The Jackuul Blog

From the age of 12 Science Fiction fascinated me. At 11 I picked up my first books, you know the sort - Asimov, Tolkein (more in the realm of fiction, but none the less a start) and finally by twelve I picked up an older musty book. It had been in the library, with the last checkout date in 1987, a full decade before I had picked it up. It turned out to be Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001 A Space Odyssey - and from that point on I began reading everything I could. I started further in 1999 two years later by re-reading it and understanding it more, then I read 2010, and 2061. Having thought the series ended there, I was pleasantly surprised to find 3001. Nearing the end of 3001 I realized there would be no more to read in the series after this - I then went back to the library and got another book about the creation of the Odyssey series, along with other short stories.

I then gobbled up the original Rama, and later Richter 10 (mostly by the late Mike McQuay - Clarke had created the 3 page synopsis for it and also followed along with the work I gather), followed by more of the Rama series until its end (last three written mostly by Lee I take it). Then I began just trying to find anything. Trigger was an amazing book, and I was able to read it in three days, followed by thoroughly checking out every single book I could at that small library until I had read them all. By 2000 there was not a book left in the library, although I know there are more books than the small selection there, that I had not read. In the end I was left with wanting to read more, and occasionally getting the chance to do so.

For me, it’s different than reading an Asimov book or a Herbert book. They both passed away before I was at a competent level of knowing who they were - but later on I read their books, and I learned about them. As for Clarke I felt as if I knew him, because of all the reading and the time spent in the imagination I had fostered. My own interpretations of what everything looked like, how the characters sounded, and the chain of events. The loss of Clarke saddens me a great deal.

It as if I lost a friend, and yet never met him in person. Although I would have liked to discuss his idea of a space elevator with him.

Goodbye Arthur, and may you travel throughout the universe.