Discover the Best Books Written by Arthur C. Clarke

Arthur C. Clarke’s legacy bridges the arts and sciences worlds. His work ranged from scientific discovery to science fiction, from technical application to entertainment. As an engineer, a futurist, and a humanist, Clarke has influenced numerous artists, scientists, and engineers working today through his broad work. Through the organizations keeping his legacy alive, like the Clarke Foundation and this Institute, he continues to inspire future generations around the world. In Memoriam, Neil McAleer, Sir Arthur’s only authorized biographer.

Arthur Charles Clarke was born to an English farming family in the seaside town of Minehead, in the county of Somerset in southwestern England, on December 16, 1917. As a child, he enjoyed stargazing and reading American science fiction magazines, which sparked his lifelong enthusiasm for space sciences. After moving to London in 1936, Clarke was able to pursue his interest further by joining the British Interplanetary Society (BIS.) He worked with astronautic material in the Society, contributed to the BIS Bulletin, and began writing science fiction

After World War II erupted in 1939, Arthur Clarke joined the Royal Air Force and served as a radar instructor and technician from 1941 to 1946. He was an officer in charge of the first radar talk-down equipment, the Ground Controlled Approach, during its experimental trials. The technique is used by aircraft control to guide aircraft to a safe landing based on radar images during inclement weather. Clarke’s only non-science-fiction novel, Glide Path, was based on his experiences in this project. 

After the war, Clarke returned to London, where he was awarded a Fellowship at King’s College, London, where he obtained a first-class honors degree in Physics and Mathematics in 1948. He also returned to the British Interplanetary Society and served as the Society’s president in 1946-47 and 1951-1953. Clarke moved to Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) in 1956, largely to pursue his interest in underwater exploration along the country’s coast as well as on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. 

He lived first in the coastal village of Unawatuna and then in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s largest city. In 1962, Clarke was diagnosed with polio, which reduced his diving activities. In 1988, he was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome and was primarily confined to a wheelchair until he passed away at the age of 90 on March 19, 2008.

Arthur Clarke’s remarkable lifetime work was recognized by both the country of his birth and his adopted home country. In 1988, Queen Elizabeth II honored Clarke with a Knighthood, formally conferred by Prince Charles in Sri Lanka two years later. In 2005, Clarke was awarded Sri Lankabhimanya (The Pride of Sri Lanka), Sri Lanka’s highest civilian honor.