Dad said Sri Lanka is a known hotspot for folks who want to h
by thepilgrim
My dad was in the army. He used to work in the middle east and in thailand. When he heard that Arthur died and then heard "Sri Lanka" He got a funny look on his face. He turned to me and asked if he AC2 was a child buggerer.. Wow man, if Arthur did... I don't care what kind of mind he had. That's just wrong on so many levels...
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Who's tomorrow, Spielberg & Lucas???
This sucks!!!! -
Thank you for that wonderful quote -- Ebert is so great at putting my exact emotions into words.May you continue to live among the stars, Mr. Clarke.
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I'm sad to say I have yet to read a single book by him. It's not so shocking when one considers how very little science fiction I read, but it is nonetheless a matter which will have to be fixed. 2001 is a film I have defended for years. It is not my favorite film by Kubrick, but it is a great one. For me, Arthur C. Clark will always be that elderly man who hosted television shows about the supernatural. No doubt that is like saying Hitchcock was that guy that hosted those short TV movies. Still, that's what he is for me. In a world of crackpots with aluminum foil helmets, telling me that reptile people are watching us from the skies, he was that one dignified voice asking me to wonder what is beyond our understanding. I look forward to discovering his genius. He will be missed.
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Only just started reading the BBC news tribute and they are refering him as Sir Arthur. Well I'm relieved he was not shunned from this accolade.
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Mar 18, 2008 7:30:24 PM CDT
Troll posts aside, this is the most moving TB I've read here
by skinjob69
Glad I'm not the only one who's so down about Mr. Clarke's passing. Agree with above TB'ers hoping this will spur Hollywood on to adapt more of his material.
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The first book I read by Sir Arthur C. Clarke was a hardback special edition containing 5 of his books "2001: A Space Odyssey" "The City and the Stars" "The Deep Range" "A Fall of Moondust" "Rendezvous with Rama"
It took me all of 3 days to read through all of them. I was only 15 years old at the time. "Rendezvous with Rama" is still on my top 10 favorite books of all time, I had hoped Morgan Freeman would get the movie made before Arthur C. Clarke passed away. Well I have some reading to do, I am going to re-read that book, and cry, there will be tears....
hugs for everyone that wants a hug,
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Mar 18, 2008 7:30:47 PM CDT
Here is the BBC article again.Clarke was CLEARED of all CHARGES.
by travis-dane
http://tinyurl.com/2nrrma
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Clarke wasn't just a sci-fi writer, he was a futurist. While he claimed he didn't "invent" the communications satellite, he certainly brought the concept into the mainstream. It's ironic, I just re-read 3001 last week - it's a great view at what Clarke thought Utopia could be for mankind. And as for the pedophile comments here - sad. All those rumors were laid to rest in the real world a long time ago. HAL's birthday at the University of Illinois - Urbana will be a sad occasion this year.
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Seriously... Of all the places too move out too. It has the Reputation. Of course the Government would deny it. You have The Royal Family intermixed.
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Sat down and could not look away! Holds up great, sfx were still stunning and perfect and exactly to the degree needed to make the story feel real. And the story is just amazing. If you have not seen this for a long time, check it again. You may see it in a different way than the first time.Agree with all who vote for a Rama movie. I loved that novel. I read everything he wrote when I was younger--lost track when the co-authors joined in.... Clarke, Bradbury, Asimov--almost read nothing else when I was young.
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He moved there in 1956 I think.Maybe he just liked it there?It was Clarke himself who asked the Ploice and the DA to investigate the charges put up against him.He was found not guilty.
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And he will surely be missed. A truly sad day. R.I.P. Sir Clarke.
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tree house in Sri Lanka. and was a teen prodigy when it came to physics. he hardly ever gave interviews. I remember one where he talked about his early life. it was in boarding school where he dazzled his teachers, not only with his incredible imagination, his gift for advanced physics and his errie ability to make accurate predictions. He Entered a Story contest for a science publication. HE predicted to the exact day, date and time the launch of the first Russian Spy satellite. We will never see his like again. He became a recluse. In sri lanka.
