A writer of science fiction, Arthur Charles Clarke was born in Minehead, Somerset, England, in 1917. Clarke studied at Kings College in London, and worked in scientific research before turning his attention to writing fiction. Clarkes first book was Prelude to Space in 1951, but he is best known for his book 2001: A Space Odyssey, which was later turned into a highly successful and controversial film under the direction of Stanley Kubrick. Some of Clarkes later works include the sequels to 2001, 2010: A Space Odyssey II, 2062: Odyssey III, and 3001: The Final Odyssey, and the novels The Garden of Rama and The Snows of Olympus. Clarke emigrated to Sri Lanka in the 1950s. He died on March 19, 2008 at the age of 90.