Arthur Charles Clarke (1917–2008) was a British science-fiction novelist and short story writer. Initially a scientific researcher, he conceived the idea of communications satellites. Known as one of the modern masters of science fiction, he created the enormously popular 2001 series, which became the basis for a classic film in 1968.
Born in Minehead, Somerset, Clarke worked in scientific research before turning to fiction: he was a radar instructor in World War II. He originated the idea of satellite communication in a scientific article in 1945.
A productive writer, Clarke focused on themes of exploration and man’s position in the hierarchy of the universe. His first book was Prelude to Space (1951,) and he is credited with some of the genre’s best examples—Rendezvous with Rama (1973) and The Fountains of Paradise (1979.)
Clarke’s name will always be linked first with 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968,) which, under the direction of Stanley Kubrick, became a highly successful film. Clarke wrote two sequels—2010: Odyssey Two (1982) and 2061: Odyssey Three (1987.) His later works include The Hammer of God (1993,) about an asteroid heading for Earth, and Sunstorm (2005.)
Clarke developed a leisure pursuit in undersea exploration and moved to Sri Lanka in 1956, where he embarked on a second career skin diving and photographing the Great Barrier Reef of Australia and the coast of Sri Lanka. He produced a succession of books about his experiences, the first of which was The Coast of Coral (1956.)
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Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
—Arthur C. Clarke
Topics: Magic, Technology, Vision
There is hopeful symbolism in the fact that flags do not wave in a vacuum.
—Arthur C. Clarke
Only feeble minds are paralyzed by facts.
—Arthur C. Clarke
Topics: Facts
The greatest tragedy in mankind’s entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion.
—Arthur C. Clarke
Topics: Morality
I don’t pretend we have all the answers. But the questions are certainly worth thinking about.
—Arthur C. Clarke
Topics: Questioning, Thinking
People go through four stages before any revolutionary development:
1. It’s nonsense, don’t waste my time.
2. It’s interesting, but not important.
3. I always said it was a good idea.
4. I thought of it first.
—Arthur C. Clarke
Topics: Change
It has yet to be proven that intelligence has any survival value.
—Arthur C. Clarke
Topics: Intelligence, Survival, Intellectuals, Values
In the long run, there are no secrets. in science. The universe will not cooperate in a cover-up.
—Arthur C. Clarke
Topics: Secrets
The best measure of a man’s honesty isn’t his income tax return. It’s the zero adjust on his bathroom scale.
—Arthur C. Clarke
Topics: Honesty
Religion is a byproduct of fear. For much of human history, it may have been a necessary evil, but why was it more evil than necessary? Isn’t killing people in the name of God a pretty good definition of insanity?
—Arthur C. Clarke
When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
—Arthur C. Clarke
Topics: Science, Possibilities
Our lifetime may be the last that will be lived out in a technological society.
—Arthur C. Clarke
Topics: Science, Scientists
Every revolutionary idea seems to evoke three stages of reaction. They may be summed up by the phrases: (1) It’s completely impossible. (2) It’s possible, but it’s not worth doing. (3) I said it was a good idea all along.
—Arthur C. Clarke
Topics: Ideas
I don’t believe in astrology; I’m a Sagittarius and we’re skeptical.
—Arthur C. Clarke
It may be that the old astrologers had the truth exactly reversed, when they believed that the stars controlled the destinies of men. The time may come when men control the destinies of stars.
—Arthur C. Clarke
The only way to discover the limits of the possible
is to go beyond them to the impossible.
—Arthur C. Clarke
Topics: Discover, Discovery, Possibilities, Potential, Achievement
This is the first age that’s ever paid much attention to the future, which is a little ironic since we may not have one.
—Arthur C. Clarke
Topics: Future
How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean.
—Arthur C. Clarke
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