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I was working Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2002, and when I went to a gift shop in the hotel I was staying at, I was pleasantly surprised to see all of ACC's books readily available. He helped me love not just Science Fiction, but all forms of reading. Consider me crushed.
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in his wheelchair.
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Why make such a comment? Or are you really saying you're just a jerk? Please explain.......
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Farewell old friend.
Will any one ever have the courage to option "The Songs of Distant Earth"? -
and sometimes I think we're not. In either case the idea is quite staggering."- Arthur C. Clarke
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Despite todays sad news all around I'm able to retain my sense of humour. How about you?
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Mar 18, 2008 7:53:29 PM CDT
HE predicted to the exact day, date and time the launch of the f
by thepilgrim
Are you sure the Ruskies didn't launch on that day to match it, and where is this little factoid at on the net?
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A true literary genius. A sad day for all.
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is indistinguishable from magic."-Arthur C. Clarke
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But the questions are certainly worth thinking about."- Arthur C. Clarke
And with that thought I bid you all a good evening. -
I think we all knew it was coming, no one lives forever, but damn it still sucks. One of the greatest minds of our age.
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Sir Arthur's passing marks the end of era for the classic, giant sci-fi writers. A true visionary, he contributed much to society, in the worlds of science, telecommunications, marine biology, and of course literature. Such an awesome guy. He will be missed.
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Sad to see this legend go,but he had a good innings,your work has been a huge influence on me and you shall be greatly missed.
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Mar 18, 2008 8:11:33 PM CDT
For the benefit of that egregious, drooling imbecile Yobo...
by dave bowman
http://www.island.lk/2000/12/20/midwee01.html
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you people sound like michael jackson supporters...but he was never convicted...waaaaah!
why do you think art never left his safe haven, even to be knighted? -
R.I.P. I hope you are enjoying your afterlife so far. Fare thee well.
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I dreaded this day!!! I knew he wasn't gonna live forever, but man! Damn Arhtur. We loved you. I so admired you. I hope you're among the stars and resting in peace.
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...I thought Chris Hansen and interpol finally busted him. Seriously though, like MJ and Polanski, this perverts works are magnificent enough to outweight his predilictions.
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look like cartoons compared to 2001. Sad but true.
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I read Childhood's End when I was somewhere between 11 and 15 (and again years later). I have always recalled it as THE book that woke me up to the power of fiction (and storytelling in general). I just realized that 2001 holds the same place in my mind in the film pantheon. Both were consciousness-expanding experiences. They each in turn showed me how powerful novels and movies can be.
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the legends just keep dropping.
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You are still one of the greats and will always be.
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Not only do we lose two of the greats, but my upstairs neighbor;a computer genius and musician died. Its a very sad day indeed when the ones who create leave us.
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You were a god among men.
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Oh God, I'm dreading who's next...
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I gasped aloud when I read the headline. The works of Mr. Clarke are a big part of why I read as much as I do.
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When I was 14, I saw 2001 for the first time in a neighborhood theater and fell asleep. I saw it again when I was 30 and re-assessed it the greatest science fiction film ever made (still do). In between those periods I read Clarke's 2001 short story/novel/sequels and then the rest his major fiction and realized that the reason I enjoyed it as an adult was that it't not a kid's movie. And that's alright. The heady originality of Clarke in all his fiction makes me long for a comparable production of Rama or Childhood's End. Someday. It's rare, in my opinion, that any film can recreate the boundless imagination and highbrow excitement of a good science fiction novel. Any throw-away pulpy sci-fi novel from Pohl or Bester has MORE wonder than the last 5 comic-book movies combined. Clarke was the giant among all of them and I will always be grateful for the joy he gave me in those pages. I am sad that there will never be another new word or sequel written by the man. Rest In Peace.
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Julia Phillips wrote about her meeting with Clarke when trying toget him on as a writer/consultant on Close Encounters of the Third Kind in her book "You'll Never Eat Lunch In This Town Again." She mainly mentions has habit of exposing himself subtly by constantly re-adjusting his wrap, and noted all the young boys hanging around, but saw nothing beyond that.
