I’ve written about a few hustlers and prostitutes in this tumblr (see links below). Clarke was buried with Ekanayake, who died 30 years earlier. The tabloid published an apology and Clarke chose not to sue.)Ĭlarke was Knighted in 2000 (announced in 1998).Ĭlarke died in 2008 at the age of 90 due and respiratory issues and heart failure resulting from the post-polio syndrome. The case was investigated by the Sri Lankan police and Clarke was cleared. (Note: in 1998 the British tabloid Sunday Mirror published an article accusing Clarke of paying for sex with underage boys. It’s a wasting of muscles and required him to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. In 1988, he was struck with post-polio syndrome - an affliction which can haunt those who contracted polio earlier. And he doesn’t know how much I don’t care.” “He (Clarke) was very pleased I don’t care.
“I want you to know I’m a very well adjusted homosexual.” While working on the book and script for “2001 a space odyssey” Clarke decided to be open with Kubrick: When asked by a journalist if he was gay, Clarke would reply: Clarke dedicated his novel “The Fountains of Paradise” (1979) to Ekanayake.Ĭlarke never publicly came out but close friends were aware. Ekanayake died at the age of 29 in a motorcycle accident. Clarke never remarried, but was close to Leslie Ekanayake who he called his “only perfect friend of a lifetime”. One reason he decided to settle in Sri Lanka was their more tolerant views towards homosexuality. He developed an interest in diving (and discovered a number of shipwrecks and an underwater temple).
They separated within 6 months but didn’t divorce until 10 years later (while his wife had his US bank accounts frozen).Ĭlarke moved to Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) in 1956. But in 1953 he married a 22-year-old American divorcee. Perhaps best known for co-writing the screenplay for “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968) with director Stanley Kubrick (and the followup novel), his legacy includes “Childhood’s End” (1953), “Rendezvous with Rama” (1973), and dozens if not hundreds of short stories.Ī strong proponent of travel to other planets, he also influenced the US space program thru his writing, essays, and lectures.Ĭlarke defined himself a homosexual. His work included science fiction and science fact. Arthur C Clarke was one of the most popular, influential, and awarded writers of the 20th Century.