Page 2 of 2Most of Arthur C. Clarke's writing, of course, wasn't about science or technology - but in science fiction. When I was young, he - along with Isaac Asimov - were the twin pillars of that genre: together, they shared the throne that H. G Wells had vacated.

The two masters enjoyed a good relationshipe. They established the "Asimov-Clarke treaty," according to which Asimov agreed that Clarke was the best science fiction writer in the world, while Clarke concurred that Asimov was the best science writer in the world. And, naturally, it carried to state that Clarke was the second-best science writer; with Asimove the second-best science fiction author.

Arthur C. Clarke's seminal science fiction work has to be 2001: A Space Odyssey. I read the book before seeing the film. In the cinema, I was disappointed that we headed for Jupiter rather than Saturn (the graphics of the time couldn't cope with the rings!) - but I was at least primed with the meaning of the film's surreal ending!

But the story that moved me most was Childhood's End, the tale of how humanity changes when the aliens arrive on Earth. It was apparently penned when Arthur C. Clarke was interested in the paranormal. But it's also inspired by the works of Arthur's own childhood sci-fi author, Olaf Stapledon. His book, Last and First Men isn't a particularly easy read by today's standards, but it sets out the entire future of intelligent life on a scale that's positively Wagnerian!

Reading the obituaries this week, one particular thought has struck me. All too often, we read an appreciation of the life of someone who's been in the public eye; then their life is left behind, becoming less and less relevant.

With Arthur's great works of science fiction, and his visionary view of science fact, I'm convinced that the memory of Arthur C. Clarke will not fade for a long time to come.