Sir Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) was a British science fiction author, inventor, futurist, and undersea explorer. His science fiction naturally appealed to my cohort and me as engineering students. In the 70s in India, we had access to only a few books and the occasional sci-fi movie.
His Rendezvous with Rama (1973) was my introduction to hard science fiction. The novel explores the arrival of an enigmatic cylindrical alien megastructure which enters the solar system in 2131. Scientists name it Rama, the 7th avatar of Vishnu. [Notes 1]
I later read Clarke’s 1953 novel Childhood’s End. It’s a philosophical exploration of humanity’s peaceful subjugation by the mysterious “Overlords” and subsequent transcendence. Overlords end war and poverty; the real purpose is a leap in human evolution. Often called his masterpiece.
Alongside Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein, he was celebrated as one of the “Big Three” of 20th-century science fiction. Asimov’s Foundation Trilogy and Heinlein’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress are brilliant. Continue reading “Arthur C. Clarke, Visionary Extraordinaire”
