In Memoriam: Arthur C. Clarke 1917 - 2008

Although Sir Arthur C. Clarke never publicly acknowledged being gay, he was widely believed to be. His typical answer to reporters who would ask him if he was gay was, "No, merely mildly cheerful." I choose to believe that we can and should count this giant in the realm of science fiction as one of our own. Gay men of his generation learned to never disclose details of their private lives. Although Clarke may not have been as open as his contemporary Quentin Crisp, the impact of his writings on human life has been profound. Not only has his science fiction inspired generations of authors, screen writers, directors, and game developers, but it can also be argued that through his scientific papers detailing a system of geosynchronous communication satellites, he launched the space race and enabled a technology that eventually brought us into the information age.