My God, its full of stars.

Godspeed.

I was hoping he'd make it to see 2010.

Ha! Nailed ya! You guys totally reported this before! [gizmodo.com]

(That's not satisfying at all... why do people post those kind of things?)

:(

Truly a sad day. R.I.P.

.

Oddly, someone left one of his books in the bathroom at the office and I found myself thinking today, "wow, is he still alive?"

@Bos'un's Mate:
Don't be sad. What he didn't tell you, see, is that he found out a way to live forever. He left behind these books, right..and uh, would you like a personality test?

What?

The Star is my favorite short story of his because of its shocking yet thoughtful climax. [lucis.net]

One of my favorite Author C. Clark quotes is quite down to Earth."

When asked why he preferred living in Sri Lanka and didn't plan on returning to Brittan he simply responded "Why haven't I returned? 40 British winters."

He was a strong believer that technology might save humanity, as long as we focus on getting of this planet.

Two more of my favorite quotes, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. "

and "The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible."

Inventor of the geostationary satellite and the space elevator too - great mind

Geez, that sucks. I thought he had died a while ago, though.

I just caught 2001 the other night in HD. Still a brilliant and disturbing film.

Peace Art.

TMA-1

1 x 4 x 9

;(

To think, I had almost bought 2001 on BR to put I Am Legend over $25 for free shipping on Amazon and went with Life of Brian instead. Oh, well, now I have an excuse to order 2 more movies.

Thank you, Jesus, for the best graphic I have ever seen on Gizmodo.

(I write as one of the ape masks made by Stuart Freeborn for 2001 looks back at me.)

I truly think that Sir Arthur is being given the Grand Tour right now. He deserves it. What a gentle soul.

Clarke and Delany were the first people to really crack open my mind as a child. Not only were they way before their time, but far beyond most men in their understanding of humanity.

Thank you Mr. Clarke, (say hi to Dave for me.)

Today I am sad.

I normally hate your photoshops most of the time, but I like this one a lot. An awful lot.

How bizarre, over the past three weeks I decided to read a several of his novels. He really wrote some nifty stuff.

With his passing I hope people will look beyond "2001" , "Childhood's End" and "Rendezvous with Rama" and also consider reading and appreciating some of his other wonderful works such as "Songs of a Distant Earth" and "The Light of Other Days".

all black monoliths gently weep today.

Well, that sucks.

We'll miss him.

I wonder what three books he took with him ;)

"2001: Space Odyssey" my favorite movie of all time

Rest in peace Mr Clarke

Someone should put a memorial into geosynchronous orbit. RIP A.C. Clarke

Some people are of such profound worth that they just shouldn't die. Sir Arthur Clarke wasn't just a brilliant writer, but an accomplished explorer, researcher, and philosopher as well. He was a man of astounding imagination and great wit, and through his writing, achieved the monumental feat of communicating the awe and privilege he felt in being a part of the Universe. His writing celebrated the lives of scientists and engineers, which inspired, and will continue to inspire, countless people to engage in the noble pursuit of science. His ideas spanned the cosmos, and by sharing them with the world, gifted us all with a small measure of his magnificent mind and life.

We've lost an immense and compassionate genius...the world is impoverished without him.

"He was a man, take him for all in all,
I shall not look upon his like again."

He made this place better by his hard and honest work. It's a true honor to have enjoyed his creations.

Memento Mori

I find that picture touching in a way.

I hope he meets the Star Child and it is him.

Wow, some great eulogies here guys.

Clarke was the best that ever was. My fav short story was the 9 Billion Names of God. Fantastic ending.

We'll miss you Arthur.

Rest in peace, sir.

Sir Arthur left us all a farewell message last Christmas on his 90th birthday, or as he says, "50 orbits around the sun".

+ Watch video

I prefer "welcome home".

RIP
I just watched "2001..." the first time with my brother less than two weeks ago...
You will be missed :(

I wonder if he can still have sex with Sri Lankan cabana boys in the afterlife...

@Mark 2000: real classy...

How coincidental, I just finish his book Firstborn written with Stephen Baxter, last of a trilogy. Very good book. He will be missed. He has written some terrific books and helped in developing ideas for the future.

@Znaught: Yeah, What he said.
Sniff...

Oh, and Lamont,
You're a douche.

@BigDogues: Oh shit, Sorry Lamont.
Mark 2000, you are the douche I was refering to.

Clark and Sagan...two of my faves. I'm not religious at all but I certainly wish they could live on.

Hey Mark 2000

Fuck you.

The charges were leveled by scumbags at a British tabloid and were investigated. No evidence was found.

If you want to know more about scumbags, look in the mirror.