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a sad day indeed...
one of my favourite stories of his was a short called "History Lesson" - 5 millenia after the Earth has succombed to an ice age and the glaciers have finally stopped moving, the inhabitants of Venus visit and begin an expedition to learn what they can about the now extinct inhabitants of this mysterious ice planet. They uncover a tiny metal box and their greatest scientists try to figure us out - how we lived, what we looked like, etc - from the document contained within.
The document is a roll of film and they eventually work out how to make a projector to view the film...
"But all this labour, all this research, would be utterly in vain. ... Millions of times in the ages to come those last few words would flash across the screen, and none could ever guess their meaning: A Walt Disney Production"
Brilliant! -
...Other than being good for a laugh, is really an issue. Do you like 2001? Do you think he did a good job? Whats him diddling third world boys got to do with that?
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today is a sad day. 2 wonderful artists have left us and now there are holes in the world. at least clark lived a long and magnificent life.
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I sent him a letter, and he signed a copy of 2001 for me, and also enclosed a nice letter and other picture. I was very happy to hear from him since he's my favorite author.
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He may, or may not have, enjoyed the company of boys but that dude sure could write a book about spacemen.
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What a great story, i'll have to check it out.
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A dead legend. Just like all of you clowns. Your day is coming.
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Coming Summer 2010. Shit - that thought is so offensive I feel like I raped my own brain.
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this site never talked about him before. I thought maybe he died a long time ago.
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Kubrick is my personal god, but 2001 was as much Arthur's as it was Stanley's, and I think ol' Kube would admit that. He had so much that he brought to the table, such a rich imagination, and we will never see the likes of him again. Sad indeed, but 90 years is a wonderful life. Rest in peace.
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for satellite technology
Thank Jesus for Arthur C Clarke. -
I haven't sat down since 1983.
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Sad.
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senior year of high school in Reading Class, I saw it on the shelf. I had watched 2001 several times, but never watched 2010. My dad had recommended it in years past but i never made time to watch it.
Great book; helped my feeble mind gain a better grasp on what happened in the first film (still havent read first book) -
if you havent seen it yet, find his doc series that goes after faith healers, etc...truly brilliant....i am sad, but he lived a full and brilliant life
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But there were many, many more.
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... one of the Grand Masters of SF who would live long enough to see medical and health technology breakthroughs that would extend life far beyond current norms. Alas, it was not to be. (And now there is only Bradbury, no? Gods, the world moves on...) A grand, gentle man, decent and good to the end, was Arthur Clarke. The world is lessened by his absence. If you'd like to honor the man, read these shorts online, and remember his name to the stars tonight: "The Star" http://lucis.net/stuff/clarke/star_clarke.html and "The Nine Billion Names of God" http://www.geocities.com/rojodos/docs/9000000000.htm
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...faux words of grief on these talkbacks whenever someone you have never met dies is gag worthy. Yeah, sucks that he died...because, you know, he was only a sprightly 90 years old, whose best work was...well...far behind him...Look, his army of little house boys who were actually personally touched and loved by Arthur can mourn enough for everyone. You don't have to keep pretending.
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That headline stopped me in my tracks.
…Wow. I’d like to think his works would live forever.
Wow.
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His were the first science fiction stories that got me into the genre. I started with "Against the Fall of Night', and then read "Childhood's End" then saw 2001. Truly a visionary writer. Sad news.
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Anyone with half a brain who reads this site with any regularity knows that. Anyway. Check out Beyond The Fall Of Night. And Zero Corpse, don't be so afraid of the "void of death". I sure it's "...something wonderful."
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hi guys, you should read some of his non-fiction stuff. if you can get a copy of "how the world was one" its a great read. it chronicled how we got from the telegraph to this website
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R.I.P Sir Clarke. You were one of the brightest and most forward thinking. Sad that some of us are so short sighted.
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Mar 18, 2008 10:21:23 PM CDT
If someone says 'He's gone into the monolith full of stars' or..
by han cholo
some other stupid reference to 2001, I'm gonna kill someone. Yeah he was a great sci-fi author, try coming up with a tribute that takes some of the imagination he used to create the classics he wrote, damn.
