Sci-Fi Legend Sir Arthur C. Clarke Dies at 90

Legendary science fiction author, inventor, scuba diver, and visionary Sir Arthur C. Clarke passed away early Wednesday at his home in Sri Lanka after suffering from some respiratory problems. He was 90.

Clarke wrote more than 100 novels, several short stories and screenplays but he is best known for the 1968 novel "2001: A Space Odyssey" which inspired one of the most influential science fiction films, ever to hit the silver screen directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Clarke is also accredited for creating the conceptual framework for geostationary satellites in 1945, 12 years before the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1. The orbit into which geostationary satellites are placed is now known as the Clarke Orbit.

Clarke the eldest of four children was born in the coastal town of Minehead, England according to the biography on his Web site. He served from 1941 to 1946 in the Royal Air Force, specializing in radar, and sold his first science-fiction stories then. He developed his technical paper on communications satellites during this period only.

Later on, Clarke entered King's College in London and took his B.Sc. with honors in physics and mathematics in 1948. He wrote his first published novel, “Prelude To Space” in 1947 and turned to full time writing in 1952 and has been writing ever since. He moved to Sri Lanka in the 1950s following his interest in undersea exploration.

In 1962, Clarke became completely paralyzed after an accidental blow to the head, but he recovered. He started using a word processor to write in 1982.

Clarke's science-fiction is famous for its fusion of the Western scientific tradition with Eastern mysticism. His stories and novels frequently revolved around how advancing technology pushes the human race to the next stage of human evolution, often overseen by kindly, godlike aliens.

Clarke's other well known works include: "Childhood's End" (1953); "Rendezvous With Rama" (1973); and "The Fountains of Paradise" (1979).