News reached me this week that Arthur C. Clarke has died.

I'm glad that he had a long life and professional success, but sorry to note his passing. A former engineer, he is one of the most notable science fiction authors ever. He's always been a purely science fiction author, firmly inside the genre, unlike some authors who blur those same genre lines. Oddly, despite his background in science and technology, he was never a writer who focused on what some call "hard" sci-fi--the stories that tend to emphasize technology and realistic extrapolations of true things (less magic stuff, more devices). I very much enjoyed his mystical approach.

He'll be missed in these parts and if you get curious, check out his novel, Rendezvous With Rama. It's not as well-known as 2001: A Space Odyssey or Childhood's End, but I promise you'll like it.

CDs listened to today:

• Nick Didkovsky: Amalia's Secret
• Peter Ruzicka: ...uber ein Verschwinden...
• Various Artists: Action
• The Joggers: Solid Guild