Japanese Literary Awards

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Arthur C. Clarke

アーサー・C・クラーク

Āsā C. Kurāku

Pen Names: Charles Willis（Used as a pen name on some early works/short stories）, E.G. O'Brien（Alternate pen name used occasionally）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1917-12-16 （Minehead, Somerset, England, United Kingdom）
Died
2008-03-19 （Colombo, Sri Lanka） age 90
Nationality
United Kingdom, Sri Lanka
Languages
English
Religion
Atheist / pantheist tendencies
Residence History
England (Minehead, Bishops Lydeard area) → Sri Lanka (Unawatuna, Hikkaduwa, Colombo, etc.) → Temporary stays in the United States (for film production, etc.)

Career

Occupations
Science fiction writer, Science communicator, Essayist
Active Years
1937-2008
Affiliations
British Interplanetary Society (served as president), Mensa (member), The Arthur C. Clarke Foundation, University of Moratuwa (Chancellor)
Memberships
British Interplanetary Society, Mensa, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Influenced By
H. G. Wells, Jules Verne, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Lord Dunsany, Olaf Stapledon
Influenced
Stephen Baxter, Ted Chiang, Yukio Mishima (noted influence in some contexts), Yoshiyuki Tomino, Hideaki Anno, Makoto Shinkai

Education

King's College London
Physics & Mathematics
Degree: First-class degree (BSc)
Period: 1946
Year of Graduation: 1946
Country: United Kingdom
Studied physics and mathematics; awarded a first-class degree

Awards

International Fantasy Award (Non-fiction)
1952
Work: Interplanetary Flight
Category: Non-fiction
Result: Winner
Hugo Award (Short Story)
1956
Work: The Star
Category: Short story
Organization: Worldcon (Hugo Awards)
Result: Winner
Hugo Award (Best Novel)
1974
Work: Rendezvous with Rama
Category: Novel
Organization: Worldcon (Hugo Awards)
Result: Winner
Hugo Award (Best Novel)
1980
Work: The Fountains of Paradise
Category: Novel
Organization: Worldcon (Hugo Awards)
Result: Winner
Nebula Award (Novella/Novella-length)
1973
Work: A Meeting with Medusa
Category: Novella
Organization: SFWA (The Nebula Awards)
Result: Winner
Nebula Award (Best Novel)
1973
Work: Rendezvous with Rama
Category: Novel
Organization: SFWA (The Nebula Awards)
Result: Winner
British Science Fiction Association Award
1973
Work: Rendezvous with Rama
Category: Novel
Organization: British Science Fiction Association
Result: Winner
SFWA Grand Master Award
1985
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Result: Winner
Marconi Prize / Marconi Fellowship
1982
Organization: The Marconi Society
Result: Winner
Kalinga Prize (UNESCO)
1961
Organization: UNESCO
Result: Winner
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
1989
Organization: The Crown (United Kingdom)
Result: Honor
Knight Bachelor
2000
Organization: The Crown (United Kingdom)
Result: Honor
Sri Lankabhimanya
2005
Organization: Government of Sri Lanka
Result: Honor

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

2001: A Space Odyssey

1968 Science fiction (hard SF / space opera elements) 221 pages

A novel exploring humanity's encounter with a mysterious monolith and the implications for human evolution; made widely famous by the film adaptation.

Human evolutionArtificial intelligenceCosmic mystery
Adaptations
  • [Film] 2001: A Space Odyssey / Stanley Kubrick (1968)
Translations
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey (translations available)

Childhood's End

1953 Science fiction (cosmic SF) 224 pages

Depicts humanity's transformation after contact with benevolent alien Overlords; explores religious and philosophical themes.

TranscendenceCollective transformationReligious / philosophical inquiry

Rendezvous with Rama

1973 Science fiction (hard SF) 256 pages

An enormous cylindrical alien object enters the solar system; humanity explores it. Noted for its scientific rigor and grand scale.

Unknown technologyHuman curiosityRelative civilizations

The Fountains of Paradise

1979 Science fiction (technology-oriented) 256 pages

Tells the story of constructing an orbital elevator; mixes technical imagination with historical and cultural context.

Orbital elevatorTechnology and civilizationCulture and history

Bibliography

  • Prelude to Space
  • Against the Fall of Night
  • Childhood's End
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey
  • Rendezvous with Rama
  • The Fountains of Paradise
  • A Fall of Moondust
  • Dolphin Island
  • The Last Theorem

Adaptations

  • Film: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, dir. Stanley Kubrick)
  • TV: Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World (documentary series)

Translations of Works

  • Many works translated into multiple languages (including Japanese editions)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Scientific, logical prose (hard SF)Grand scale and lucid visionary tone
Recurring Motifs
Cosmic evolutionEncounter with advanced civilizationsOptimism about technologyInterest in oceans / the deep sea

Health

  • Polio (acute poliomyelitis)
    1962（感染）
    Contracted polio in 1962. Developed post-polio syndrome in 1988; used a wheelchair in later years and experienced related respiratory/cardiac complications.

Legacy

A leading 20th-century science fiction author and popularizer of science. Noted for articulating ideas about geostationary orbits (Clarke Orbit), satellite communications, and visionary predictions (internet-like networks, orbital elevators). Recipient of many literary and scientific honors; his foundation and institute continue his legacy.

Museums

  • Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies Colombo, Sri Lanka Opened in 1984

Academic Societies

  • British Interplanetary Society
  • Mensa

Archives

  • National Air and Space Museum (collection / manuscripts donated)

In Popular Culture

  • Asteroid 4923 Clarke (named in his honor)
  • The protagonist Isaac Clarke in the Dead Space series is named in part after Clarke
  • Significant influence on film culture via 2001: A Space Odyssey

Quotes

  • Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
    Source: Profiles of the Future (and various essays) (1973)
  • The greatest tragedy in mankind's entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion.
    Source: Interviews and essays

Trivia

  • A portion of his ashes was carried aboard Peregrine Mission One (the lander failed and the remains were lost on re-entry)
  • Co-wrote the screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey with Stanley Kubrick; the film had major cultural impact
  • Was a member of Mensa
  • Involved in scuba diving and reported discoveries of underwater ruins in Sri Lanka