Sir Arthur Charles Clarke CBE FRAS (16 December 1917 – 19 March 2008) was an English science-fiction writer, science writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host. He co-wrote the screenplay for the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, one of the most influential films of all time. Clarke was a science fiction writer, an avid populariser of space travel, and a futurist of a distinguished ability. He wrote many books and many essays for popular magazines. In 1961, he received the Kalinga Prize, a UNESCO award for popularising science. Clarke's science and science-fiction writings earned him the moniker "Prophet of the Space Age". His science-fiction writings in particular earned him a number of Hugo and Nebula awards, which along with a large readership, made him one of the towering figures of the genre. For many years Clarke, Robert Heinlein, and Isaac Asimov were known as the "Big Three" of science fiction. Clarke was a lifelong proponent of space travel. In 1934, while still a teenager, he joined the British Interplanetary Society. In 1945, he proposed a satellite communication system using geostationary orbits. He was the chairman of the British Interplanetary Society from 1946–1947 and again in 1951–1953. Clarke emigrated to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1956, to pursue his interest in scuba diving. That year, he discovered the underwater ruins of the ancient Koneswaram Temple in Trincomalee. Clarke augmented his popularity in the 1980s, as the host of television shows such as Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World. He lived in Sri Lanka until his death. Clarke was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1989 "for services to British cultural interests in Sri Lanka". He was knighted in 1998 and was awarded Sri Lanka's highest civil honour, Sri Lankabhimanya, in 2005.
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Biography from TMDB.
- December 16, 1917
- March 19, 2008 (aged 90)
- Minehead, Somerset, England, UK
- Actor and writer
- 5 on MovieCove · 15 credits in all
Known for
What are Arthur C. Clarke's films like?
Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Ideas and Society.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 5
A split, not a type: Light 2 · Serious 0 · Dark 3
A split, not a type: Grounded 3 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 1
Gentle 2 · Charged 2 · Intense 1
Steady 5 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0
Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0
Casual 0 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 2 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 1
A split, not a type: Resolved 3 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy2
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Arthur C. Clarke's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 2 of their 5 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Arthur C. Clarke's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
15 credits, 5 with a MovieCove page; 19 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Starman(2025)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
The Nine Billion Names of God (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Childhood's End(2015)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all showsRendezvous with Rama (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Arthur C. Clarke: The Man Who Saw the Future (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious Universe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Trapped in Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Arthur C. Clarke's World of Strange Powers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Television (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Baddegama(1980)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Rescue Party (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
2001: A Space Odyssey(1968)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Horizon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Island of Treasures (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
Career shape
A full career of 15 titles from 1962 to 2025.
Film career
- 1984Screen debut· 2010
How do Arthur C. Clarke's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 4; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th1
Shape of the crowd
2 of their 5 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved1
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser1
- Mixed2
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Arthur C. Clarke's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Arthur C. Clarke work with?
People who share at least 2 of Arthur C. Clarke's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Keir Dullea shares the most, 3.
Actors
- Keir DulleaShared titles: 2001: The Making of a Myth (2001), 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)See all 3 shared titles with Keir Dullea
- Daniel RichterShared titles: 2001: The Making of a Myth (2001), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)See all 2 shared titles with Daniel Richter
- Douglas RainShared titles: 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)See all 2 shared titles with Douglas Rain
Mixed roles
- Stanley KubrickShared titles: 2001: The Making of a Myth (2001), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)See all 2 shared titles with Stanley Kubrick
