Thank you Sir Arthur
Posted on 19. Mar, 2008 by DocDelete in People, TV, movies, books
Sir Arthur C Clarke died today, at the age of 90 at his home in Sri Lanka. No doubt the internet will be loaded with many tributes for him by now, so I’ll not try to re-invent the wheel. You can read more by starting here.
I’d simply like to say a big “thanks” to the man for introducing me to the world of science fiction writing, when I was aged 10. Granted, by that age I’d already bled dry the local library of its collection of juvenile space fiction – notably all of the works of Hugh Walters (here, here and here) – which I guess was fuelled by being alive while NASA was busy shooting men at the moon.
But, in 1977 while staying with my gran in Brum, at what was Preedy’s newsagent shop in Acocks Green, I convinced my mum that I should buy The Best of Arthur C Clarke 1937-1955 for the princely sum of 65 new pence. At the same time I bought EE ‘Doc’ Smith’s Triplanetary, but at the time I found the book interminably dull compared to the snappy, quick-fire work presented in the Clarke anthology. Anyway, I bought both books purely and simply on the strengths of the cover artwork, both painted by Chris Foss – and I doubt I even read the sleeve notes.
Clarke’s book is a collection of his early work, and covers around a dozen short stories – ideal fodder for the attention span of a ten-year old. At the time I remember being enthralled and amazed by some of the concepts covered: time travel, suspended animation, the end of the world, alien civilisations – everything aside from the yet-to-be-coined term ‘cyberspace’ ;)
At a stroke I had discovered a world of stories that I knew I couldn’t discuss with anyone around me: school friends were mainly into football and Action Man, and even though members of my family would’ve entertained my enthusiasm for the book, at that age I’d've found it incredibly difficult to articulate the sense of wonder I felt. I can’t really do it now!
While reading The Best of Arthur C Clarke 1937-1955 I could literally feel the connections in my brain responsible for imagination consolidating as I read and re-read this book. It’s worth noting that at this time I’d just started to collect (note ‘collect’ there, not just ‘read’) the comic 2000ad, a double-whammy of thrill power in the same year!
So, therein lies the reason why every second and third novel I read to this day is a science fiction novel, and why I have trouble switching my brain off at night!
Thank you Sir Arthur for opening my mind, and no, I won’t hold you responsible for mild insomnia.
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Nice job buddy,
Wrote an obit for Sir Arthur with exactly the same title as yours and happened to find yours on a google search later.
I feel exactly the same way :
“..so, therein lies the reason why every second and third novel I read to this day is a science fiction novel, and why I have trouble switching my brain off at night!”
All the best!