Childhood’s End: Arthur C. Clarke, Dead at 90

Arthur C. Clarke died:

Famed science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke will be buried Saturday in his adopted country of Sri Lanka in a secular funeral according to his wishes, a spokesman said Thursday. “It will be a secular, simple funeral and there will be no speeches,” said Clarke’s aide Nalaka Gunawardena. Clarke who died at the age of 90 on Wednesday had left written instructions that no religious rites of any faith should be associated with his funeral. He will be buried at Colombo’s general cemetery in a plot owned by his friend and diving company partner with whom the writer lived for decades, Gunawardena said. Fred Clarke, his brother, had arrived in the island to participate in the funeral, the aide added.

How did he die?

Since 1995, the author had been largely confined to a wheelchair by post-polio syndrome. He died of respiratory complications and heart failure, according to his aide, Rohan De Silva.

You can get a list of his books here.  You can read about some of his predictions for the “future” here.  I suppose most people thought he was already dead.  He will be missed.