Why Arthur C. Clarke Thought Buddhism Would Survive into the Future

Sir Arthur C. Clarke was a science fiction author who was also interested in Buddhism. He said that he was a "crypto-Buddhist," which means that he didn't identify as a Buddhist, but he found the philosophy to be very appealing. He said that he liked the way that Buddhism emphasized the importance of personal experience and that it didn't require any belief in a supernatural being.

Sci-fi fans gather to remember the man who saw the future

A long, long way from the last resting place of the one who showed them the light, the faithful are gathering. As Arthur C Clarke is buried in his adopted home of Sri Lanka today, those who followed his words are meeting and remembering – at Heathrow.

And these being fans of science fiction, they come in all shapes and sizes. They come as Klingons. They come as Daleks. They come to celebrate a genre that has produced a group of followers that are as strange as some of the storylines.

Every year they gather to discuss what is new in the world beyond our own. But Orbital 2008, Britain's 59th annual National Science Fiction Convention, which started yesterday, is dominated by the death of Clarke last week. And that has meant a hastily re-arranged programme to celebrate the legendary figure's achievements with a series of talks and lectures.