Home / Authors / Arthur C. Clarke

Arthur C. Clarke

Arthur C. Clarke Quotes

Film writer

Arthur C. Clarke was a British science fiction author, writer, and science popularizer. Known for his science fiction novels and predictions about future technology, his most famous works include '2001: A Space Odyssey' and 'Rendezvous with Rama'. Clarke's science fiction novels are not only literarily valuable but also had a profound impact on science fiction films and television.

Filter quotes by topic

All Men Space Science May Ifs Universe Science Fiction World Earth Long Mind Technology Thinking Stars Wells Has Beens Knows People Religion Stills

Famous Arthur C. Clarke Quotes

“If the house is to be demolished tomorrow anyhow, people seem to feel, we may as well burn the furniture today. None of our problems are insoluble... But it seems clear that to prevail we humans will have to act with a smartness and selflessness that has so far eluded us during our long and tangled history.”

People Ifs Feels Humans Wells May Long Problem Seems Today House Clear Tomorrow Selflessness Furniture Tangled Smartness

Author:Arthur C. Clarke

“I've been saying for a long time that I'm hoping to find intelligent life in Washington.”

Long Long Time Intelligent Intelligent Life

Author:Arthur C. Clarke

“We over estimate technology in the short term and under estimate technology in the long term.”

Long Term Technology Long Term Short Term

Author:Arthur C. Clarke

“The West needs to relearn what the rest of the world has never forgotten - that there is nothing sinful in leisure as long as it does not degenerate into mere sloth.”

World Needs Long Doe Mere West Forgotten Leisure Sloth Degenerates

Author:Arthur C. Clarke

“. . . the newspapers of Utopia, he had long ago decided, would be terribly dull.”

Long Would Be Decided Newspapers Dull Long Ago Utopia

Book:2001: A Space Odyssey

Source: 2001: A Space Odyssey

“The creation of wealth is certainly not to be despised, but in the long run the only human activities really worthwhile are the search for knowledge, and the creation of beauty. This is beyond argument, the only point of debate is which comes first.”

Firsts Humans Long Running Wealth Creation Activity Argument Debate Worthwhile Long Runs Despised Human Activity Search For Knowledge

Book:Profiles Of The Future

Source: Profiles Of The Future

“If we have learned one thing from the history of invention and discovery, it is that, in the long run-and often in the short one-the most daring prophecies seem laughably conservative.”

Ifs Long Seems Running Science One Thing Discovery Conservative Invention Programming Daring Long Runs Prophecy Discovery And Invention

Book:the Promise of Space

Source: the Promise of Space

“It is not easy to see how the more extreme forms of nationalism can long survive when men have seen the Earth in its true perspective as a single small globe against the stars.”

Men Long Earth Form Stars Easy Perspective Extremes Patriotism Nationalism Patriotic Globes Patriotism And Nationalism True Patriotism

Author:Arthur C. Clarke

“There is a special sadness in achievement, in the knowledge that a long-desired goal has been attained at last, and that life must now be shaped toward new ends.”

Writing Long Has Beens Ends Lasts Hope Goal Sadness Special Achievement Ambition

Author:Arthur C. Clarke

“I can never look now at the Milky Way without wondering from which of those banked clouds of stars the emissaries are coming. If you will pardon so commonplace a simile, we have set off the fire alarm and have nothing to do but to wait. I do not think we will have to wait for long.”

Ifs Thinking Way Looks Long I Can Stars Waiting Wonder Fire Clouds Simile Pardon Commonplace Alarms Milky Way

Book:Expedition to Earth

Source: Expedition to Earth

“When I start on a book, I have been thinking about it and making occasional notes for some time... So I have lots of theme, locale, subjects and technical ideas... I don't worry about long periods of not doing anything. I know my subconscious is busy.”

Thinking Knows Long Has Beens Book Ideas Worry Subjects Periods Notes Busy Theme Subconscious Occasional

Author:Arthur C. Clarke

“The choice, as Wells once said, is the Universe-or nothing. . . . The challenge of the great spaces between the worlds is a stupendous one; but if we fail to meet it, the story of our race will be drawing to its close. Humanity will have turned its back upon the still untrodden heights and will be descending again the long slope that stretches, across a thousand million years of time, down to the shores of the primeval sea.”

“Many, and some of the most pressing, of our terrestrial problems can be solved only by going into space. Long before it was a vanishing commodity, the wilderness as the preservation of the world was proclaimed by Thoreau. In the new wilderness of the Solar System may lie the future preservation of mankind.”

World May Long Problem Lying Space Mankind Future Wilderness Commodity Predictions Preservation Solar System Vanishing

Author:Arthur C. Clarke

“Before the current decade ends, fee-paying passengers will be experiencing suborbital flights aboard privately funded vehicles. . . . It won't be too long before bright young men and women set their eyes on careers in Earth orbit and say: "I want to work 200 kilometers from home-straight up!"”

Men Want Long Ends Home Eye Earth Young Careers Future Men And Women Currents Decades Flight Young Man Vehicle Predictions Passengers Fees Orbit Straight Up

Author:Arthur C. Clarke

“I think in the long run the money that s been put into the space program is one of the best investments this country has ever made . . .This is a downpayment on the future of mankind. It's as simple as that.”

Thinking Long Made Country Running Simple Space Mankind Program Investment Long Runs Apollo Star Gazing Best Investment Space Program Future Of Mankind

Author:Arthur C. Clarke

“In the long run, there are no secrets. in science. The universe will not cooperate in a cover-up.”

Long Running Universe Secret Long Runs Cover Ups

Book:The Trigger

Source: The Trigger

“If man survives for as long as the least successful of the dinosaurs-those creatures whom we often deride as nature's failures-then we may be certain of this: for all but a vanishingly brief instant near the dawn of history, the word 'ship' will mean- 'spaceship.'”

Ifs Men May Mean Long Certain Successful Walking Moon Creatures Ships Dawn Instant Dinosaurs Star Gazing Spaceships

Author:Arthur C. Clarke

About the Author

Born: December 16, 1917
Died: March 19, 2008
Known for: Film writer
Quotes: 307

Related Topics

Men Space Science May Ifs Universe Science Fiction World Earth Long Mind Technology Thinking Stars Wells Has Beens Knows People Religion Stills

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

2001: A Space OdysseyRelated source material

Childhood’s EndRelated source material

2010: Odyssey TwoRelated source material

Rendezvous With RamaRelated source material

Profiles Of The FutureRelated source material

The Light of Other DaysRelated source material

3001: The Final OdysseyRelated source material

The City and the StarsRelated source material

Voices from the SkyRelated source material

2061: Odyssey ThreeRelated source material

Similar Authors

Neil deGrasse TysonBrowse related quotes
Stephen HawkingBrowse related quotes
Isaac AsimovBrowse related quotes
Carl SaganBrowse related quotes
Bertrand RussellBrowse related quotes
Wernher von BraunBrowse related quotes
Francis BaconBrowse related quotes
Gilbert K. ChestertonBrowse related quotes
Mehmet Murat IldanBrowse related quotes
Thomas HuxleyBrowse related quotes