He was a unique author and one of my favorites

RIP

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol...icle3579120.ece

He wrote the first book I ever picked up and read that didn't have pictures in it when I was at Prep School. I found out through him that you can make better pictures with words and his writings turned me into a lifelong Science Fiction reader.

Indeed, RIP.

He was never one of my favorites, but no one can argue how influential he was in the field.

I remember the (possibly apocryphal) story he told about Asimov, saying that Asimov had wanted to write 500 books in 80 years, while Clarke had the loftier goal of writing 80 novels in 500 years. Alas, it was not to be.

He was a true visionary, and I loved his work. I will miss him very much.

RIP

He was not my all-time favorite. His writing style didn't really do much for me. But he gets an A+ for coming up with mind-bending concepts that sometimes left my mind spinning for days after finishing the novel. Childhood's End is an example.

I was a big fan of Arthur C. Clarke as a younger person. His books brought great joy to a number of my friends as well as myself. He will be missed.

One of the finest has left us. A great mind, a great scientist and writer. His books are always an inspiration to me. He helped science fiction escape the pulp stories and to develope into a unique literary movement.

I was introduced into science fiction through his books. I am really sad to learn about his death.

RIP.

Arthur was the last of the big three science fiction writers of the 20th century. The other two were Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein, sadly both long gone.

He was perhaps best known for his collaboration with film director Stanley Kubrick, also sadly no longer with us, on the remarkable and ground breaking science fiction film "2001: A Space Odyssey" - see "Blue Danube" clip below including the famous "floating pen sequence".

He had not been well since before Christmas, and was increasingly frail for some time. At least he managed to enjoy his 90th birthday and the final accolades that brought with it.

I corresponded with Arthur from time to time, and he was always enthusiastic, fun and forward-looking. I last heard from him shortly after his birthday, when I had sent him a vintage Parker 51 pen and pencil set as a mark of my esteem. I am very sad tonight.

This is the end of an era; we shall not see his like again.

See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7304004.stm

Sincerely,

Stuart



Sir Arthur C. Clarke (1917 - 2008)



Arthur and friend!

See also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZCzZFsFfH8

2001: A Space Odyssey (Blue Danube)

Quite a writer, he will truly be missed. His stories grabbed you and made you think. He got me quite hooked on reading Sci Fi.

He was one of my favourite authors... great scientific based literature. So sad, not many like him anymore.

He was one of my favourite "classic" SF authors.

*sigh*

I guess he gained a measure of immortality through his works.

Wow, this is sad news... I had heard he wasn't in good health, and given his age there wasn't much chance he'd live on to 100. But one could only hope. What a great man.

I also wasn't particularly enamored with his writing style, but I loved his ideas. Childhood's End was my all-time Clarke favorite, and I also enjoyed Prelude to Space, Rendezvous with Rama, and of course the Space Odyssey series.

Yep, last of the big three. Each of them had their own particularly great qualities. Clarke was quite the visionary... he came up with many concepts in his books that would become real technical advances in the future. I'm sorry to see him go... I truly hope he died peacefully and having felt he led a full life. RIP, Arthur.

By the way, in the news I saw that he had recently reviewed the final manuscript for his latest novel, The Last Theorem, co-written with Frederik Pohl. It will be published later this year, it said. I also like Pohl (the Heechee series was fantastic), and had no idea he and Clarke were collaborating. I'm definitely keeping my eye out for that book!

~Gary

He demonstrated one very important thing to me. That a science fiction work can have all the gee-whiz fun that makes the genre so fun for a geek like me to read, while at the same time have a much more profound meaning. Left for you to enjoy at whatever level you wish.

Brent