8 ms·

He wrote the future: On Arthur C. Clarke's centenary

96 points by samclemens 10y ago

ENTP 10y ago
Clarke made a TV series in the UK called "Arthur C. Clarkes Mysterious World". If you've never heard of it, I highly recommend you check it out! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke's_Mysterious_World https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke's_Mysteriou...
- arethuza 10y ago
  I loved that program when it first came out because of the episode that mentioned vitrified forts - which are still (AFAIK) a complete mystery: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitrified_fort https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitrified_fort I also love the account of the meeting that Clarke, C.S. Lewis and Tolkien had in a pub: "An extensive correspondence with Dr. Lewis led to the a meeting in a famous Oxford pub, the Eastgate. Seconding me was my friend, Val Cleaver, a space buff from way back (and now chief engineer of the Rolls Royce Rocket Division). Supporting Lewis was Professor J. R. R. Tolkien, whose trilogy, The Lord of the Rings created a considerable stir a few years ago. Needless to say, neither side converted the other, and we refused to abandon our diabolical schemes of interplanetary conquest. But a fine time was had by all, and when, some hours later, we emerged a little unsteadily from the Eastgate, Dr. Lewis’s parting words were "I’m sure you are very wicked people – but how dull it would be if everyone was good."
  - at-fates-hands 10y ago
    >> and now chief engineer of the Rolls Royce Rocket Division Did I read that right? Rolls Royce had/has a rocket division?
    - arethuza 10y ago
      Turns that Val Cleaver was quite an interesting chap: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_Cleaver https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_Cleaver "he became general manager and chief engineer of the Rolls Royce's rocket departments, where he was responsible for the engines which powered the Blue Streak missile and Black Arrow launch vehicle" Sadly the UK did have our own launch capability - but we only ever launched one satellite - Prospero: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prospero_(satellite) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prospero_(satellite)
- david-given 10y ago
  It's also worth reading his faintly autobiographical and heavily fact-based book about the development of radar-assisted landing systems during the second world war: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/143680.Glide_Path https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/143680.Glide_Path It's one of his best, and quite different from most of his other books, and is worth reading even if you don't normally read historical novels.
  - lb1lf 10y ago
    Also, he wrote some non-fiction which is eminently readable; "How the World was One" on the history of telecommunications, for instance.
sparkzilla 10y ago
I met Arthur C. Clarke once. He told me a joke. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NEh8nspzXw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NEh8nspzXw
- jacobush 10y ago
  VERY fun, short and SFW clip.
- zem 10y ago
  he left a comment on my blog once :) i was thoroughly starstruck.
- sohkamyung 10y ago
  I also met Clarke once when he came to Singapore. The local SF group gave him a sarong as a gift and he autographed my copy of "Childhood's End".
linuxkerneldev 10y ago
Arthur C Clark was a wealthy European man who surprisingly chose to live a very "quiet life" in a war torn South Asian country, Sri Lanka. During that period, Sri Lanka was listed as the country with the highest rate of child prostitution and was a prominent location for child-sex predator-tourists [1]. However, there is no evidence that Clark was one of them [2]. However, it is also not wrong to be suspicious of a corrupt country's police force declaring such a prominent powerful individual as not guilty. The reason I bring this up is not because I dislike Clarke or seek to tarnish his legacy. I like his work. I bring it up because I believe we need to be aware of such things even when we celebrate a person's contribution and I was surprised those allegations did not even receive a single remark in this article which is why I chose to bring it up here. [1] http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/top-five-countries-highest-rates-child-prostitution-1435448 http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/top-five-countries-highest-rates-ch... [2] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-03-24/arthur-c-clarke-not-a-paedophile-sri-lanka/1081914 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-03-24/arthur-c-clarke-not-a-... [3] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/notw-editor-spiked-paedophilia-scoop-on-arthur-c-clarke-for-fear-of-murdoch-7920816.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/notw-editor-sp... Edit: since this is being downvoted to -5 within such a short time, I ask that if you chose to downvote, at least give a reason why you believe that it is not worth pointing out given the fact that it is precisely the fear of raising such topics that enabled such crimes to occur. Edit2: added additional references.
- rojobuffalo 10y ago
  Why do we need to be aware of a baseless allegation?
  - linuxkerneldev 10y ago
    > Why do we need to be aware of a baseless allegation? I do not find them baseless. I find it very suspicious that a wealthy European man would choose to live in a wartorn country. We've recently found that many prominent people from that period were committing horrific acts and getting away with it because of a general atmosphere of silence and fear of bringing such issues up. Eg: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Savile https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Savile Lets take a different approach. Say for example, Michael Jackson suddenly chose to live in Sri Lanka. Then allegations started popping up. Then the police said he was not guilty. Would you find such allegations to also be baseless?
at-fates-hands 10y ago
interesting article about a guy who snuck into his house and what they found: We Snuck Into Arthur C. Clarke’s Home, And. .(2013) : http://asiaobscura.com/2013/11/sifting-through-arthur-c-clarkes-dvd-collection-in-colombo.html http://asiaobscura.com/2013/11/sifting-through-arthur-c-clar...
- sparkzilla 10y ago
  Thanks for posting that. I interviewed Arthur C. Clarke at his house (see joke above), so it was cool to see it again.
  - at-fates-hands 10y ago
    I did see that, really good stuff. He seemed like he was quite lucid and articulate, even in his later years. I bet he has a ton of stories he could tell. . .
peter303 10y ago
Dec 16, 1917
pklausler 10y ago
Clarke had such a positive view of humanity. I've read all of his novels and I don't think that he ever had a villian character.
- Florin_Andrei 10y ago
  I love his work. He's by leaps and bounds my favorite sci-fi author ever. His optimism remains unparalleled. It's a measure of how much darker the world has turned recently that I've started in the last few years to think of ACC as perhaps a bit naive. Or maybe he was just too far ahead of the times? That's an optimist thought - albeit a long-term one.
  - zem 10y ago
    ironically, the first author i have been inclined to call "the new clarke" is liu cixin, based on the anything-but-optimistic "death's end" trilogy. still has a very clarke-like feel, but dark.
    - Florin_Andrei 10y ago
      > a very clarke-like feel, but dark I've no idea how that is even possible :) so I'll have to read something by that author to figure out what you mean.
      - zem 10y ago
        check out "the three body problem"; it has a very clarke-like sense of wonder tinged with both optimism and melancholy, and the same blend of science and "magic science", but it also adds a dark feel that is nothing like clarke.
- justin66 10y ago
  I've only read a few of his novels. I'd say that in 2061, the stowaway suicidal hijacker aboard Galaxy, and her employers, certainly qualify as villains. In 3001, I think it's legitimate to think of the monoliths and whoever built them as villains of a sort.
sohkamyung 10y ago
Arthur C. Clarke: A Life Remembered is a good read for those who want to learn more about Arthur Clarke's life. It features lots of photos and stories about Clarke from his brother and other associates. Here's a review of it [1] [1] [ http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=29276 http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=29276 ]
caseyf7 10y ago
If I only have time to read three, which ones would you suggest?

