Friday, April 23, 2010

Analysis of Childhood's End


Arthur c. Clarke’s “Childhood’s End” has been evaluated by most critics, because of its a combination of Science fiction and “the concept of parapsychology”. At the first Overloads were compared to Satan. Because of their appearance.In the story overloads dominate over the humans but on the other hand they were servants of Over minds which shows that no one in this universe can control other without being controlled. In the novel “childhood’s End” overloads become guardians of human species because overloads are unable to produce or invent anything creative.

 
Clarke’s most works are based on Christianity and deception. In “childhood’s end” “overloads deceive human kind from the beginning” by hiding their intentions and appearance from humans (sparknotes).

Friday, April 16, 2010

Major Works



Among Arthur C. Clarke's novels “Childhood's End” and “Space Odyssey” series are considered his best novels. In the “Childhood's End”, giant alien ships come down to the every major city in the world. After some years overloads or the aliens acquire control over the entire world. Overloads control the human race through an overload named Karellen. Overloads who took control over the earth raise the standard of living throughout the years. But after sixty more years human children develops an ability powers which allows them to telecommunicate through their minds (telepathy). Therefore children are segregated from their parents and sent them to a separate continent for their safety. Finally human race become limited to three hundred million children with powers. But when overloads decided to leave they absorb energy from the children, on the other hand children extract earth’s energy in this process. Which causes earth to explode.

"Space Odyssey" novel series consist of "2001","2010","2061" and "3001". In "2001" discovery crew uses Jupiter as a slingshot to speed up their space ship on their way to Saturn where they come across monolith which are advanced machines made by unseen creatures.
In "2010" monolith plays a huge role changing the solar system. this book considered the best of space odyssey series.
in "2061" and "3001" humans spread their popularity throughout the solar system. 



                    works cited
"2001 A Space Odyssey, 2010, 2061, 3001, Arthur C. Clarke." Index Page. Web. 16 Apr. 2010. http://www.scifidimensions.com/Dec00/2001books.htm.
"Childhood's End / Arthur C. Clarke." Tal Cohen's Bookshelf. Web. 17 Apr. 2010. http://tal.forum2.org/childhood.
"SparkNotes: 2001: A Space Odyssey: Summary." SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides. Web. 17 Apr. 2010. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/2001/summary.html.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Style and Influences

Arthur C. Clarke’s many published books were written around the central idea of “spiritual rebirth and the search for man’s place in universe”(Ajax). In his book “In Rendezvous with Rama the discussions of a research team form an allegory for the great question of the meaning of life”. In addition his works blend with “dread and wonder as they examine the search for meaning in the universe”. Arthur c. Clarke was fascinated by the outer space and he “correctly predicted that Titan would become the most important target among the moons of Saturn because of its thick hydrocarbon atmosphere” and at the same time he dismissed any “hope for life on Venus because the cloud-covered planet showed no evidence of oxygen or water”. Arthur C. Clarke’s most works were influenced by Olaf Stapledon, H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. But at the same time he’s been an influence to many astronauts including recently launched “The shuttle Endeavour” STS-123’s crew members.


Works Cited
Ajax Poller. Web. 10 Apr. 2010.

"Arthur C. Clarke." Www.kirjasto.sci.fi. Web. 10 Apr. 2010.

"SPACE.com -- Astronauts See Influence of Arthur C. Clarke, Past Crews Aboard Station." . Web. 10 Apr. 2010. .

Friday, April 2, 2010

Career

Throughout his life time Sir Arthur C. Clarke wrote more than 100 books in the field of science and his works has been translated to more than 40 languages. His first book to publish was "Rescue Party" which was written in 1945. Among his works “Childhood’s End” and Space odyssey series (2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968), 2010: ODYSSEY TWO (1982), 2061: ODYSSEY THREE (1988), 3001: THE FINAL ODYSSEY (1996)) became popular and still on continuous print.


In 1964, Arthur C. Clarke worked with the film director Stanley Kubrick and released a film version of “2001: A Space Odyssey”, even Neil Armstrong had seen “2001” movie before he became the first man on moon. Both of them were nominated for the Academy awards for their movie 2001. Then he worked with Peter Hyams to create a film version of “2010: A Space Odyssey”.


Arthur C. Clarke while he was in the Royal Air Force had worked with the first radar controlled system for landing aircrafts in bad weather. Experience gained with radar equipment led him write a technical paper which shows ““space stations” parked in circular orbit roughly 22240 miles above equator provide stationary target for transmitting signals”. This orbit officially named “Clarke orbit” by international Astronomical Union.

Arthur Clarke in his fiction “Profiles of the Future” points out three laws that govern science.
“When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.”
“The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.”
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”




Works Cited
"Arthur C. Clarke - NASA - Salon.com." Salon.com - Salon.com. Web. 03 Apr. 2010. http://www.salon.com/people/bc/2000/03/07/clarke.
The Arthur C. Clarke Foundation. Web. 02 Apr. 2010. http://www.clarkefoundation.org/acc/biography.php.
"Arthur C. Clarke." Www.kirjasto.sci.fi. Web. 03 Apr. 2010. http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/aclarke.htm.
The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Web. 03 Apr. 2010. http://www.nytimes.com.