Another beloved elder passes — at 90 years old, famed science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke today set a new course for the stars. The author of over 100 books and countless short stories, A.C.C. also predicted the age of satellites long before any craft entered the orbit of Earth. As a certified sci-fi nut, I’ve read countless Clarke novels and even blogged here about my love of (and hearbreak regarding) 2001: A Space Odyssey, a film he co-wrote with Stanley Kubrick. After the movie became a sleeper hit, Clarke wrote a companion book, adding an authoritative narrator’s voice which, in my opinion, goes toe to toe with the movie’s vast, eery lapses of dialogue. I would have to say, though, that my favorite Arthur C. Clarke novel is Childhood’s End, a sort of sci-fi bildungsroman for the human race. One of his most popular works, it remains a truly glorious tale of ultimate transcendence to which I still cling for hope in these most desperate times for humanity.
Thank you, A.C.C., for the hope, for the vision and for the fun. May you find your own beings of light on this great new adventure.