R.I.P. Arthur C. Clarke

With the passing of Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008), the world has lost a giant in the field of science fiction (not to mention actual science). I've read and thoroughly enjoyed a number of his books, but the two that stand out in my mind are the adventure-filled Rendezvous with Rama and the intellectually stimulating Childhood's End, the latter of which is one of my favorite all-time science fiction novels.