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I just started listening the audiobook of it again last week...just super entertaining and quite brilliant.
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and even got to push him around in his wheelchair! Such a beautiful mind! He shared his passion for the sea and space with me. He went diving with my mother many years ago. Sri Lanka is such a beautiful country that I'd settle there if it wasn't the conflict with the Tamil tigers. Maybe one day...
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People were saying stupid shit like "He's become more powerful than you can possibly imagine' or 'He's become one with the force.'
When people say shit like that it makes me want to puke. Please don't do it anymore. -
Man, he created Star Wars.
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Just finished 2061; was about to open 3001 when i heard this terrible news. Been on quite a 2001 bender for a couple months now. Sad way to cap it off though. I'll read Rendevous with Rama next. He really was a great man. We need more like him...
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Clarke was introduced to me as a 12 year old. I was a kid who loved movies and comics and TV and music, but was not an avid reader. My parents and teachers did all they could to get me to read, but nothing stuck. Then a teacher of mine introduced me to Childhood's End and told me he was one of the guys behind 2001. I read it and at that moment I realized why I had not liked reading much... the stories I was forced to read were too simple. I'm the first to admit I'm no genius, but Clarke's books had scope and a sense of wonder that much of the stuff I was reading up to that point did not. Thank you Sir Arthur for the gift of books.
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...the pendulum reversed its swing. In an empty room, floating amid the fires of a double star twenty thousand light years from Earth, a baby opened its eyes and begun to cry." Goodbye Master.
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2010 better than 2001. True visionary
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A sad day for everyone....but a happy day for children everywhere.
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Just finished watching the new DVD of this show, really holds up well, crystal skull and all. Clarke added a lot of credibility to quite a few daffy subjects, still better than anything the Discovery Chanel pumps out these days.
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I was a child of Star Wars and other popcorn sci-fi growing up when I was initially introduced to 2001. Upon the conclusion of the movie, I immediately found a copy of the book and immersed myself in it. Shortly after that, 2010 was released in hardcover, and I read that from cover to cover. Not only did I understand everything that happened, I wound up explaining what happened to a couple of my elementary school teachers who had seen the original 2001 and had no clue what the hell the end was about.
Rest In Peace. -
. 2001 will always stand as the greatest.
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Thanks for all of the cool stories over the years... you'll be missed even by those who thought you'd passed on years ago. :)
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Shoegeezer= Arthur C Clark's Mysterious World scared the living crap out of me when I was a kid,I'd like to watch that again.
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Mr Glass=Arthur may of debunked some of that stuff but the damage was done :).
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dammit.
this is awful.
i pray hollywood doesn't use this as a catalyst to rush into making shitty movie versions of his brilliant stories. rama II - rama harder. -
First Sci-Fi book I ever read was Islands in the Sky, Quickly followed by all the rest. R.I.P.
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...What the fuck are you drompter? Hervé Villechaize? Oh! Sorry, you were one of his special boys. The garish overstatements spewed forth in these obits are almost as tasteless as mentioning his NAMBLAism.
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That every time one of these great men dies, there's a little less talent in the world? I'm not such a cynical bastard, but I have a hard time believing that there are any latent Arthur C Clarkes among us today...
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RIP SIR!
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i hope you die with your head firmly up george bush's ass, so i can piss on both your graves at the same time...tourist is the reason that abortion should be mandatory
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Mysterious World'. Spooky Sci-Fi.
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...haven't been made into movies. Childhood's End and Rendevous With Rama. RWR would make a FANTASTIC exploration thriller, and CE would be a great sci-fi drama film.
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You are among my most envied. Clarke would have topped the list of people I would most want to converse with.
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I hate to even acknowledge this, but since it was brought up: From what I've read/understood, the charges stemmed from comments he made that were taken out of context, not any of his actions. He was investigated and cleared.
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Hes a bloody brilliant futurist, who predicted so much that has actually come to pass. Thanks for 2001 mate, the best science fiction film and maybe the best film ever made.
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I don't feel he was wrong, I feel we let him down. The things he imagined can still come true. Great writer, great mind. They don't make them like him anymore.
