Arthur C. Clarke was a man who managed to straddle the worlds of science and fiction like no other before him, blending visionary ideas with captivating storytelling. Born in 1917 in Minehead, England, Clarke would grow to be not just a prolific writer but also an inventor, undersea explorer, and futurist, whose contributions went far beyond the printed page.
Clarke’s early life was marked by a fascination with stargazing and science fiction magazines, a passion that was momentarily sidelined by the realities of World War II. During the war, he served in the Royal Air Force as a radar instructor and technician, an experience that honed his technical knowledge and fueled his imagination for what technology could achieve.
It was during this time that Clarke penned his first professional science fiction stories, laying the groundwork for a career that would be as varied as it was influential.
Post-war, Clarke’s career as a writer took off with works that captured the collective imagination of a society looking to the stars and the future. His knack for combining scientific accuracy with deeply human stories set him apart. Perhaps his most famous work, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” was a collaboration with filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, creating a narrative that remains a touchstone in both literary and cinematic worlds.
But Clarke’s vision extended beyond fiction. He is credited with the concept of geostationary satellite communications, a revolutionary idea he proposed in a magazine article long before such technology became reality.
His forward-thinking concepts have earned him the nickname “the Prophet of the Space Age,” and his contributions to science and technology were recognized worldwide.
Despite his global fame and the accolades that came with it, Clarke maintained a personal life marked by quiet determination and curiosity. He moved to Sri Lanka in the 1950s, drawn by his love for undersea exploration, a passion that informed much of his writing in the decades that followed. There, Clarke continued to write, explore, and ponder humanity’s place in the universe until his death in 2008.
Arthur C. Clarke’s legacy is a tapestry of imagination and insight, a reminder of how wonder about the universe can lead to some of the most enduring stories and ideas. His work not only entertained millions but also inspired generations of scientists, writers, and dreamers to look beyond the horizon and imagine what might be possible.
Space Odyssey Books In Order of Publication
2001: A Space Odyssey
(1968)
2010: Odyssey Two
(1982)
2061: Odyssey Three
(1987)
3001: The Final Odyssey
(1997)
Rama Books In Order of Publication with Gentry Lee
Rendezvous with Rama
(1973)
Rama II(With: Gentry Lee)
(1989)
The Garden of Rama(With: Gentry Lee)
(1991)
Rama Revealed(With: Gentry Lee)
(1993)
Bright Messengers(By: Gentry Lee)
(1995)
Double Full Moon Night(By: Gentry Lee)
(1999)
The Tranquility Wars(By: Gentry Lee)
(2000)
A Time Odyssey Books In Order of Publication with Stephen Baxter
Time’s Eye
(2003)
Sunstorm
(2005)
Firstborn(By: Stephen Baxter)
(2007)
Life Science Library Books In Order of Publication by Alan E. Nourse, Robert O’Brien
The Body(By: Alan E. Nourse)
(1964)
Man And Space
(1964)
Blue Planet Books In Order of Publication
The Coast of the Coral
(1956)
The Reefs of Taprobane
(1956)
The Treasure of the Great Reef
(1964)
Standalone Novels In Order of Publication
Against the Fall of Night
(1948)
Prelude to Space
(1950)
The Sands of Mars
(1951)
Islands in the Sky
(1952)
Childhood’s End
(1953)
Earthlight
(1955)
City and the Stars
(1956)
The Deep Range
(1957)
A Fall of Moondust
(1961)
Dolphin Island
(1963)
Glide Path
(1963)
The Lost Worlds Of 2001
(1971)
Imperial Earth
(1975)
The Fountains of Paradise
(1979)
The Songs of Distant Earth
(1986)
July 20, 2019
(1986)
Cradle
(1987)
Beyond the Fall of Night(With: Gregory Benford)
(1990)
The Ghost from the Grand Banks
(1990)
The Hammer of God
(1993)
Richter 10(With: Mike McQuay)
(1996)
The Trigger
(1999)
The Light of Other Days(With: Stephen Baxter)
(2000)
The Last Theorem(With: Frederik Pohl)
(2008)
Non-Fiction Books In Order of Publication
Interplanetary Flight
(1950)
The Exploration of Space
(1951)
Boy Beneath the Sea
(1958)
Voice Across The Sea
(1958)
Profiles of the Future
(1962)
Voices from the Sky
(1966)
The Promise of Space
(1968)
Into Space(With: Robert Silverberg)
(1971)
The View from Serendip
(1977)
1984: Spring – A Choice of Futures
(1984)
Astounding Days
(1990)
How the World Was One
(1992)
Greetings, Carbon-Based Bipeds!
(1999)
From Narnia To Space Odyssey(With: C.S. Lewis)
(2003)
The Exploration of the Moon
(2020)
Short Story Collections In Order of Publication
The Sentinel
(1951)
Reach for Tomorrow
(1956)
Tales From The White Hart
(1957)
Tales of Ten Worlds
(1962)
The Nine Billion Names of God
(1967)
The Lion Of Comarre
(1968)
Expedition to Earth
(1968)
Of Time and Stars
(1972)
The Wind From The Sun
(1972)
A Meeting With Medusa
(1988)
Star Science Fiction Books In Order of Publication
with Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Frederik Pohl, Jack Vance, Richard Matheson, Philip K. Dick, Lester del Rey, Jack Williamson
Star Science Fiction Stories No. 2(By: Frederik Pohl)
(1953)
Isaac Asimov’s Anthology Books In Order of Publication
Isaac Asimov’s Worlds of Science Fiction(By: Isaac Asimov,Tanith Lee,Phyllis Eisenstein,Gene Wolfe,Barry B. Longyear,John M. Ford,Arnie Bateman,Alan Dean Foster,Martin Gardner,Randall Garrett,Rob Chilson,Ted Reynolds,George Scithers,Richard S. McEnroe,Jeff Duntemann,R.N. Bracewell,K.W. MacAnn,G. Richard Bozarth)
(1980)
Isaac Asimov’s Near Futures and Far(By: Isaac Asimov,Frederik Pohl,Carter Scholz,Barry B. Longyear,John M. Ford,Jack Williamson,Darrell Schweitzer,John Brunner,Juleen Brantingham,Martin Gardner,Richard Wilson,Milton A. Rothman,Elizabeth Anne Hull,Sharon Webb,Somtow Sucharitkul,Lee Weinstein,Ted Reynolds,George Scithers,F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre,William Tuning,Francis E. Izzo,Paul David Novitski,Lee Russell,Seth S. Horowitz,Tol E. Rant,S. Dale,Julie Flores,Tony Sarowitz)
(1981)
Isaac Asimov’s Space of Her Own(By: Connie Willis,Ursula K. Le Guin,Pat Cadigan,Joan D. Vinge,Tanith Lee,Pamela Sargent,Lee Killough,Mary Gentle,Mildred Downey Broxon,Shawna McCarthy,Sharon Webb,Leigh Kennedy,Stephanie A. Smith,Cherie Wilkerson,Julie Stevens,Sydney J. Van Scyoc,Cyn Mason,P.A. Kagan,P.J. MacQuarrie,Janet O. Jeppson,Beverly Grant,Hope Athearn)
