Arthur Clark: bibliography and rating books

On the works of Arthur Clark, several generations of not only readers, but also authors who write in the genre of science fiction, have grown up. His works were a kind of prediction of events or technologies.

Thus, Arthur C. Clarke foresaw the creation of radar to detect flying objects, flights to the moon, permanent satellites in the Earth's orbit, the creation of computers, the Internet and much more.

Biography of the writer

During his long life this great man left a mark not only in literature, but also in science and technology. Arthur Clark, whose biography began on 16.12.1917 in Somerset County, England, where he was born in the city of Mainhead, ended March 19, 2008 in Sri Lanka.

During the Second World War, he was one of the developers of the navigation system for flying in adverse weather conditions, and his first novel was devoted to this time.

After the war, Arthur Clarke, with the rank of Lieutenant of the Royal Air Force, graduated cum laude from King's College in London, specializing in physics and mathematics.

Back in 1945, as a member of the interplanetary society of Britain, the writer proposed the idea of creating a single system of space stations in the orbit of the planet to create a global telecommunications system. He even wrote several popular science articles and books about this, detailing the technical side of the project.

After the geostationary orbit was created at 36,000 km above sea level, she was given the name of Arthur Clark in recognition of his contribution to this achievement.

From 1956 until his death Arthur Clark resided in Sri Lanka, where he obtained citizenship, and where most of his science-fiction cycles and novels were written. Clark's last works because of his illness were created in collaboration with other writers, which makes them no less interesting than his independent works.

The creative period of 1951-1961

In the period from 1951 to 1961, Arthur Clark, whose bibliography includes 22 separate novels, 3 cycles and 4 screen versions of his books, were written works that made him famous in the world of science fiction lovers .

The novel "Prelude to Space" (1951) became a harbinger of the first launches of satellites and people into space. In his characteristic manner, the writer speaks in simple and accessible language of such unfamiliar things for his contemporaries as the technical equipment of the spacecraft and the principles of its flights.

The book is based on the fictitious history of the ship "Prometheus", whose mission was to fly to the moon. This work became the propaganda of space flights. The first satellite launched in the USSR was able to overcome the earth's gravity only in 1957, and the landing of Apollo on the Moon occurred in 1969. The novel "Prelude to Space" can be considered one of the predictions by which Arthur Clark was famous.

Published in the same year, the novel "Sands of Mars" provide readers with the prospect of not only space flights, but also the development of other planets.

The most unexpected novel in this period is Clarke's first major work, The End of Childhood (1953), in which he extends the readers' consciousness to the idea that mankind is no longer alone in the vast universe.

"Moonfire" (1961) is not only one of the best novels of this creative period of the writer, but also the nominee of the Hugo Award. The work tells about the lunar settlement and the threats that the earthly satellite can present to people.

The "Space Odyssey 2001" cycle

When Arthur Clark (photo of the author at work) wrote his novel "Space Odyssey 2001" in 1968, the 21st century seemed unimaginably distant.

But today the idea of a novel about an experiment on a planet Earth of 3 million years is still relevant.

Disputes about the origin of life on the planet do not stop, the wording "cosmic intelligence" has become firmly established, and interplanetary flights are only a matter of time.

As always, Clark anticipated many of his generation's ideas and voiced questions that scientists around the world are now looking for answers to. The cycle, begun in 1968, was completed in 1997. It includes 4 novels dedicated to the journey of earthlings in search of extraterrestrial intelligence.

For this work, Stanley Kubrick made a film that has become a cult in this genre. Thanks to the talent of the British director and the special effects that they used to create the film, the film even in the age of digital technologies looks in one breath, more perceived as a documentary chronicle of the flight of people to Jupiter and their opposition to the "rebellious" computer mind.

Cycle "Rama"

The cycle "Rama" was created for 20 years (1973-1993), and the novel "Rendezvous with Rama" is considered the most significant of what Arthur Clarke wrote for his life. The rating of the books of the writer invariably includes this work. He brought the writer the award Nebula, Hugo and the British Science Fiction Association.

The plot is based on the story of the creation of a space patrol, which "hunts" for asteroids that threatened life on Earth. Among the asteroids, an object was found that had a regular cylindrical shape and kept its course toward the Sun.

After landing on an unusual ship, people found there conditions suitable for human survival and even the sea with inhabitants and vegetation on its shore. As you move toward the Sun, the robots "wake up" on the ship to support its life support.

The main theme of the novel is whether humanity is ready to meet with extraterrestrial intelligence or fear, aggression and misunderstanding of the laws of the universe will leave people within their Solar system.

The Odyssey of Time cycle

The brightest novel of the cycle - "The Storm on the Sun" (2005) - was written in co-authorship with Stephen Baxter. This novel is a catastrophe, narrating about a possible cataclysm and complete destruction of the Earth due to the strongest storm on the Sun.

She was warned by the returning astronaut Baisez Dutt, who returned from the flight. She visited a world where there are no temporary divisions and in which the Firstborns rule, who want to destroy Earthlings and their planet.

An exciting plot makes readers worry about the fate of mankind, which, as often happens, depends on the actions or omissions of individuals.

Works of the 70-80-ies

Despite his illness (poliomyelitis diagnosed back in the 60's), Clark continues to write intensively and make readers happy with her talent.

Among the works of this period:

• "Dolphin Island" - the novel is devoted to the actual idea of the "reasonable" origin of dolphins and the possibility of their communication with a person.
• "Songs of the distant Earth" are dedicated to the lost humanity, which was destroyed by the Sun. Due to the fact that scientists knew about this in advance, in the depths of space in search of a suitable cradle for the new humanity was sent a ship with samples of the entire flora, the planet's fauna and embryos of people. The planet Talassa came up to its parameters for the future colony of earthlings, and the robots did all the necessary work for its colonization.
• The collection "Cradle in orbit" includes stories and stories by Arthur Clark from different years.

In his characteristic positive manner, Arthur C. Clarke, whose reviews on the books of the public are always only the most enthusiastic, in his works a red thread holds the theme that humanity deserves to live and conquer the universe.

Works of the 90s

The brightest and last independent creation of Arthur Clark was a novel-catastrophe "The Hammer of the Lord," written in 1993.

The writer's illness progressed, and he began to move around in a wheelchair, but he did not stop active activities, both writers and public.

The novel is devoted to the actual theme of the end of the world, which most often the media associated with the fall of the asteroid to Earth.

Merit of the writer

"Fantasy No. 1" - that's what Arthur Clark is called so far. His works are reprinted, films are shot on them, and the writer himself became not only a laureate of prestigious literary prizes, but also was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.