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Share your thoughts on Sir ArthurIt is of course with the most profound sadness that I heard of Sir Arthur's passing this morning. I mourn for myself because I know there will be no new stories to read. But more than that, I mourn for a world that I don't believe has the understanding to realize its loss. Sir Arthur was more a propulsive force in getting humans and their robots to leave the Earth and explore the Solar System, than any rocket could ever be. As a boy, I read and saw 2001, and from then on read every one of his works that I could lay my hands on. I, like a great many of my colleagues, am an aerospace engineer who owe my life's pursuit to Sir Arthur's influence. My daughter took to his works three years ago when she was nine years old. Her collection of his books and short stories is beginning to rival mine. She has a letter from him, written to her last year - she proudly displays it on her bedroom wall. If I did one thing to honor the man whose work I enjoyed and owe so much to, I would have to take some satisfaction in my daughter's love of the man. She'll carry on his spirit for the next generation whenever she reads his work - which is as things should be. - Gregory Gosian
Dear Arthur C. Clarke Foundation, We were overwhelmed with emotion to learn the news of the death of our teacher Sir Arthur Clarke, after a long period of illness that he accepted with a spirit of serene abandonment to the divine will and generous participation in the mystery of the Cross of science fiction. His departure from this life is a cause of sorrow to his relatives, to us , to the "science fiction novels " which he founded and to a great many other people who esteemed and loved him . We feel spiritually close to everyone with intense affection at this painful moment of leave-taking. - Members of the Jeddah Astronomy Society
I first began reading Arthur's writings when I was in junior high school (early 70s) and I've probably read just about every piece of fiction that he wrote, as well as a good deal of his non-fiction. It's very fair to say that his writings played a significant part of the inspiration that caused me to pursue a career in space and to find out "what's out there." In more recent years I've had the great privilege of corresponding with him from time to time, and I'm happy to have worked on a couple of projects with him, including the donation of a telescope to the Arthur C. Clarke Institute. He personally gave me permission to use the title of one of his short story collections ("The Other Side of the Sky") as the name of a radio program I hosted for a couple of years. The world lost one of its most visionary minds this past week, and we are all poorer for this. May Arthur rest in peace -- and perhaps get a chance to see what really is "out there."
Dear Friends, Earthlings, Extraterrestrials (as Arthur would often say)… It is with great sadness that tonight we say goodbye to one of the greatest visionaries and inventors of our time, Sir Arthur C. Clarke. I have had the honor of knowing Arthur C. Clarke as a friend and mentor for more than 25 years -- first as an advisor to SEDS, then as the Chancellor of the International Space University (ISU). As a visionary, writer and technologist, Arthur painted a vision of what might be and inspired many to make it real. Arthur understood that we humans must become a space-faring people… that we must continue to explore and push our frontiers outward if we are to survive as a species. He inspired us with his words and his ideas, and we at the X PRIZE Foundation honor his commitment to exploration through our work. Several months ago Arthur said in one of his year-end letters: "Notwithstanding the remarkable accomplishments during the past 50 years, I believe that the Golden Age of space travel is still ahead of us." We whole heartedly agree! Arthur once said, there are three phases to a great idea: “The first phase is when people tell you it’s a crazy idea, it will never work; the second phase is when people say, it might work, but it’s not worth doing; and the third phase is when people say, I told you that was a great idea all along!” We at the X PRIZE know that feeling… and Arthur was one of my great supporters to pursue the original Ansari X PRIZE, and the many prizes that followed. Thank you Arthur for encouraging our crazy ideas! - Peter H. Diamandis, MD Winner, 2008 Arthur C. Clarke Award for Innovation Chairman, X PRIZE Foundation
The loss of Sir Arthur is one that has deeply affected all of us who have had the great pleasure and privilege of knowing him over the years. His every report of his scientific world was a joy to us in the news and brought us closer to the stars. I treasured his personal letters to me and constantly looked forward for their arrival. I will miss those as I now suffer the loss of my dear friend. With deepest condolences, - Walter Cronkite
Arthur Charles Clarke passed away yesterday at the age of 90 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, his home for more than half a century. Like a lot of people, I first knew of Sir Arthur mostly from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. In 1968, as a 15 year old, I went to see the Stanley Kubrick-Arthur Clarke movie. Years later, once I started working at COMSAT, I was reminded that Sir Arthur had described the perfect orbit for communications satellites for voice and video communications in a paper he wrote and published in October 1945. Many of his ideas are far ahead of their time. The concept of communication satellites in 1945 was considered by many prominent scientists to be an impossible vision. But in October 1957 the Russians orbited Sputnik, and the United States followed a few months later in January 1958 with Explorer I. The rest, as they say, is history. By 1965 the first commercial communications satellite, Early Bird, was launched into precisely the orbit that Clarke had described two decades earlier. Today there are hundreds of satellites serving people everywhere all around the world. Sir Arthur’s ideas are proven in many cases and deserve careful consideration in others. In addition to his fame as the inventor of communications satellites, Clarke in the mid-1940s was one of the pioneers of ground approach radar which today is a fundamental element of air traffic safety worldwide. Clarke has written and discussed such things as geothermal, solar, and wind energy, the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence, the development of the “space elevator” concept and literally dozens of other innovative ideas. In the mid-1950s, Clarke worked with Jacques Cousteau and others to help perfect SCUBA equipment, and he moved to Sri Lanka at that time to establish a dive shop that still operates there called Underwater Safaris. So he had a fun side in addition to his serious work as a futurist, scientist, world conscience, and author. Sir Arthur Clarke was truly one of the geniuses of our time. He will be deeply missed by many. - Scott Chase
