Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FBIS (16 December 1917 – 19 March 2008)
Posted by Jay Manifold on March 18th, 2008 (All posts by Jay Manifold)
Not a Chicago Boy exactly, but a towering presence in my inner life for many years. The only thing remotely resembling a writing voice I’ve ever had is a pale imitation of him. Requiescat In Pace.
Updates:
- added “F
RSBIS” (thanks, Jim) - from Wired, Video: Arthur C. Clarke’s Last Message to Earth
- from SomethingAwful forum goon “SirRobin”:
- heh
Tonight, when the sun has gone down, go outside to a place where you can see the stars. Look up. Watch for a point of light that moves fast enough that its motion is obvious … then take the phone out of your pocket and call someone on the other side of the planet.
March 18th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
He was also a FRS, I believe.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:48 am
I haven’t read a lot of Clarke, but I do remember this story.
March 19th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Actually, looking at the Times and Telegraph obituaries, I don’t see an FRS. That’s surprising, but perhaps they viewed his achievement as engineering, not science. He was, however, FBIS — a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society.
March 19th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Fixed.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
One of the greats. A world-shaping visionary and writer whose impact was so all-pervasive to ever be fully understood. Rest in peace, sir.