Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Farewell, Arthur C. Clarke

The space visionary, science fiction writer, and all-around inquirer into the universe around us, Arthur C. Clarke, has died at the age of 90. Clarke first became widely known after WWII for his articles describing the use of the geosynchronous orbit - the "Clarke belt" - for satellite communications. He went on to write many books on space and even more in the realm of science fiction. His seminal work, 2001: a Space Odyssey, is as original and striking now as it was in the 1960s. Clarke's curiosity encompassed everything from the Star of Bethlehem to cryptozoology. He also devised Clarke's Law, which has influenced countless writers of SF and science: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Earth has sent one of its finest minds on the final journey.

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