It is with deep sorrow that I read the news of Sir Arthur Clarke's demise. He has of course lived a full life, inspired any number of people, contributed so much over his long active span and he will be remembered by generations to come. May his soul rest in peace - S. Rangarajan
The passing of Sir Arthur C. Clarke is more than just a loss to the science fiction community (of which he was a most important and prominent member). It is also a loss to the human race in general, for we have has lost one of our greatest visionaries. Men with the intellect, inquistiveness, compassion and wisdom that Sir Athur had are few and far between these days and we are all the poorer for his absence. Still, he has left behind him a body of work that will continue to enthrall, enlighten and inspire generations to come. Perhaps one day soon we, as a species, will attain the goals he so hopefully and imaginitively set forth for us in many of his books. Thank you Sir Arthur for having bequeathed to us such a remarkable legacy. - Darrell Heath
I count myself as one of the lucky people to have met Arthur C. Clarke. It was in the fall of 1985 when he was Interport Lecturer on the educational endeavor called Semester at Sea, then run by the U. of Pittsburgh, now by the U. of Virginia. We were headed for Sri Lanka from Hong Kong, and he joined the voyage to give some lectures, both on his science fiction and on his science, and then took leave of us when we reached Sri Lanka, his home. I would say that both my fellow professors on the voyage and the 250-or-so students enrolled for the semester were greatly impressed to learn more deeply of the dual nature of this man's knowledge and imagination, and we all enjoyed his amiable presence. What everyone on that voyage will also remember was that he, then 67 years old, was the undisputed ping pong champion of the ship. Not even the youngbloods of the student body could come close. A great man, in many ways!
Sir Arthur opened the mind of a boy not quite the age of 9 in the year just before men first walked on the moon. The concepts and ideas that jumped off of the pages and into my mind are likely some of the first adult notions that I carried with me. His words were the first that opened me to the possibility of a universe "stranger than we can imagine." I have paid the debt forward to the next generation. My nephew is now in possession of all of the hardback editions of Arthur's work. I hope that they open his mind and all him to look into a clear night sky and see all that is possible. To the personal friends of Sir Arthur who may read this I extend my heartfelt sympathies. Your loss is great, but what he has left behind in your hearts is even greater. - Tim King
To the family, friends and associates of Sir Arthur C. Clarke, I was saddened to read in this morning's paper of Sir Arthur's passing. There will be many tributes to him pouring in from all around the earth. I was one of a long line of "hard science fiction" devotees who read and re-read his every word (fiction & fact). It was the greatest thrill of my life to meet him in the USA, UK, SL and on the Internet in my long attempt to bring "The Fountains of Paradise" to the motion picture screen. On my scouting trip to Sri Lanka back in 1984, he welcomed me into his home and cleared the way to visit all the filming locations for "Fountains." His personal interest and kind support of my efforts meant more to me than I can ever fully express in words. I still hope the film will be made someday as yet another tribute to his vision of a very possible future. Sir Arthur is the only true genius I've ever met and I doubt I'll ever meet another to match him. Now I'll sit back and read what world leaders, scientists, astronauts and all the rest have to say. The outpouring will be enormous. - Bob
More years ago than I can easily remember I spent a rainy afternoon in a local library. I was about 9 or 10 at the time and looking for something interesting. I came across a small book illustrated with rockets on the cover. I can't remember the name of the book but I still remember the author. Over the course of that rainy afternoon Arthur sparked a love of science fiction and an abiding fascination with science with just this one book. Over the years I think I have managed to read everything he wrote. (Although with the sheer amount of his output I can't be sure of that). With the breadth of imagination and vision each was always fascinating and frequently inspiring. Through him I was drawn into what I consider to be the other members of the great three science fiction writers, Heinlein and Asimov and to a great many others. He inspired me to move towards working in the sciences but with a strange quirk of fate ended up in graphic design working with computers rather than designing them. It was one of those left field things rather like Arthur expecting computers to get larger and more powerful and then ending up with the computer sending this message having more power than a Cray 1 while still fitting on a desk top. (But luckily not called Hal). But with his record on science eventually catching up with him, I fully expect to ride the space elevator sooner or later. Arthur C. Clarke will be missed not just by family and friends but by the many lives he touched, changed and inspired throughout the years. I raise a glass and toast a truly inspiring man.
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