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Do you even need a reason for that?

Arthur C. Clarke will truly be missed. He was a literary giant and a true visionary.

My hat is off to you sir. Rest in peace.

3. The Communications Satellite - Seriously. I guess I should have known that but he is the man

His stuff on satellites and their uses for the communications business has been used as prior art in court cases against companies which tried to patent these ideas. Had he done so himself, he would have been one of the richest men alive (every GPS, satellite tv broadcast and so on would be paying him royalties) but instead like Tim Berners Lee he didn't care and simply wanted the advancement of mankind.I think that's why we should miss him the most. Few people put the love of humanity over the love of money.

The light of Other Days

The best science fiction book I have ever read. Co-authored by Clark and Baxter.

http://books.google.com/books?id=ejQ6Oc-VKJQC&dq=t ...

If you have any interest in Sci-Fi, this is the book to get.

Did I seriously just read the phrase, "nerds and normals alike?" Come on...

Ah 2001, how smart people get it, and how dumb people don't. you really see how you friends see things after you watch that movie with them.

"The dinosaurs disappeared because they could not adapt to their changing environment. We shall disappear if we cannot adapt to an environment that now contains spaceships, computers — and thermonuclear weapons."

But aren't Nerds normal, or the norm nowadays?

2010 was just about the first peace of Sci-FI to scare me.

Alone, in the dark. "Look behind you".

*shivvers*

His third law will live on forever. Funny how a person dies, the legacy dies afterwards and a tiny quote survives.

Coming up with HAL by dropping down one letter on the alphabet on each initial of IBM, is such sweet serendipity.

:)

I can think of a lot more than 5. Sands of Mars, Childhood's End, Earthlight, and A Fall of Moondust? I mean jeez. The man was a genius.

a few more: http://maxim.com/Thingsthatwouldntexistwithoutarth ...

Rendezvous with rama

If I ever build a spaceship (this is possible, I'm an aerospace engineer) I will name it after Sir Clarke, his books have been my inspiration since I was a boy and he deserves the recognition.

Why only five?

Arthur C Clarke did not invent the communications satellite. He invented the concept of a telecom relay network.

The idea and math behind geostationary satellites was published decades before him by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Herman Oberth and others.

The idea of communications transmit via a geostationary satellite was written about and publish by Herman Potocnik.

Excerpt from his 1928 book "The Problem of Space Travel: The Rocket Motor" at http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4026/ ... :

"Everything even down to the smallest detail on the Earth's surface could be detected from the space station using such powerful telescopes. Thus, we could receive optical signals sent from Earth by the simplest instruments and, as a result, keep research expeditions in communication with their home country, and also continually follow their activities. "

Also http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4026/ ... "Providing for Long Distance Communications and Safety
" talks about radio communication being being better than optical.

My favorite quote from his diary:
November 20. "....Back at the Chelsea, phoned Ike Asimov to discuss the biochemistry of turning vegetarians into carnivores."

As I recall the characters in every book of his that I read always decided to indulge in an orgy at one point or another. He liked the Sci-fi sex.

Dugg for the link to the diary. Fascinating stuff.

I was introduced to Arthur C. Clarke after picking up 2001 in a used bookstore. Every time I went back to that bookstore, there were dozens of copies of his lesser known works, which I devoured. I feel good knowing that some kid will find one of his books in a used bookstore and read the hell out of the author. There is something about the feel of those old books from the 50s, and even the smell of the yellowed paper.

He was a bad-ass among men.