Oh damn.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Arthur C. Clarke, a visionary science fiction writer who won worldwide acclaim with more than 100 books on space, science and the future, died Wednesday in his adopted home of Sri Lanka, an aide said. He was 90. [MSNBC: Sci-fi guru Arthur C. Clarke dies at 90]
His novels 2001 and 2010 were great discoveries for me in my early teens. Less so maybe 2061, and I never did get around to reading 3001. But still, I’d be lying if I didn’t say those books and some of his short stories (particularly “The Nine Billion Names of God”) influenced the way I look at the universe. Rest in peace, Sir Clarke.