96 points by samclemens 10y ago

ENTP 10y ago

Clarke made a TV series in the UK called "Arthur C. Clarkes Mysterious World". If you've never heard of it, I highly recommend you check it out! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke's_Mysterious_World https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke's_Mysteriou...

arethuza 10y ago
I loved that program when it first came out because of the episode that mentioned vitrified forts - which are still (AFAIK) a complete mystery: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitrified_fort https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitrified_fort I also love the account of the meeting that Clarke, C.S. Lewis and Tolkien had in a pub: "An extensive correspondence with Dr. Lewis led to the a meeting in a famous Oxford pub, the Eastgate. Seconding me was my friend, Val Cleaver, a space buff from way back (and now chief engineer of the Rolls Royce Rocket Division). Supporting Lewis was Professor J. R. R. Tolkien, whose trilogy, The Lord of the Rings created a considerable stir a few years ago. Needless to say, neither side converted the other, and we refused to abandon our diabolical schemes of interplanetary conquest. But a fine time was had by all, and when, some hours later, we emerged a little unsteadily from the Eastgate, Dr. Lewis’s parting words were "I’m sure you are very wicked people – but how dull it would be if everyone was good."
- at-fates-hands 10y ago
  >> and now chief engineer of the Rolls Royce Rocket Division Did I read that right? Rolls Royce had/has a rocket division?
  - arethuza 10y ago
    Turns that Val Cleaver was quite an interesting chap: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_Cleaver https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_Cleaver "he became general manager and chief engineer of the Rolls Royce's rocket departments, where he was responsible for the engines which powered the Blue Streak missile and Black Arrow launch vehicle" Sadly the UK did have our own launch capability - but we only ever launched one satellite - Prospero: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prospero_(satellite) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prospero_(satellite)
david-given 10y ago
It's also worth reading his faintly autobiographical and heavily fact-based book about the development of radar-assisted landing systems during the second world war: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/143680.Glide_Path https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/143680.Glide_Path It's one of his best, and quite different from most of his other books, and is worth reading even if you don't normally read historical novels.
- lb1lf 10y ago
  Also, he wrote some non-fiction which is eminently readable; "How the World was One" on the history of telecommunications, for instance.

