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.