Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke was one of the most important and influential figures in 20th century science fiction. He spent the first half of his life in England, where he served in World War Two as a radar operator, before emigrating to Ceylon in 1956. He is best known for the novel and movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, which he co-created with the assistance of Stanley Kubrick. His collaboration with Stanley Kubrick on 2001: A Space Odyssey set new standards for SF films, and he has also presented the television series Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World and its successors.
Clarke was a graduate of King's College, London where he obtained First Class Honours in Physics and Mathematics. He was a past Chairman of the British Interplanetary Society, a member of the Academy of Astronautics, the Royal Astronomical Society, and many other scientific organizations.
Author of over fifty books, his numerous awards include the 1961 Kalinga Prize, the AAAS-Westinghouse science writing prize, the Bradford Washburn Award, and the John W. Campbell Award for his novel Rendezvous With Rama. Clarke also won the Nebula Award of the Science Fiction Writers of America in 1972, 1974 and 1979, the Hugo Award of the World Science Fiction Convention in 1974 and 1980, and in 1986 became Grand Master of the Science Fiction Writers of America. He was awarded the CBE in 1989.
Sir Arthur C Clarke died March 18th 2008 in his adopted home of Sri Lanka.
What genre and themes does Arthur C. Clarke write in?
Clarke is best known for science fiction,especially hard SF and big-idea, space-exploration stories that emphasize future technology, cosmic perspective and a sense of wonder.
What are his most famous books and where should I start?
His best-known works include 2001: A Space Odyssey (co-created with Stanley Kubrick), Rendezvous with Rama, Childhood's End and The Fountains of Paradise. Good entry points are 2001 for iconic SF and film tie-in interest, Rendezvous with Rama for classic hard-SF exploration, or Childhood's End for a thought-provoking standalone.
Does Clarke have series, and what is the recommended reading order?
Yes. Major series and their internal orders are: Space Odyssey, 2001: A Space Odyssey; 2010: Odyssey Two; 2061: Odyssey Three; 3001: The Final Odyssey. Rama series, Rendezvous with Rama; Rama II; The Garden of Rama; Rama Revealed. Time Odyssey trilogy, A Time's Eye; Sunstorm; Firstborn. Many other novels are standalone.
Has Arthur C. Clarke won major awards for his work?
Yes. He received numerous honours, including the John W. Campbell Award for Rendezvous with Rama, multiple Nebula and Hugo Awards (listed in his bibliography), was named Grand Master of the Science Fiction Writers of America in 1986 and was appointed CBE in 1989.
Are Clarke's novels standalone or do they require series reading?
Many of Clarke's novels are standalone and can be read independently, but he also wrote several series (Space Odyssey, Rama, Time Odyssey) that are best read in publication/series order to follow continuing plots.