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Mar 19, 2008 5:12:42 AM CDT
When I was 13 I read 2001, 2010, 2061
by nomoredirtyjokespleaseweareyanks
Thankyou Mr Clarke for expanding my mind more than I thought possible.
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R.I.P. time for him to experience the universe first hand.
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i don't remember him being cleared of the charges about the story i initially asked yobo to clarify. i guess for the sunday mirror: job done, then. sad i did not want one shred of truth in those quotes. R.I.P.
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http://tinyurl.com/24skts
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Too bad we're trying to perfect stuff like the clapper, and instant this or powdered that instead of reaching for the stars.
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The world will never be the same. I hope I live to see your space elevators, constructed with the diamond core that may lie beneath the gasseous surface of Jupiter. Farewell, Rama.
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A true legend, a terrible loss. To the stars with you, Mr. Clarke. Your work here shall be preserved, remembered and enjoyed for generations.
If they don't name a space vehicle or program after him, for shame. -
it was like all the planets were lined up and everything right came together. Clarke could write about anything and everything, and make it all understandable. And how many knew about his humor? His Tales From the White Hart is a wonderful collection of short stories that are the other side of his talent. I wish I could have met him; maybe in the next life I'll be able to thank him. God bless you, Arthur. You will be missed.
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If we ever want to really go to deep space, we need to build ships in space. And the only way to do that is by building a space elevator. Arthur C. Clarke was the first person I ever heard mention that and there is no doubt he was right. He was true visionairy in a world filled with followers. He will be more than missed. RIP
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I would think they should skip the events that transpired in 2061 and go straight to 3001: The Final Odyssey. That particular book garnered mixed reviews, but I enjoyed it.
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What a shitty shitty day. At least he had a long productive life and we can enjoy his work as long as they print books. In to the beyond Mr Clarke, see what the universe looks from the outside.
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That is one hell of a loss to humanity. :(
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...I was going to respond, but really, you guys just aren't even worth the effort. None of the nonsense you spout can touch the great man that has passed or cause any serious dent in the impression he's left, so why bother?
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We're served shit on a silver platter like 10,000 B.C. but we're still waiting for a 2061 movie?
What the hell, people...
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Very sad day.
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Rama is still an active project with Morgan Freeman... they are working on a new script...
EMA -
that he's going to dig him up for sex.
right harry? Oh wait - we can't use that as a catch phrase? I thought that was your whole point, Harry. -
has been in development heck for years, all the while with Morgan Freeman's name attached to it, and, at times, David Fincher. Supposedly they are still wanting to do it, but the last I've heard mention of it was last August. Just bear in mind that no matter how hard they try, they will likely fail to capture the magic of ACC's book. If they manage to simultaneously mindfuck and give me vertigo when they show Rama's interior, I'll be pretty happy. I'm just so tired of favorite stories by favorite writers being turned into dim-witted bullshit popcorn fare. Visions of "Paycheck" are floating through my troubled mind...
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you find someone with the handle of "Semen Stains" sincerely lament the passing of a great author and sci-fi mind. hahaha - I love this place
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Indeed, Sir.
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[from Dark Horizons]
According to Jim Hill Media, in order to fill those potential holes in its schedule, the studio is moving forward quickly on its plans to do a trilogy of films based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' "John Carter of Mars" books.
Mark Andrews has allegedly already completed a first pass on a screenplay for the first film in the proposed "Mars" series and both Pixar and Disney execs have reportedly responded very enthusiastically to Andrews' script.
The first film was already on the books for a 2012 release, but if the report is accurate (and JHM is usually infallible) then we might see it a year or two earlier depending upon how Narnia goes. Personally I want to see "The Silver Chair" made I have to say. -
Pan Am! Heh, I still laugh when I see that.
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I just recently re-read 3001 and still find it to be a fascinating and inspiring work of Science Fiction. I am truly saddened by the news and the universe is a little dimmer without Arthur in it. He will be forever missed.
