Arthur C. Clarke
Dec. 16, 1917 to Mar. 19, 2008

Arthur C. Clarke, who peered into the heavens with a homemade telescope as a boy and grew up to become a visionary titan of science-fiction writing and collaborated with director Stanley Kubrick on the landmark film "2001: A Space Odyssey," has died. He was 90.

The knighted British-born writer died early Wednesday (March 19) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where he had made his home for decades, after experiencing a cardio-respiratory attack.

Clarke wrote scores of fiction and nonfiction books (some in collaboration) and more than 100 short stories -- as well as hundreds of articles and essays. Among his best-known science-fiction novels are "Childhood's End," "Rendezvous With Rama," "Imperial Earth" and "2001: A Space Odyssey."

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(Arthur C. Clarke photo courtesy of Marc Kaufman, McClatchey Tribune)