sparkzilla 10y ago

I met Arthur C. Clarke once. He told me a joke. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NEh8nspzXw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NEh8nspzXw

jacobush 10y ago
VERY fun, short and SFW clip.
zem 10y ago
he left a comment on my blog once :) i was thoroughly starstruck.
sohkamyung 10y ago
I also met Clarke once when he came to Singapore. The local SF group gave him a sarong as a gift and he autographed my copy of "Childhood's End".

linuxkerneldev 10y ago

Arthur C Clark was a wealthy European man who surprisingly chose to live a very "quiet life" in a war torn South Asian country, Sri Lanka. During that period, Sri Lanka was listed as the country with the highest rate of child prostitution and was a prominent location for child-sex predator-tourists [1]. However, there is no evidence that Clark was one of them [2]. However, it is also not wrong to be suspicious of a corrupt country's police force declaring such a prominent powerful individual as not guilty. The reason I bring this up is not because I dislike Clarke or seek to tarnish his legacy. I like his work. I bring it up because I believe we need to be aware of such things even when we celebrate a person's contribution and I was surprised those allegations did not even receive a single remark in this article which is why I chose to bring it up here. [1] http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/top-five-countries-highest-rates-child-prostitution-1435448 http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/top-five-countries-highest-rates-ch... [2] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-03-24/arthur-c-clarke-not-a-paedophile-sri-lanka/1081914 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-03-24/arthur-c-clarke-not-a-... [3] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/notw-editor-spiked-paedophilia-scoop-on-arthur-c-clarke-for-fear-of-murdoch-7920816.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/notw-editor-sp... Edit: since this is being downvoted to -5 within such a short time, I ask that if you chose to downvote, at least give a reason why you believe that it is not worth pointing out given the fact that it is precisely the fear of raising such topics that enabled such crimes to occur. Edit2: added additional references.

rojobuffalo 10y ago
Why do we need to be aware of a baseless allegation?
- linuxkerneldev 10y ago
  > Why do we need to be aware of a baseless allegation? I do not find them baseless. I find it very suspicious that a wealthy European man would choose to live in a wartorn country. We've recently found that many prominent people from that period were committing horrific acts and getting away with it because of a general atmosphere of silence and fear of bringing such issues up. Eg: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Savile https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Savile Lets take a different approach. Say for example, Michael Jackson suddenly chose to live in Sri Lanka. Then allegations started popping up. Then the police said he was not guilty. Would you find such allegations to also be baseless?

at-fates-hands 10y ago

interesting article about a guy who snuck into his house and what they found: We Snuck Into Arthur C. Clarke’s Home, And. .(2013) : http://asiaobscura.com/2013/11/sifting-through-arthur-c-clarkes-dvd-collection-in-colombo.html http://asiaobscura.com/2013/11/sifting-through-arthur-c-clar...

sparkzilla 10y ago
Thanks for posting that. I interviewed Arthur C. Clarke at his house (see joke above), so it was cool to see it again.
- at-fates-hands 10y ago
  I did see that, really good stuff. He seemed like he was quite lucid and articulate, even in his later years. I bet he has a ton of stories he could tell. . .

peter303 10y ago

Dec 16, 1917

pklausler 10y ago

Clarke had such a positive view of humanity. I've read all of his novels and I don't think that he ever had a villian character.

Florin_Andrei 10y ago
I love his work. He's by leaps and bounds my favorite sci-fi author ever. His optimism remains unparalleled. It's a measure of how much darker the world has turned recently that I've started in the last few years to think of ACC as perhaps a bit naive. Or maybe he was just too far ahead of the times? That's an optimist thought - albeit a long-term one.
- zem 10y ago
  ironically, the first author i have been inclined to call "the new clarke" is liu cixin, based on the anything-but-optimistic "death's end" trilogy. still has a very clarke-like feel, but dark.
  - Florin_Andrei 10y ago
    > a very clarke-like feel, but dark I've no idea how that is even possible :) so I'll have to read something by that author to figure out what you mean.
    - zem 10y ago
      check out "the three body problem"; it has a very clarke-like sense of wonder tinged with both optimism and melancholy, and the same blend of science and "magic science", but it also adds a dark feel that is nothing like clarke.
justin66 10y ago
I've only read a few of his novels. I'd say that in 2061, the stowaway suicidal hijacker aboard Galaxy, and her employers, certainly qualify as villains. In 3001, I think it's legitimate to think of the monoliths and whoever built them as villains of a sort.

sohkamyung 10y ago

Arthur C. Clarke: A Life Remembered is a good read for those who want to learn more about Arthur Clarke's life. It features lots of photos and stories about Clarke from his brother and other associates. Here's a review of it [1] [1] [ http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=29276 http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=29276 ]

caseyf7 10y ago

If I only have time to read three, which ones would you suggest?