Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (December 16, 1917 - March 19, 2008) was a British science fiction writer, science writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, television series host, and influential proponent of space travel. He co-wrote the screenplay for the 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, widely regarded as one of the most influential films of all time. For many years Clarke, Robert Heinlein, and Isaac Asimov were known as the "Big Three" of science fiction. The following is a speech Clarke gave at a reception for the 2001 film release.