Arthur C. Clarke Dies
Posted by: Loren Coleman on March 18th, 2008
An Associated Press News Alert confirms that science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke has died in Sri Lanka at the age of 90. Rohan De Silva says Clarke died early Wednesday, March 19, 2008 (local time) after suffering from breathing problems.
Clarke was born Arthur Charles Clarke on 16 December 1917. He was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, most famous for his novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, and for collaborating with director Stanley Kubrick on the film of the same name.
Tributes and mainstream obituaries will not be difficult to find about Clarke in the coming hours and days. In terms of cryptozoology, his 1980 television program Arthur C. Clarke’s Mysterious World carried various individual episodes on cryptids.
The following episodes centered or touched on cryptozoological subject matter:
1. The Journey Begins – September 2, 1980
2. Monsters of the Deep – September 9, 1980
4. The Missing Apeman – September 23, 1980
6. Monsters of the Lakes – October 7, 1980
11. Dragons, Dinosaurs and Giant Snakes – November 11, 1980
13. Clarke’s Cabinet of Curiosities – November 25, 1980
The program on “Giant Snakes” is remembered in cryptozoology circles for images shown so widely for the first time of a large snake photographed from the air.
Photo of a giant snake observed in Congo during a helicopter flight. Col. Remy van Lierde estimated it was 50 feet in length.
Dr. Roy Mackal and James Powell show an illustration of a sauropod, the dinosaur with similar features to those attributed to the N’yamala (Mokele-mbembe).
Jack Ruttan’s drawing of a Mysterious World youthful Arthur C. Clarke.
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
He lived a full life. I will always link him to that crystal skull.
How very very sad. I love Clarke’s fiction, and Mysterious World has always been a favorite show of mine. The world, and I will miss Arthur C. Clarke.
I still cannot believe it. I really thougt the man would live to be 100. Maybe even 200, just to mock his good old friend and rival Asimov!
Rest in Peace.
moment of silence…rest well…
Sad day
Clarks words both written and spoken helped me along the path I am still on.
His was but one voice of many. Yet his stood out.
I will miss him.
I am glad i knew him.
im deeply sadden to hear that arther c. clarke passed away. thanks bill 🙁
RIP Arthur C. Clarke. He still had a ‘good innings’ as we say.
It is indeed a sad day for the world. A person who in my mind almost single handedly expressed man’s quest for the future, space, who are we?, and “What’s out there? with 2001. I wish they would put his TV series back on.
“Somewhere in me is a curiosity sensor. I want to know what’s over the next hill. You know, people can live longer without food than without information. Without information, you’d go crazy.”
– A.C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke’s “2001: Space Odyssey” is my favorite movie, along with its 2010 sequel.
A genuine thinker, scientist, philosopher and conceptualist – Thanx for all the ideas, Arthur.
R.I.P.
R.I.P., Mr. Clarke.
He finally made his RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA.
This was very shocking news. I love science fiction and he was one of my favorite authors ever. Some of the things he wrote about were way before their time, and it is also interesting how many technological advances have come to fruition that he thought up long before. May he rest in peace.
i can only (weakly) echo all the sentiments better stated before by everyone herein.
suffice to say, for me personally, Clarke was a huge influence on my not only wanting to write fiction, but also examine the world around me not with skeptical eyes, but (to deliberately mis-quote a collaborator with whom he made the classic 2001: A SPACE ODDYSEY) with my EYES WIDE OPEN (not shut!).
i’m feeling really old, suddenly. all the Greats are passing before i’m ready to say good-bye to my youth. i guess that’s the way of it, though. ;\