 Sir Arthur C Clarke was famous for his science fiction writing |
He came to fame when his story, 2001: A Space Odyssey, was made into a film by director Stanley Kubrick in 1968.
Once called "the first dweller in the electronic cottage", his vision captured the popular imagination.
Sir Arthur, who was born in Minehead, Somerset, and was a radar specialist for the RAF in World War II, become a full-time writer in the 1940s.
A farmer's son
Sir Arthur's vivid - and detailed - descriptions of space shuttles, super-computers and rapid communications systems were enjoyed by millions of readers around the world.
His writings are credited by many observers with giving science fiction - a genre often accused of veering towards the fantastical - a human and practical face.
A farmer's son, he was educated at Huish's Grammar School in Taunton before joining the civil service.