Punk.

@Mark 2000: Seems you've won Dickwad of the Month Award. Kudos.

Him and Asimov have had more impact on my life than anything i can think of besides my parents. Ironic as he leaves this world, he left us so many of his own worlds for us to get lost in. RIP

Thanks, Giz. That was really touching.

@Mark 2000:

Kama is a bitch - and you've got yours coming dude!

@awemaker: I concur.

You will be missed.

Boo hoo, dudes. I loved him too, but ask Sri Lankans and they knew about it for years. Watch his Mysterious Universe shows that are filmed on his property and see how many shirtless boys were running around. KaRma is a bitch indeed.

Can we banhammer this mark2000 loser? You loved him? Yeah, right. You are not fit to lick up Clarke's spit. You saw shirtless boys? You must have been really excited!

NO PROOF IN CLARKE PEDOPHILIA CASE

There is no evidence that science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke
is a pedophile, Sri Lankan Deputy Inspector General of Police
M.S.M. Nizam said April 6.

"We are satisfied that he has not violated any Sri Lankan laws or
committed any crime," Nizam said, noting that police interviewed
three of the sources quoted in the Mirror story. "Two of them
told us that they were given money to say what they allegedly
said," Nizam said.

@Mark 2000: Of course, the climate of Sri Lanka had nothing whatever to do with what people preferred to wear there. Didn't you know? You look like the kind of guy who's been leading with "What are you wearing?" for years.

Child sex file could
close on sci-fi writer

SRI LANKA will close its investigation of science fiction writer Sir Arthur C Clarke unless a British newspaper hands over evidence to support its allegation that he was a paedophile, a government official said yesterday.
Police sought the tape recording of an interview conducted by the Sunday Mirror on which it based its allegation that Sir Arthur had sex with children, but the paper had not responded to repeated requests, said CR De Silva, the Sri Lankan government additional solicitor-general.
"We have approached Interpol. Our embassy in London did its best. In short, we did everything, but the tape has not come," de Silva said.
"Our investigations in Sri Lanka have not found any evidence against him.
"Keeping this in view, and the situation that we are unable to get the tape, we will have no option but to close the case," he said.
Sir Arthur's office said his lawyers were discussing with government officials how to close the file.
He has strenuously denied the allegations made against him.
The Sunday Mirror published its story in February, a few days before the 80-year-old writer was to be knighted by the Prince of Wales who was visiting Sri Lanka at that time. The ceremony was postponed at Sir Arthur's request.
Police questioned the author and three of the four men quoted by the British tabloid newspaper as having claimed to have had sex or discussed sex with him.
Sri Lanka asked Interpol in April to get the interview tape from the newspaper. A reminder was sent a month later. The Sri Lankan High Commission in London also attempted to get the tape from the Sunday Mirror.

The City and the Stars is one of my favorite books. Rest in Peace

Let's not turn this opportunity to pay tribute to a great man into an ugly fight about whether he did or did not commit a crime of any sort. Please.

If you haven't already, read "Songs of Distant Earth", it's one of his most beautiful works.

RIP among the stars Arthur, you inspired me.

Oh and congrats Jesus, a most appropriate graphic.

@MINI Driver: Arthur C. Clarke didn't invent the space elevator [en.wikipedia.org], but he did write a good story about building one in Fountains of Paradise.

@Mercury:
also he did not invent the geostationary satellite, he worked out how it could work, the idea was already concieved before he started working on it.

Hands up if you'd kind of assumed he'd been dead for a long time....

Hands up if you have a clue...

@strider_mt2k:

[puts hand down]

Sorry, I wasn't expecting this to be a hagiography!

I was at MIT when Sir Arthur gave a talk shortly after the "2001" movie was such a big hit. A student asked him why the spacecraft that travelled from earth orbit to the moon (in other words, never entered an atmosphere) had retractable landing gear. His answer, after a short pause, was "Next question." That got a good laugh.

He also claimed that it was just coincidence that the letters "HAL" are each transposed one letter in the alphabet from "IBM." He was not aware of that until it was pointed out.

I worked for the campus radio station and he signed a release for me so we could broadcast his speech. He signed with a pen NASA had given him that worked under water and in microgravity. I wish I had kept the release with his autograph on it, but had to turn it in to the station.

I'll miss him.

RIP
The man who has taken some of us to a little trip around the stars...

Back to the stars, God bless him.

Goodbye.

Someone is going to have his body slapped onto a Rocket and launched into deep space_

Yep - that bit about not making it to 2010 is a bummer - would have been fitting and getting this close and being just shy...

Well he did make it to 2001 - so that counts_

Dave? Dave! DAVE !!