Greetings, Carbon-Based Bipeds! by Arthur C. Clarke
"Greetings, Carbon-Based Bipeds!" is a compilation of essays by renowned author Arthur C. Clarke, spanning topics related to science fiction, technology, and the human experience. The titular essay underscores the significance of humanity's quest for extraterrestrial intelligence, framing exploration as an essential aspect of being human. Clarke offers critical insights into the science fiction genre, distinguishing it from fantasy and expressing his challenges with commercial pressures in writing. The collection includes tributes to influential figures in science fiction, such as Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein, highlighting Clarke's connections and respect within the community. Additionally, his essays explore the intersection of technology and society, offering predictions about telecommunications and the potential future of humanity in the face of advancing machines. Through his technical knowledge and speculative insights, Clarke encourages readers to reflect on the role of exploration and technology in shaping human identity and growth. This anthology serves as a window into Clarke's thoughts on the evolution of science fiction and its implications for both individual and societal progress.
Greetings, Carbon-Based Bipeds! by Arthur C. Clarke
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1999
Type of work: Nonfiction
The Work
Greetings, Carbon-Based Bipeds! Collected Essays, 1934-1998 includes a large number of essays on diverse subjects. The essay from which the title is taken, “Greetings, Carbon-Based Bipeds!” explores the reasons why humans search for evidence of intelligent life on other planets: The search is important because “It represents the highest possible form of exploration; and when we cease to explore, we will cease to be human.” This collection documents Clarke’s explorations of science fiction, of science and technology, and of the impact of science and technology on humans.
The selections that deal with science fiction reveal Clarke’s perspective on the genre. “Aspects of Science Fiction” is his attempt to define science fiction and to differentiate it from fantasy, while “Writing to Sell” expresses his frustrations with the pressure to produce works that will appeal to a wide audience. His reviews of science-fiction books and films are included. Some of the tributes to other science-fiction and fantasy authors, usually written at the times of their deaths, include “Dunsany, Lord of Fantasy,” “Tribute to Robert A. Heinlein,” “Good-Bye, Isaac” (Isaac Asimov), and “Gene Roddenberry.” His prefaces to The War of the Worlds and The First Men in the Moon also show his engagement with other writers of the genre.
Some pieces discuss his own work. “The Birth of HAL,” for example, explains the origin of HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey, and “Son of Dr. Strangelove” explains his collaboration with Stanley Kubrick in the production of the film version of that book.
Trained in the technical disciplines, Clarke has also published technical and scientific papers. In “Extraterrestrial Relays,” first published in an engineering journal in 1945, Clarke describes the problems of providing telephone service to all areas of the globe using the system of transmitters and wires that was currently in use. Then he proposes that worldwide telecommunications could be facilitated by means of satellites placed in geosynchronous orbits above the earth. Highly theoretical (it appeared before any rockets capable of achieving orbit had been launched), this paper predicts the type of telecommunications system now in use. In “The Star of Bethlehem,” he relies on his knowledge of astronomy as he speculates that the star was actually a supernova. His scientific speculation on this event was the basis for his short story “The Star.” The final selection, “The Twenty-First Century: A (Very) Brief History,” attempts to prophesize the technological advances that will take place in this century.
Clarke also includes many commentaries on the development of technology and its impact on humans and on society. In “The Uses of the Moon,” which first appeared in 1965, he argues for colonization of the Moon based on economic benefits; however, in “Space and the Spirit of Man,” published the same year, he makes the claim that space exploration is necessary for human spiritual growth. “The Obsolescence of Man” speculates that humans might eventually be replaced by machines.
Clarke’s nonfiction work provides much insight into his knowledge of science and technology and his views on how they affect human societies, as well as his views on the genre of science fiction.
Bibliography
Hollow, John. Against the Night, the Stars: The Science Fiction of Arthur C. Clarke. San Diego, Calif.: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1983.
James, Edward. “Clarke’s Utopian Vision.” Foundation: The International Review of Science Fiction 34 (Spring, 2005): 26-33.
Kilgore, De Witt Douglas. “Will There Always Be an England? Arthur C. Clarke’s New Eden.” In Astrofuturism: Science, Race, and Visions of Utopia in Space. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003.
McAleer, Neil. Odyssey: The Authorized Biography of Arthur C. Clarke. Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1992.
Miller, Ryder W., ed. From Narnia to a Space Odyssey: The War of Ideas Between Arthur C. Clarke and C. S. Lewis. New York: IBooks, 2003.
Olander, Joseph D., and Martin Harry Greenberg, eds. Arthur C. Clarke. New York: Taplinger, 1977.
Rabkin, Eric S. Arthur C. Clarke. Mercer Island, Wash.: Starmont House, 1980.
Reid, Robin Anne. Arthur C. Clarke: A Critical Companion. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1997.
Samuelson, David N. Arthur C. Clarke: A Primary and Secondary Bibliography. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1984.
Slusser, George Edgar. The Space Odysseys of Arthur C. Clarke. San Bernardino, Calif.: Borgo Press, 1978.