RIP Arthur C. Clarke

[canadian]

He's gone. Damn.

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/347466

[Ed]

Oh, that's a shame, but at the same time, what a life - what a contribution he made. Seemed like a wonderful human being

[Geoff_N]

Although I'd not met Sir Arthur, his so-Britishness, even though he'd
lived on Sri Lanka since 1956, makes his loss feel personal for me.
I've related some anecdote about him that scifi publishing friends
have told me & will appear in Escape Velocity issue #3, but I'll
give you one that is nowhere else in print.

You see, my postman here in Chester, UK, five years ago bashed on my
door to deliver a box of books. He joked about 'are you a writer or
something?' Haven't we all been there? Hah. So I opened the box and
offered him a good deal on my first published novel. He declined
saying he only read science fiction. It turns out that my postie ran
the region's science fiction book club for over 40 years, took his
annual holiday leave to take his family to World Con, and had met
Arthur C Clarke several times, including in Sri Lanka. I wasn't sure
how much to believe him. Next box of books, he came with postcards
and handwritten letters from Arthur. He really did know him. That
postman now delivers my science fiction mags to Chester scifi
bookclub members!

So, next time your postman calls, look at him sideways and wonder
what iconic people he or she may know...

Adventure Books of Seattle will be at Norwescon in Seattle March 20 -
23. Look out for Cafe Doom member, Robert Blevins, my co-editor of Escape Velocity mag,
and shake his hand for me please.

Geoff