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My Arthur C. Clarke memory
01/04/2008 . Source: Mark R. Leeper 
There are probably few readers of this notice who do not know that Sir Arthur C. Clarke died in Sri Lanka recently, says Mark. He has seen Heinlein die and Asimov die. Clarke was the last of the three writers he grew up thinking of as the giants. But he felt he had a special connection to Clarke. Buy Arthur C. Clarke in the USA - or Buy Arthur C. Clarke in the UK  I was a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts back in the spring of 1970. Evelyn and I were members of the UMass Science Fiction Club. In fact, our second date was to see the film 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, so the film holds very fond memories for us. In any case, this was a few months later and the Science Fiction Club got an invitation from the school's Distinguished Visitors Program.
It seems that they were going to have Arthur C. Clarke visit the campus and give a speech at the Student Union. Beforehand that there was be a dinner for him. We were asked would the club like to send some people to the dinner they asked? Evelyn and I were among a group of five chosen to attend the dinner.
At the dinner Clarke was polite and cordial, but perhaps not greatly enthusiastic as he talked mostly about science and about diving. He produced two coins he had found on the sea floor when he dived. None of us from the science fiction club were doing much to enter into the conversation. Eventually I decided that it would be a missed opportunity if I did not bring up the subject of science fiction at least temporarily.
So I asked about his science fiction; I do not remember exactly what. And it was a lot like the sun had came out from behind a rain cloud. Suddenly the conversation had drifted to what clearly was his favorite subject. His talking speeded up and became much more animated. He talked about how Isaac Asimov had said he would not be writing any more science fiction because he did find that it was worthwhile.
He said that he, on the other hand, found nothing but science fiction worthwhile writing about. It was pretty much a three-way conversation with him, Evelyn, and me. And that seemed to be just how everybody in the room liked it, especially Clarke himself. It was great in spite of the fact that I could not make my mouth say "CHILDHOOD'S END". I two or three times said, "CHILDSHOOD END." Clarke pretended not to notice.
When the dinner was over the organizer asked if I would be willing to keep Dr. Clarke company in the preparation room while he awaited the time of his speech. There are occasions when the word "yes", while it conveys the idea, still seems somehow insufficient. However, it was the word I used. We had a good conversation in the small room with just the two of us waiting for him to be called to the stage. In fact it is probably the best conversation I think I have ever had with any well-known science fiction writer. I wish I could remember what all we talked about.
When Clarke gave his speech I had a seat behind him on the dais. I think we still have the front page of the University of Massachusetts the next day that had a picture of him giving the speech with me in the background. But even then it was not over. The University was to drive Dr. Clarke to an interview at a local radio station and then to the airport. Again there was the question of who could keep him company that he could talk to. And Evelyn and I could talk about science fiction. It was the first, last, and only time that I ever skipped a scheduled class in college. (It was my favorite class, too. It was a problem solving colloquium that was a preparation for the Putnam Mathematics Exam.
I got the professor's permission.) Clarke and I talked about science fiction films. I remember I had not long before seen QUATERMASS AND THE PIT and loved that film. I mentioned it to Clarke and he said he had never heard of it. I still find that strange because he was English and it seems strange that an English science fiction fan would not know Quatermass. Quatermass has considerably more name recognition in England than it did in the United States. The original 1950s broadcasts became real media events. Eventually it had to end and the four of us--Evelyn, me, Clarke, and the driver--went to Bradley Field Airport for Clarke's plane.
Clarke was the real thing. He was a scientist and a science fiction writer. The synchronous satellite was his idea, so he changed the world. His interest in science fiction lasted him his entire life. He became the "Grand Old Man of Science Fiction" by outliving both Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov by 20 and 16 years respectively. He had been the foundation of my most optimistic views of the future with novels like ISLANDS IN THE SKY, AGAINST THE FALL OF NIGHT, EARTHLIGHT, THE DEEP RANGE, A FALL OF MOONDUST (a personal favorite), and RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA. These are probably what I consider his first-rank novels. Of them only RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA was published after I met him. But he was always a class act.
So what did I learn from Clarke? At the dinner Clarke had produced some coins he had found skindiving on the sea floor. And he was showing them to others. The real joy was finding the coins, but it was not enough to just find them, he got the additional pleasure of sharing his exciting find with others. He was a man who spent his life chasing wonder, finding it, and then showing it to others so they could appreciate it--not appreciate it at the same level he could, but there was enough spark there to share. The pursuit of wonder may not seem to have that much useful value. Our society values the practical and the short-term gain. This was a man who knew the value of wonder.
I think that when we lost Clarke we lost one of the great ones.
Mark Leeper
(c) Mark R. Leeper 2008
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