Visionary and author Arthur C. Clarke dead at age 90

March 19, 2008 British expatriate science fiction author, futurist, and visionary Arthur C. Clarke died on Wednesday in a hospital in his adopted hometown of Colombo, Sri Lanka. He was 90 years old.

"Sir Arthur passed away a short while ago at the Apollo Hospital. He had been in hospital for the past four days. He had been in and out of the hospital in recent weeks," said Clarke's assistant, Rohan de Silva.

Reports say that after a long 50 year battle with post-polio syndrome, Clarke died at 1:30 a.m. (local time) on Wednesday from breathing complications.

Famous for writing over 100 science fiction and science publications, including 2001: A Space Odyssey, he is also credited as the one who presented the concept of the geostationary communication satellite.

"Sometimes I am asked how I would like to be remembered. I have had a diverse career as a writer, underwater explorer and space promoter. Of all these I would like to be remembered as a writer," said Clarke not long before he died.