My God, the obits today are full of stars. Celebrated author and science-fiction legend Arthur C. Clarke died today at his Sri Lanka home from apparent breathing problems. He was 90.

For the literary and film communities, Clarke's death is a sad occasion. In novels like "Rendezvous with Rama," "Childhood's End," and, especially, "2001: A Space Odyssey" (which he co-wrote with director Stanley Kubrick), Clarke found ways to elevate the genre - to transcend its pulp origins from trade-stand paperbacks to literary works of art. His novels were about aliens, yes, and mysterious visitors or inscrutable monoliths, but they were always more about the mystery inside than they were about the mysteries outside. He wrote of transformation and renewal, of evolutionary progress in the face of inhumanity. And he will be missed. Read more...