Arthur C. Clarke
Who was Arthur C. Clarke?
Science fiction author who wrote '2001: A Space Odyssey' and formulated Clarke's three laws, including that 'any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.'
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Arthur C. Clarke (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke was born on 16 December 1917 in Minehead, Somerset, England, and became one of the most celebrated science fiction writers and futurists of the twentieth century. He studied at Richard Huish College in Taunton and later at King's College London. Clarke had an early interest in space and science that influenced his entire career. He married Marilyn Mayfield, but the marriage was short-lived. He focused his energy on writing and promoting science with great success. Clarke passed away on 19 March 2008 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where he had lived since 1956.
Before Fame
Clarke started gaining attention during his teenage years, when he joined the British Interplanetary Society in 1934 at sixteen. Growing up in rural Somerset during the years between the world wars, he was influenced by the golden age of science fiction pulp magazines and a general optimism about technology and exploration. During World War II, he was a Royal Air Force instructor and technical officer working on radar systems, which enhanced his practical understanding of electronics and communication technology. In 1945, he published his now-famous proposal for a global satellite communication system using geostationary orbits. This idea came almost twenty years before such satellites were actually deployed and established his reputation as a serious technical thinker, not just a fiction writer.
Key Achievements
- Proposed the concept of geostationary communication satellites in a 1945 technical paper, decades before the technology was realized
- Co-wrote the screenplay for '2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968), widely considered one of the most influential films in cinema history
- Won the Hugo Award for Best Novel twice, for 'Rendezvous with Rama' (1974) and 'The Fountains of Paradise' (1980)
- Received the Kalinga Prize from UNESCO in 1961 for his exceptional contributions to the popularization of science
- Was knighted in 1998 and appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1989 for services to British cultural interests in Sri Lanka
Did You Know?
- 01.Clarke's 1945 paper proposing geostationary communication satellites was so prescient that the geostationary orbit is sometimes informally called the 'Clarke orbit' in his honor.
- 02.He emigrated to Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, in 1956 primarily to pursue scuba diving, and that same year discovered the underwater ruins of the ancient Koneswaram Temple in Trincomalee.
- 03.Clarke co-wrote the screenplay for Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film '2001: A Space Odyssey' simultaneously with writing the novel, with each work influencing the other during production.
- 04.He was awarded Sri Lanka's highest civil honor, the Sri Lankabhimanya, in 2005, reflecting the depth of his connection to his adopted country.
- 05.Clarke won both the Hugo Award and Nebula Award for Best Novel twice, for 'Rendezvous with Rama' in 1974 and 'The Fountains of Paradise' in 1980.
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Commander of the Order of the British Empire | 1989 | — |
| Nebula Award for Best Novel | 1974 | — |
| Stuart Ballantine Medal | 1963 | — |
| Kalinga Prize | 1961 | — |
| Marconi Prize | 1982 | — |
| Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award | 1986 | — |
| Nebula Award for Best Novel | 1980 | — |
| Hugo Award for Best Novel | 1974 | — |
| Hugo Award for Best Novel | 1980 | — |
| Knight Bachelor | 1994 | — |
| Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame | 1997 | — |
| Theodore von Kármán Award | 1996 | — |
| Geffen Award for Best Translated Science Fiction Novel | 2005 | — |
| Sri Lankabhimanya | 2005 | — |
| Hugo Award for Best Short Story | 1956 | — |
| Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation | 1969 | — |
| Retro Hugo Award for Best Short Story | 2004 | — |
| International Space Hall of Fame | 1989 | — |
| John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel | 1974 | — |
| Locus Award for Best Novel | 1974 | — |
| Nebula Award for Best Novella | 1973 | — |
| BSFA Award for Best Novel | 1973 | — |
| International Fantasy Award for Best Non Fiction | 1952 | — |
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