British science fiction writer Sir Arthur C Clarke has died in Sri Lanka at the age of 90.

Born in Somerset, he came to fame in 1968 when a short story The Sentinel was made into the film 2001: A Space Odyssey by director Stanley Kubrick.

Once called “the first dweller in the electronic cottage”, his vision of future space travel and computing captured the popular imagination.

An aide said he died at 0130 local time after a cardio-respiratory attack.

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To commemorate Clarke, I’ve posted one of my favorite episodes of Arthur C. Clarke’s Mysterious World. Parts 2 and 3 can be found below the fold.