SIR ARTHUR C. CLARKE - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 07/26/1999 - HFSID 324359

ARTHUR C. CLARKE
A signed letter from Clarke with the recipient's name in his handwriting, thanking her for her letter and apologizing for his form letter response, saying that his affliction of Post-Polio Syndrome requires much of his energy and that he unfortunately has little time left for writing
Typed letter signed: "Arthur C Clark/26 Jul 99", in pencil, 8¼x10¾. In part: "Dear Correspondent Irene, Thank you for your letter; I am sorry that, for the reasons given below, I cannot answer you personally. Having been affected by Post-Polio Syndrome since 1984, I now require daily physiotherapy, which puts major demands on my time and energy. I can no longer walk unaided, and need a wheel-chair to move any distance...". Athur Clarke (1917-2008, born in Minehead, Somerset, England) was a researcher and science fiction author perhaps best known for 2001: A Space Odyssey. In 1964, the popular science fiction writer had been approached by director Stanley Kubrick, who wanted to make "the proverbial good science fiction movie." Clarke simultaneously wrote his novel, which spanned man's exploration of his universe from the savannahs of Africa to the rings of Saturn, as Kubrick was creating the film. Both debuted in 1968. Besides his sequels to 2001, Clarke has produced some of science fiction's most celebrated novels, including Childhood's End and Rendezvous with Rama, thought-provoking short stories like The Nine Billion Names of God, and many essays. A resident of Sri Lanka since 1946, Clarke won two Hugo and one Nebula award, and he shared an Oscar nomination with Kubrick for 2001 in 1968. Normal mailing folds. Light surface creases. Lightly soiled. Ink print on verso. Otherwise, fine condition.