Ascent to Orbit: A Scientific Autobiography: The Technical Writings of Author C. Clarke

by Arthur C. Clarke

This collection of twenty-five articles chronologically traces Clarke's thinking on the beginnings of satellite communication, rockets, space flight, and strategies for interstellar robot probes

Genres: Science, Biography

226 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Stories, works of noted British writer, scientist, and underwater explorer Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, include 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

This most important and influential figure in 20th century fiction spent the first half of his life in England and served in World War II as a radar operator before migrating to Ceylon in 1956. He co-created his best known novel and movie with the assistance of Stanley Kubrick.

Clarke, a graduate of King's College, London, obtained first class honours in physics and mathematics. He served as past chairman of the interplanetary society and as a member of the academy of astronautics, the royal astronomical society, and many other organizations.

He authored more than fifty books and won his numerous awards: the Kalinga prize of 1961, the American association for the advancement Westinghouse prize, the Bradford Washburn award, and the John W. Campbell award for his novel Rendezvous with Rama. Clarke also won the nebula award of the fiction of America in 1972, 1974 and 1979, the Hugo award of the world fiction convention in 1974 and 1980. In 1986, he stood as grand master of the fiction of America. The queen knighted him as the commander of the British Empire in 1989.

Reviews

[Jack Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many know Arthur C.Clarke as a very successful science fiction writer but many don't know that this man
is also a very distinguished scientist.
Very Interesting career as outlined in his Scientific writings and autobiography.
Library book sale find.

[James Francis McEnanly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur C. Clarke is best known for his Science Fiction, notably 2001: A Space Odyssey. He is also known for his engineering writing. This book is a collection of those works

[John Maynard]

From a great and historic age, this book contains works from the pre-space flight era. Beginning with critique of early speculation, the book documents the musings and formulae behind Clarke's developments in space flight, including Geostationary satellites. A practical demonstration of this science fiction writers remarkable Vision .