Arthur C. Clarke

What a day yesterday turned out to be. First we lost Anthony Minghella, then later the news came that Arthur C Clarke had died. But at least Clarke, at 90, had led a long life. Most famous as the author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Clarke's influence on the world of science fiction extends far beyond that one landmark work and his subsequent collaboration with Stanley Kubrick on the movie version. Growing up, I remember watching him host a TV show called Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World from his adoptive homeland of Sri Lanka. I even met him once, in London, the day of the premiere of 2010. It was a Monday morning, and I'd been to see a press screening of Peter Hyams' sequel with a friend whose father, a journalist, had gotten us tickets. As we left the cinema, I noticed Clarke in the lobby and approached him for an autograph (and if you know me, you know I don't normally engage in that kind of thing). He chatted for a bit for a bit and signed my production notes. I have still have them, of course.