Comments on: Sir Arthur and I

By: Steve Prowse

Steve Prowse — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:03:21 +0000

I’m really enjoying the last theorem and also wish to vale Arthur C Clarke wh bough tme many hours fo joy .

I’m fascinated by the number theory presented in the book, being a mathophobe and especially phobic of most teaching methods being a dry recitation of know facts without requiring the recipient to think would love real world courses like the ones Ranjit and Joris Vorhulst led. Any references to plain english expositions?

Collatz theory was fascinating, although it doesn’t work for 3 itself (Can’t work out why ), but was wondering if it had corollary theories, eg any odd number + 1 or even number that aren’t squares of two won’t reduce to 1. That seems what the theory is saying but wasn’t sure if my understanding was correct. Any simple english explanations out there anyone knows of?

By: David Pettus

David Pettus — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:38:57 +0000

It’s been a great many years now, but do you remember your visit to Huntsville, Alabama (I guess this must have been 1979, maybe?)at a SF convention where you were our guest of honor… and I remember walking along side you at the SPACE CENTER there, where on that particular occasion, they had a sort of replica of von Braun’s office on display there. So there we were, standing side by side, looking at this, and I said to you “He was a great man, wasn’t he?”, thinking at the time that anyone so closely associated with the space effort must surely be a science fiction writer’s hero… and your response was “HE WAS A GOD DAMNED NAZI!!”.
Well, you might not remember, but I think that I never will forget it. I didn’t take that conversation any further, but reading your commentary here regarding von Braun certainly helps me to understand your point of view.
Now that I think of it, I believe You kindly did an interview with me in 1979- at a con in Louisville- which I used in a fanzine I published titled FAN PLUS. So I guess the Huntsville event I’m talking about here must have been in 1980. In any case, it was quite a long time ago. I’ve interviewed several writers since those days, but the interview we did was, for me, the finest of them all. I’ve enjoyed your work over the years, and I do admire your accomplishments, and no doubt about it, Fred, Arthur C. Clarke couldn’t have asked a better man to collaborate on his final book. Your amazing talent. Your wide experience. Your enthusiasm for science… I’m just really glad that I did once get to meet you. THANK YOU!!!

By: JVjr

JVjr — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:30:50 +0000

Fascinating story, thanks.

A minor typo: the Boxing day tsunami was 2004, not ‘6.

By: PeeJ

PeeJ — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 02:51:37 +0000

Good heavens, what a delight! I refer to both the entry about Sir Arthur and my stumbling across your blog.

Forgive me, but I was unaware that your were still around, much less writing. I’m very much looking forward to sending you birthday greetings on your next one! As you are the exact same age as my mother, and since she seems determined to outlive me, I am sure I’ll have many more opportunities to wish you well.

I still recall the giddy feelings when, as a young boy sometime in the 60’s, I read Prelude to Space and Childhood’s End. I was surely destined for skeefee addiction in any case but Sir Arthur’s books were far from prophylactic.

Thanks, Mr. Pohl. Many times over, thanks.

By: Jo Roth

Jo Roth — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:21:24 +0000

Thank you so much for the lovely picture of sf writers. You’ve done what you threatened Asimov with: proven the disadvantages of clean living…

I’m glad you’re around because of all the sf writers I like from the golden age, at least one of them is still around. Many more years of work to you!

By: Bjo Trimble

Bjo Trimble — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 01:50:41 +0000

Dear Fred: We have not met for many years so it was a great pleasure when our daughter Jenn sent us a link to your blog. It was quite enjoyable to read about your collaboration with Sir Arthur. He was a wonderful man with whom I had a tenuous correspondence; on his side because he was so busy and on my side because I was shy of bothering such a busy man. He autographed a photo taken by Robert Heinlein of him holding a young leopard, so I have that, at least. When a friend visited Sri Lanka, our daughter Lora told him to look into Clarke’s dive school. The friend did, met Art there, and was taken out to favorite spots to dive. It was an incredible experience. I was always sorry that John and I could never take him up on an invitation to visit Sri Lanka as well. Thank you for this. No answer expected. I understand about hurting hands. Damn getting older! — Bjo

By: Soon Lee

Soon Lee — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:47:43 +0000

Thank you, sir, for sharing your experiences.

By: Allan Maurer

Allan Maurer — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:30:59 +0000

I loved THE WAY THE FUTURE WAS, and when I heard about your blog in Locus, looked forward to reading it. Both the Pohl/Kornbluth novels of the 1950s and your editing of Galaxy and IF, not to mention your occasional non-fiction, remain high on my list of good reads. Its as good as I expected and I hope you live another 89 years (c’mon, biotech, catch up with SF).
You might want to try using one of the speech recognition systems to do some writing. They’re better than they used to be.