He is known to most as a great science fiction author; the most famous of his works being 2001: A Space Odyssey – the film based upon his short story The Sentinel.

The author of more than 100 books was not just a writer; he was a science visionary.
During the Second World War, he worked on the development of radar which was instrumental in the success of the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain.

After the war, Clarke was involved with the British Interplanetary Society, where he proposed the idea that satellites in geostationary orbit would make ideal platforms for long-distance telecommunication.

In recognition of his contribution to this concept, the geostationary orbit, 36,000 kilometres above the equator, is officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union as a “Clarke Orbit”.

Clarke was married in 1953 and divorced in 1964. He has no children.