Arthur C. Clarke
Born: 1917-12-16 in Minehead, Somerset, England, UK
Died: 2008-03-19
Known For: Writing
Biography
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke CBE FRAS (16 December 1917 – 19 March 2008) was an English science-fiction writer, science writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host. He co-wrote the screenplay for the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, one of the most influential films of all time. Clarke was a science fiction writer, an avid populariser of space travel, and a futurist of a distinguished ability. He wrote many books and many essays for popular magazines. In 1961, he received the Kalinga Prize, a UNESCO award for popularising science. Clarke's science and science-fiction writings earned him the moniker "Prophet of the Space Age". His science-fiction writings in particular earned him a number of Hugo and Nebula awards, which along with a large readership, made him one of the towering figures of the genre. For many years Clarke, Robert Heinlein, and Isaac Asimov were known as the "Big Three" of science fiction. Clarke was a lifelong proponent of space travel. In 1934, while still a teenager, he joined the British Interplanetary Society. In 1945, he proposed a satellite communication system using geostationary orbits. He was the chairman of the British Interplanetary Society from 1946–1947 and again in 1951–1953. Clarke emigrated to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1956, to pursue his interest in scuba diving. That year, he discovered the underwater ruins of the ancient Koneswaram Temple in Trincomalee. Clarke augmented his popularity in the 1980s, as the host of television shows such as Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World. He lived in Sri Lanka until his death. Clarke was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1989 "for services to British cultural interests in Sri Lanka". He was knighted in 1998 and was awarded Sri Lanka's highest civil honour, Sri Lankabhimanya, in 2005.
Filmography
2025
2022
- Rendezvous with the Future as Self (archive footage)
2018
- The Nine Billion Names of God ... (Short Story)
- 9/11 Alchemy: Facing Reality as Himself
2017
- I Saw the Future as Self (archive footage)
2015
- Childhood's End ... (Novel)
- Sky Line as Self (archive footage)
2014
- The Real History of Science Fiction as Self (archive footage)
2007
- Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001 as Self
- 2001: A Space Odyssey – What Is Out There? as Self (archive footage)
2003
- To Mars by A-Bomb: The Secret History of Project Orion as Self
- Rendezvous with Rama ... (Novel)
2001
- 2001 and Beyond as Self
- 2001: The Making of a Myth as Self
1995
- Fractals: The Colors of Infinity as Self
1994
- Without Warning as Self
- Trapped in Space ... (Novel)
- Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious Universe as Host
1988
1985
1984
- 2010 as Man on Park Bench (uncredited)
- 2010 : The Odyssey Continues as Himself
1982
- Wogan as Self
1980
1978
- Rescue Party ... (Short Story)
1968
- The Dick Cavett Show as Self - Guest
- 2001: A Space Odyssey ... (Screenplay)