3/18/2008

17 Responses to “Arthur C. Clarke, Dead at 90”

1. Actually, he was widely credited with inventing the concept of the geosynchronous satellite, one orbiting the planet equatorially at the correct height as to make it’s orbit equal to exactly one day, therefore positioning it above a single spot on the equator, ‘hovering’ there, as it were.

   Ironically, the technology to orbit a satellite was not available at that time, precluding any ability to patent the idea.

   West (d032c1) — 3/18/2008 @ 5:57 pm

   
   

2. Well, yes, with the idea of using them for communication.

   Patterico (4bda0b) — 3/18/2008 @ 6:00 pm

   
   

3. I was not a fan of Childhood’s End and despised 2001 (the movie) but he was a master in the field and his loss is a sad moment.

   Dr T (340565) — 3/18/2008 @ 6:15 pm

   
   

4. I have been a fan since I was in the third grade, so many years ago. As a SciFi fan, I have collected all of his published books and many of his individual short stories. Some were better than others, but I have enjoyed reading all of them. He will definitely be missed.

   I guess I am getting old, as it seems like more and more of the icons of my childhood are dying recently.

   Jay Curtis (8f6541) — 3/18/2008 @ 7:33 pm

   
   

5. We’ve lost the last of the SF giants.

   SPQR (26be8b) — 3/18/2008 @ 7:59 pm

   
   

6. A true SciFi giant, not a SciFi/Fantasy type.

   kimsch (2ce939) — 3/18/2008 @ 8:37 pm

   
   

7. Do you consider Fred Pohl an SF giant? I do — and he’s the only one I ever met. (I thought about that sadly today, thinking how as a kid I had always hoped to meet Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein.) Pohl is, I think, still kicking.

   Patterico (4bda0b) — 3/18/2008 @ 8:45 pm

   
   

8. Was never a big Pohl fan myself. But didn’t know he was still alive.

   SPQR (26be8b) — 3/18/2008 @ 8:50 pm

   
   

9. We’ve lost the last of the SF giants.

   Yes, a most amazing mind and man. I, too, was a fan. I really enjoyed his last published work, “Greetings, Carbon-Based Bipeds”, that was his own selection of his favorite essays written over 60 years of his life. Find it. Read it and savor it one essay at a time, especially his story saying goodbye to his friend, Isaac Asimov.

   I was living in the UK in the late 90s when the rags ran stories accusing him of having a penchant for young boys. It was disgusting and baseless and eventually retracted. All Brits celebrated when it was announced Clark would be conferred the CBE (which he had delayed a year while the rags tried to eat him alive). It was a shame he was too ill to travel to London for the presentation.

   EHeavenlyGads (f29174) — 3/18/2008 @ 8:58 pm

   
   

10. When I was a kid, I did meet most of the great SciFi authors. The unfortunate part is that I was so young I had no idea who these people were. My father has been a fan since before WWII, and is a member of First Fandom of which there are vanishingly few left (he had to hide his Amazing Stories in an apple tree stump on my grandparents property – he says it’s because they didn’t want him reading so much – I wonder if it was really because of the BEMs threating the sweet BIMs on the covers).

    Some of my earliest memories are of the Midwest Con – unfortunately mostly of the dinner buffet, and the cocktail shrimp. It’s a shame what leaves an impression when you are under five, but at least I have pictures of my then very young parents standing around and talking with folks like Asimov and Emshwiller in the `50s. I still have the Bonestell painting they bought for me at one of those conventions.

    I enjoyed Clarke’s work very much, and I’m glad his passing has been noted by so many as a loss.

    JSinAZ (4a9d9c) — 3/18/2008 @ 10:03 pm

    
    

11. I had the good fortune to have dinner with Clarke (along with a small group of other students) in 1974 when he came to my college to speak. He was an exceptionally gracious man and a bit shy, I thought. Certainly not the ego many would have with his renown.

    A modest proposal: Rename the International Space Station “Clarke Station.”

    Kevin Murphy (0b2493) — 3/18/2008 @ 10:06 pm

    
    

12. I liked a lot of Clarke’s work. One of his claims to greatness would be that one could not point to one story or series and say “Read this and you will get the essence of his work”. His work was varied in approach and execution.

    Be nice if Asimov , Bradbury and Clarke were now working on a group project in the great beyond – and all 3 of them would be surprised 🙂

    seaPea (1b7002) — 3/18/2008 @ 10:19 pm

    
    

13. I believe that Clark popularized the idea of communication satellites, but assumed that astronauts would have to maintain them fairly regularly – in part to change their vacuum tubes.

    He was a fine writer, just about the only SF I enjoyed. Did he publish recently?

    Pigilito (3d9908) — 3/19/2008 @ 2:26 am

    
    

14. Be nice if Asimov , Bradbury and Clarke were now working on a group project in the great beyond – and all 3 of them would be surprised

    Bradbury is still very much alive last I knew.

    Taltos (4dc0e8) — 3/19/2008 @ 6:03 am

    
    

15. I an currently teaching a SF Fantasy class (gotta love small Colleges) and we’ve had the chance to have John Ringo come and visit, chat with Brandon Sanderson, and email with David Drake. I also learned that Terry Pratchett (who is fantastic) now has Alzheimer’s. It seems the old hard SF is passing away. We have David Bear and a couple of others, but I miss the good old days.

    Dr T (69c4b2) — 3/19/2008 @ 6:59 am

    
    

16. I used to watch AUTHER C. CLARKS MYSERIOUS WORLD with some pretty interesting episodes but those apemen from 2001 A SPACE ODDESEY were realy rediculous

    krazy kagu (5006b4) — 3/19/2008 @ 7:28 am

    
    

17. I managed to convince my 10th-grade teacher to teach us “Childhood’s End.”

    Right now, I envy your 10th grade experience.

    physics geek (6669a4) — 3/19/2008 @ 8:46 am