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You can't take away his spectacular accomplishments, but I would feel better about Sir Clarke if he ever explained, beyond loving the people, why he decided to live in a hot, wet, isolated, human rights abusive locale like Sri Lanka which for many years was torn by civil war. I wouldn't think it the first choice or 20th choice of an English gentleman. And why he never married or consorted with women. If we need to separate the man from his work, then L Ron Hubbard should get a pass too. "Life is just one big banana. Science fiction allows us all to peel open the reality and discover the yellow truth inside." A C Clarke
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Actually he was married, then got divorced. Also, didn't he move to Sri Lanka in like 1958? Maybe things were different then.. other than the heat.
Eric -
Thanks for the tip, DelToro looks awesome as the wolfman. I'm so glad it's a classic "short-snout" wolfman. No CG bullshit or robotic mouth. Just plain acting and make-up.
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2001: A Space Odyssey was the very first film I ever purchased when I started building my original film library many years ago (on VHS!), and it remains one of my top five all time favorite films to this day. Thank you Mr. Clarke for one of the best science fiction epics of all time (alongside the Dune novels) Kubrick's milestone film based on his and your screenplay was imaginative, intelligent and wondrous... one might even go so far as to say that the short story on which 2001 was based, the novelization, film and subsequent sequels were all part of "something wonderful", an amazing epic I feel lucky to have experienced. The film itself was far ahead of its time and remains superior to much of the pathetic shlock that passes for science fiction today. Thank you Mr. Clarke... you will be missed. RIP.
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i just wanted him to know that. he may know who i am, but the key issue is, i also know where he lives, works and goes out, and he doesnt know that about me. i can provide these details privately to anyone interested, but i wont do it lightly. lets wait for the day he really pisses someone off with the blatant trolling of various internet destinations that hes spent ten years inflating his own sociopathic ego with. its happened before, but seemingly no matter the personal cost of the outcome, he always returns to it.also; there are usernames regular visitors learn to expect gushing sewage from. theres no 'mute' or ignore function, so you just kind of skip a post automatically with your eyes when you see the name.
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Rendezvous with Rama was one of the first books I read that opened my mind to the possibilities of science fiction. It's a damn shame that he's gone. But the man's legacy will last long after him.
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Starting when I was in Junior High School, I read every novel, short story, and non-fiction work that Mr. Clarke ever produced. More than Asimov, more than Heinlein, more than Bradbury, his classic sc-fi produced the elusive "sense of wonder" that good sci-fi creates in a reader. My real sense of sadness at his passing is greatly increased by his well-publicized atheism; I'm afraid he's not in Heaven today, but somewhere much less pleasant.
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The death of of Arthur C. Clarke feels more like the passing of a family friend than another celebrity who kicked the bucket. Sir Clarke's work was a subject of discussion in my family for as long as I can remember. I recall seeing parts of 2001 as a young child. Audiobooks of Childhood's End and Rendezvous With Rama were played in the car during summer family vacation road trips. His words incited the imagination and future possibilites of this world. His life contributions will be present for a long time to come.
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Please be joking about a remake with the Fresh Prince!
This is sad news indeed but he had a good kick at the ball unlike the tragic Mingella dude - too soon! -
Arthur C Clarke did not just talk the talk, he helped build the space age with his papers on extra-terrestrial relays in space that paved the way for the satellite revolution.
Childhoods End, Rama and City and the Stars are bona fide classics of the Genre which few can touch and his short stories are also wonderful little pieces like the 9 Billion names of God and of course The Sentinel.
Inspired by Olaf Stapledon he in turn inspired the likes of Greg Bear and many other greats too. Science fiction simply would not be the shape it is without him, nor would science fiction movies. A very great loss.
Oh and the type of dribbling retards who believe everything the British Tabloids say despite them actually ADMITTING it was bulllsh*t and retracting the story would do well to consider that yesterdays British Tabloids were full of Grovelling apologies for the unbelievable slurs and libelous innuendo peddled as news about the McCann missing child tragedy.The Tabloids LIE. Almost all the time. Get it ?
Still, the type of scum that tries to smear, gossip and lie about someone with easily disproved tabloid trash mere hours after the person has died are at least a stark demonstration of how low and how pathetic, attention starved social inadequates can get if left untreated. They are to be pitied.
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