Thank you, Mr. Clarke

I began avidly reading Science Fiction when I was about 11 or 12 years old. I remember visiting the Hyde Park Free Library with my mother, and discovering the wonders of Isaac Azimov, A.E. van Vogt, Robert Heinlein, and of course, Arthur C. Clarke. One of my earliest Sci-Fi memories is of devouring Clarke's Tales from the White Hart, a series of stories that blended real science with tall tales related by denizens of an English pub. Over the years, I wolfed down many more of Clarke's writings, both fact and fiction, and was always amazed by the blend of science and wonder that he wove into everything that he wrote.

My favorite Clarke book is the novel "Childhood's End". In it, Clarke looks to the eventual evolution of the human species to something that transcends mere matter and time. I would like to think that Arthur has now made that leap himself, and hope that his benevolent face is peering down on us, like the final scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Thank you, Mr. Clarke.