The works of Arthur Clark have grown several generations of not only readers, but also authors who write in the genre of science fiction. His works were a kind of prediction of certain events or technologies.
So, Arthur Clarke foresaw the creation of a radar for detecting flying objects, flights to the moon, permanent satellites in Earth orbit, the creation of computers, the Internet and much more.
Writer Biography
Over his long life, this great man has left a mark not only in literature, but also in science and technology. Arthur Clark, whose biography began on December 16, 1917 in the county of Somerset in England, where he was born in Minehead, ended on March 19, 2008 in Sri Lanka.
During the Second World War, he was one of the developers of a navigation system for flying in adverse weather conditions, and his first novel was dedicated to this time.
After the war, Arthur Clark, being a lieutenant in the Royal Air Force, graduated with honors from Royal College in London with a degree in physics and mathematics.
Back in 1945, as a member of the interplanetary society of Britain, the writer proposed the idea of creating a unified system of space stations in orbit of the planet to create a global telecommunication system. He even wrote about this several popular science articles and books in which he details the technical side of this project.
After creating a geostationary orbit at 36,000 km above sea level, she was named Arthur Clark in recognition of his contribution to this achievement.
From 1956 until his death, Arthur Clark lived in Sri Lanka, where he received citizenship, and where he wrote most of his science fiction cycles and novels. Due to his illness, Clark's latest works were created in collaboration with other writers, which makes them no less interesting than his independent works.
Creative period 1951-1961
In the period from 1951 to 1961, Arthur Clark, whose bibliography includes 22 separate novels, 3 cycles and 4 adaptations of his books, works were written that made him famous in the world of science fiction lovers .
The novel "Prelude to Space" (1951) became the harbinger of the first launches of satellites and people into space. In a manner peculiar to him, the writer, in a simple and accessible language, talks about such things unfamiliar to his contemporaries as the technical equipment of the spacecraft and the principles of its flights.
The book is based on the fictional story of the Prometheus ship, whose mission was to fly to the moon. This work has become a propaganda of space travel. The first satellite launched in the USSR could not overcome gravity only in 1957, and the landing of Apollo on the Moon occurred in 1969. The novel “Prelude to Space” can be considered one of the predictions that Arthur Clark was famous for.
The novel “Sands of Mars”, published in the same year, opens up the prospect of not only space travel, but also the development of other planets.
The most unexpected content of the novel of this period was recognized by Clark's first major work, “The End of Childhood” (1953), in which he broadens the minds of readers with the idea that humanity is no longer alone in the vast Universe.
Moondust (1961) is not only one of the best novels of this creative period of the writer, but also the nominee for the Hugo Prize. The work tells about the lunar settlement and the threats that the earth satellite can present to people.
The series "Space Odyssey 2001"
When Arthur Clark (author’s photo at work) wrote his novel Space Odyssey 2001 in 1968, the 21st century seemed unimaginably distant.
But today, the idea of a novel about an experiment on planet Earth with a length of 3 million years is still relevant.
The debate about the origin of life on the planet does not stop, the wording "cosmic mind" is firmly in use, and interplanetary flights are only a matter of time.
As always, Clark anticipated many of the ideas of his generation and voiced the questions that scientists around the world are now looking for answers to. The cycle, begun in 1968, was completed in 1997. It includes 4 novels dedicated to the journey of earthlings in search of extraterrestrial intelligence.
In this work, Stanley Kubrick made a film that has become a cult in this genre.
Thanks to the talent of the British director and the special effects that they used to create the film, even in the digital age, the film looks in one breath, more perceived as a documentary chronicle of the flight of people to Jupiter and their opposition to the “rebellious” computer mind.
The cycle "Frame"
The cycle "Rama" was created over 20 years (1973-1993), and the novel "Date with Rama" is considered the most significant of what Arthur Clark wrote for his life. The rating of the writer's books invariably includes this work. He brought the writer the Nebula Prize, the Hugo Prize and the British Science Fiction Association.
The plot is based on the story of the creation of a space patrol that “hunts” for asteroids that threatened life on Earth. Among the asteroids, an object was discovered that had the correct cylindrical shape and headed towards the Sun.
After landing on an unusual ship, people found there conditions suitable for human survival and even the sea with its inhabitants and vegetation on its shore. As you move toward the Sun, robots “wake up” on the ship to maintain its life support.
The main theme of the novel is whether humanity is ready for a meeting with extraterrestrial intelligence or whether fear, aggression and a lack of understanding of the laws of the universe will leave people within their solar system.
The Odyssey of Time Series
The most striking novel of the cycle - “Storm in the Sun” (2005) - was co-written with Stephen Baxter. This is a catastrophe novel, which tells of a possible cataclysm and the complete destruction of the Earth due to a severe storm in the Sun.
The woman astronaut Baysez Dutt, who returned from the flight, warned about her. She traveled to a world where there are no temporary divisions and in which the Firstborn are ruled, who want to destroy earthlings and their planet.
The fascinating plot makes readers worry about the fate of mankind, which, as often happens, depends on the actions or omissions of individuals.
Works of the 70-80s
Despite his illness (polio diagnosed back in the 60s), Clark continues to write intensively and delight readers with his talent.
Among the works of this period:
- “Dolphin Island” - the novel is dedicated to the idea of a “reasonable” origin of dolphins and the possibility of their communication with humans.
- "Songs of the distant Earth" is dedicated to the lost humanity, which was destroyed by the Sun. Due to the fact that scientists knew about this in advance, a ship with samples of the entire flora, fauna of the planet and human embryos was sent to the depths of space in search of a suitable cradle for new humanity. The planet Thalassa came up in its parameters for the future colony of earthlings, and the robots did all the necessary work to populate it.
- The collection “Cradle in Orbit” includes the stories and short stories of Arthur Clarke over the years.
In his characteristic positive manner, Arthur Clarke, whose reviews on the books of the public is always only the most enthusiastic, in his works carries out with a red thread the theme that humanity is worthy to live and conquer the Universe.
Artworks of the 90s
The most striking and last independent creation of Arthur Clarke was the catastrophe novel "Hammer of the Lord", written in 1993.
The writer's illness progressed, and he began to move in a wheelchair, but he did not stop his active work, both writing and public.
The novel is dedicated to the urgent topic of the end of the world, which most often the media of those years associated with the fall of the asteroid to Earth.
Merits of the writer
"Fantast No. 1" - that's what Arthur Clark is called so far. His works are reprinted, films are made on them, and the writer himself became not only the laureate of prestigious literary prizes, but was also knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.