Hugo & Nebula Awards: Best Novels discussion

The first author to feature in this folder will be a renowned writer who needs no introduction, Sir Arthur C. Clarke. For years he's shared the glamorous title of "The Big Three" of science fiction with none other than Robert A. Heinlein and Isaac Asimov.

Clarke was born in Minehead, Somerset, England, and spent his childhood on a farm, where he enjoyed stargazing, fossil collecting, and reading American science fiction pulp magazines, later he attributed his interest in science fiction to reading three items: the November 1928 issue of Amazing Stories in 1929; Anthology: Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon in 1930; and The Conquest of Space: by David Lasser in 1931.

After having devoted nearly six years to the Royal Air Force, first as a pilot and later on as a radar specialist involved in creation of an early-warning radar system, he moved to London. There he attained a degree in mathematics and physics with highest honors. His publishing of papers on geostationary satellites and their potential for wireless relay points proved to be an important enough contribution for geostationary orbit above the equator to be named the Clarke Orbit. Arthur C. Clarke emigrated to Sri Lanka in 1956 pursuing his passion for scuba diving, where he remained until his death(aged 90) on March 19th, 2008.

Rescue Party was the first of his works that sold, published in Astounding Science Fiction in 1946. Following it with his first big success Against the Fall of Night 1948, which he later revised and published as a novel in 1953, the same novel which on third revision became The City and the Stars in 1956. The same year Childhood's End came out, cementing his popularity.

In 1948 Clarke wrote a short story The Sentinel for a BBC competition, one that would later become the basis for 2001: A Space Odyssey, arguably the work he is the most famous for and would grow into a series of four novels and two motion pictures.

Clarke's recurring themes are space exploration, with somewhat of a hopeful outlook on society which is governed by advanced technology and the evolution of an intelligent species, one which would eventually make them something close to gods.

Clarke was awarded a multitude of various awards and honors throughout his career, ranging from UNESCO prize for popularization of science fiction to knighthood bestowed upon him in 2000.

The first Hugo he won was for a short story The Star in 1956, later followed by a Nebula win of a novella named A Meeting With Medusa, the same year he won a Nebula for Rendezvous with Rama and a Hugo a year later.

His works featured on our bookshelves and the links to respective discussion threads are:

1954 - Childhood's End Retro Hugo Nominee (No Spoilers / Spoilers)
1963 - A Fall of Moondust - Hugo Nominee
1974 - Rendezvous with Rama - Hugo & Nebula Winner (No Spoilers / Spoilers)
1980 - The Fountains of Paradise - Hugo & Nebula Winner
1983 - 2010: Odyssey Two Hugo Nominee Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke (No Spoilers / Spoilers)

Some of Clarke's most well-known quotes include:

- "Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying."

- "How inappropriate to call this planet 'Earth', when it is clearly 'Ocean'."

- "..science fiction is something that could happen - but usually you wouldn't want it to. Fantasy is something that couldn't happen - though often you only wish that it could."

- "Reading computer manuals without the hardware is as frustrating as reading sex manuals without the software."

Besides his most famous quotes, one of my favourites is:

"I don't believe in astrology; I'm a Sagittarius and we're skeptical."

Never fails to crack me up.

An interesting interview of Clarke predicting satellite communication.

Part 1 - https://youtu.be/KT_8-pjuctM
Part 2 - https://youtu.be/XosYXxwFPkg

This is really interesting, Art. Sometime I might try to write one, maybe on Heinlein, or maybe on my other fave, Lois McMaster Bujold. Are you going to do one on Frank Herbert?

An interesting piece of info regarding the award named in Arthur C. Clarke's honor.

The Arthur C. Clarke Award is a British award given for the best science fiction novel.

The winner receives an engraved bookend and a prize consisting of a number of pounds sterling equal to the current year, such as £2019 for the year 2019.

Art wrote: "The winner receives an engraved bookend and a prize consisting of a number of pounds sterling equal to the current year, such as £2019 for the year 2019. "

They look forward to year 1`000`000 AD I guess :) tough futurism

Rendezvous with Rama is another of my all time favorite books. 2001: A Space Odyssey seems to get the first accolades in general when people are discussing Clarke, and I love it as well, but Rama really blew my mind when I first read it. It was the kind of book that made a younger me want to board the next spaceship that mysteriously appears in our solar system and go exploring. (because this happens so often, am i right?)

Overall I enjoyed more or less every novel that I've read by Clarke, but Rama for me takes the cake.

Arthur C. Clarke emigrated to Sri Lanka in 1956 pursuing his passion for scuba diving ... and also getting away from British anti-homosexuality laws.

He didn't discuss his sexuality in public, which is fine, but I wish I had known while growing up. I enjoyed his books, and I needed more public figures to look up to.

Thanks for the info, Ed. Come to think of it, his books feature many bisexual characters. Now I remember that there was also an old gay couple in one of the Odysseys too, can't recall which one.

Art wrote: "For years he's shared the glamorous title of "The Big Three" of science fiction with none other than Robert A. Heinlein and Isaac Asimov."

I'm glad you started a topic on Clarke. He has long been a favorite for me. I wonder if when the term "The Big Three" first arose--presumably it was the 1950s--they were for the most part equal in stature or prestige? Some time has now passed since their demises. Assuming they were once equal, are they today, or is the reputation of one or two of them rising while the other wanes?

I recently bought a science fiction collection Clarke wrote. I think I picked it up off eBay for under $5 including shipping: Expedition To Earth. It has eleven short stories, none of which look that short. Your starting this topic has caused me to move it to the top of my TBR pile.

That brings up my second question regarding "the big three." Were any of them better short story writers than novelists, or vice versa? I've always regarded Clarke as a better short story writer, maybe because I perceived weaknesses in Childhood's End that I just don't find in his short stories.

Dan wrote: "I wonder if when the term "The Big Three" first arose--presumably it was the 1950s--they were for the most part equal in stature or prestige?"

The best I could learn about the whole ordeal is that Carl Freedman used this term in his Critical Theory and Science Fiction, not sure if he is the one who coined the phrase.

Dan wrote: "I've always regarded Clarke as a better short story writer, maybe because I perceived weaknesses in Childhood's End that I just don't find in his short stories"

To me Clarke's ideas were powerful enough for a novellette or a novella, but in a full-length novella it just feels watered down somewhat. I loved everything I've read by Clarke, including all the Odyssey sequels though to be honest there was very little going on in the last two books of the series. Read precious few of his shorts to make up any opinion on that.