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in: 1917 births, 2008 deaths

Arthur C. Clarke

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Sir Arthur Charles Clarke ( Minehead ( Somerset ), December 16 1917 - Colombo (Sri Lanka) , March 19 2008 [1] ) was an influential British science fiction writer , inventor and futurologist . He belonged to the Big Three of the SF in the 20th century, along with Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov . He was also a member of the Royal Astronomical Society , former chairman of the British Interplanetary Society and a member of the Academy Of Astronautics .

Content[]

 [ hide ] *1 Life

Lifespan [ edit ][]

As a child, Clarke was fascinated by the sky and he devoured science fiction stories, often brought as pulp magazines from the United States by British sailors. After high school, where he excelled in science subjects, he could not continue their education for lack of money. During World War II he was given the chance to show. 'technical skills He joined the technical department of the RAF employed as a radar specialist and worked a prominent part in the improvement. Partly because the'd Royal Air Force , the Battle of Britainwin. He waved off as Flight Lieutenant , one degree higher than a fighter pilot. This gave Clarke after the war have the opportunity to study. He passed with flying colors at King's College London in basic and appliedmathematics and physics . In 1945 Clarke invented the principle of the geostationary communications satellite . He received several honors for this, including the Marconi International Fellowship. To honor him, the geostationary orbit is also known as the Clarke Orbit . Another idea of him is the space elevator , a cable between the Earth and geostationary orbit, along which a "lift" can transport people and equipment. relatively cheap to space and back There are more and more engineers and researchers who believe that this is a viable concept in the relatively near future.

Clarke was an avid diver and in 1956 he moved to the then Ceylon (now Sri Lanka ), where he could practice his hobby. year In addition to his British citizenship, he was naturalized as Sri Lankan.

Arthur C. Clarke's famous book is probably 2001: A Space Odyssey , based on the screenplay that he and Stanley Kubrick wrote for his eponymous film, which in turn was based on Clarke's short stories as The Sentinel . The film from 1968 was groundbreaking and is considered a milestone in film history. Clarke was, along with Kubrick even nominated for an Oscar . Clarke wrote a number of sequels in 2001 , the first of which, in 2010 , was also filmed.

Furthermore, Clarke was known by several popular science books he wrote mainly about space and the future. He also wrote a foreword for often popular science books by other authors. He himself made ​​in the 80's a popular TV series "Arthur C. Clarke's wonderful world" in which he examined claims of mostly pseudoscientific writers on the paranormal, Atlantis and the like.

Clarke brought together with Walter Cronkite reported on the Apollo lunar expeditions.

Clarke was married in 1953 with Marilyn Mayfield, a 22-year-old divorced American who had a son from her previous marriage. After only six months, she divorced from bed and although the marriage was officially dissolved in 1964. " The marriage was incompatible from the beginning , "said Clarke. [2] According to rumors [3] Arthur Clarke was gay , but he has never confirmed. In his biography of Stanley Kubrick stated John Baxter Clarkes homosexuality as one of the reasons he moved to Ceylon because there was more tolerance towards gay men than in England in the 50s. [4] Michael Moorcock , another famous science fiction writer, Clarke wrote: "Everyone knew he was gay in the 1950s I'd go out drinking with his boyfriend with his proteges We, western and eastern, and their families:.. people who had only the most generous praise for his kindness Self. -absorbed he might be, and a teetotaler, but an impeccable gent through and through " [5]

In 2000 Arthur Clarke was knighted by the British Queen for his services.

Arthur C. Clarke died at the age of ninety in a hospital in his hometown of Colombo in Sri Lanka.

Bibliography [ edit ][]

Main SF prices [ edit ][]

  • Hugo Award
    • The Star (1956) - short story
    • Rendezvous with Rama (1974) - novel
    • The Fountains of Paradise (1980) - novel
    • The Nine Billion Names of God (2004) - short story (Retro Hugo retroactively)
  • Nebula Award
    • A Meeting with Medusa (1973) - novella
    • Rendezvous with Rama (1974) - novel
    • The Fountains of Paradise (1980) - novel
  • Campbell Memorial Award
    • Rendezvous with Rama (1974) - novel
  • British SF Award
    • Rendezvous with Rama (1974) - novel
  • Locus Award
    • Rendezvous with Rama (1974) - SF novel
  • Nebula Grand Master Award (1986)
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