It was a science fiction convention in New York in the ’60s. Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke were in a taxi, vigorously arguing about which of them, or Ray Bradbury, was the better writer. Finally, they came to an agreement — they would refer to themselves always alphabetically — as ABC. Gleefully, Asimov pointed out that even then, his name came first!

In a sense, this story sums up the situation of Sir Arthur C. Clarke, who died at the age of 90 in Sri Lanka, having just put the finishing touches to his last novel, a collaboration with Frederik Pohl. For much of his active writing life, Clarke was overshadowed by his great rival. While his contribution to science fiction was always recognised and acknowledged, its true scale became apparent only after Asimov’s death.

Clarke was born in Somerset in 1917, and received a first class degree in physics at King’s College. During World War II, he was a member of the team that developed the radar. Interestingly, Clarke was also the originator of the geo-stationary satellite, without which today’s communications systems are inconceivable. Clarke’s fascination with science fiction was born after reading Astounding Stories. In 1937, he wrote his first science fiction story — ‘Against The Fall Of Night’ — which was accepted after many revisions, only in 1948. With it, Clarke immediately established himself in the realm of science fiction.

Clarke poured out a prodigious number of stories and novels, including ‘The Nine Billion Names of God’ and Childhood’s End, about first contact with aliens. His short story ‘Sentinel’ formed the basis of 2001: A Space Odyssey, possibly the greatest science fiction movie ever, and the world was never the same again. In 1969, Clarke wrote NASA’s official book about the moon landing. Clarke produced science documentaries, essays, and non-fiction, after moving to Sri Lanka. Age and illness took its toll — paralysed from the waist down by a form of polio, Clarke ended his incessant travels. Forced to stop writing stories because he did not have the time, he concentrated on novels, mentoring the next generation of science fiction writers, with whom he also collaborated.

The magic of Clarke’s science lay in its compulsive fusion of hard science with wonderful writing — genuinely science fiction. His characters were believable and human, with a sense of humour and love for adventure. A little like Arthur C. Clarke himself.