Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (CBE, FRS) (16 December 1917 – 19 March 2008) was a British science fiction and science fiction writer, futurist, inventor, ocean explorer, and television series host.
He co-wrote the screenplay for the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, one of the most influential films of all time. Clarke was a science writer and popularizer with a passion for space travel and a distinguished futurist. He wrote more than ten books and numerous articles for renowned magazines. In 1961, he received the Kalinga Prize, a UNESCO award for the popularization of science. Clarke’s writings on science and science fiction have earned him the title of “Prophet of the Space Age.” His science fiction writings, in particular, have earned him several Hugo and Nebula Awards, and as a result, and with a large readership, he has become one of the leading figures in the genre. For many years, Clarke, Robert Heinlein, and Isaac Asimov were known as the “Big Three” of science fiction.