One of science fiction’s brightest luminaries rotates slowly towards the light at the end of the tunnel today, Arthur C Clarke passing away in his home in Sri Lanka this morning. Obviously most famous for his novel The Sentinel, transformed for film into the lauded 2001: A Space Odyssey. Upon reading about Clarke this morning, I discovered many tangents between his life and mine. Clarke was born on December 16, as was I. He studied at King’s College London, as did I. He was chairman of the British Interplanetary Society, whose office is across the road from mine, and whose bin padge adorns my monitor. Small coincidences that spurred me to write this post, and accompany it with some songs about space. I guess there is something about the cosmos that inspires art of all forms. As a concept it is pure fiction and fantasy: an infinite blank canvas for creatives to work their magic. Clarke leaves this world with stories of higher intelligence, futures yet to be realised, robots ruling humans. A true literary giant passes. R.I.P.

My Morning Jacket - Rocket Man (Elton John Cover)

Viva Voce - When Planets Collide
David Bowie - Space Oddity