The Planetary Society’s public radio show, Planetary Radio, will feature an exclusive interview with Sir Arthur C. Clarke on March 24. A second program on March 31 will feature two writers nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award: Kim Stanley Robinson and David Brin.

All three award-winning science fiction authors are members of The Planetary Society’s Advisory Council.

The Arthur C. Clarke Award is given each year to the author of the best science fiction novel published in Britain during the previous year. The Award was established with a grant from Arthur C. Clarke and is administered jointly by the British Science Fiction Association and the Science Fiction Foundation.

In the wide-ranging interview, Sir Arthur discusses his latest project, a new novel called The Last Theorem, as well as his thoughts on where to look for the next technological revolutions. Clarke also shares reminiscences from his many years in the science fiction community and even reveals the origin of hobbits, as told to him by J.R.R. Tolkien himself.  

“One nice thing about the science fiction world: I don’t recall any great enmity, possibly because we were all a beleaguered minority and had to stand together!” commented Sir Arthur on the golden age of science fiction.

The following week, Brin will talk about his Clarke-nominated book, Kiln People, while Robinson will discuss The Years of Rice and Salt. Both writers will also share their thoughts about the state of science fiction and how the genre reacts to and is affected by difficult times.

Planetary Radio airs each Monday at 5:30pm Pacific Time on KUCI, 88.9fm — the public radio station at the University of California, Irvine in Orange County, California. An international audience hears the show at the same time on the station’s website, KUCI.org. Planetary Radio can also be heard on the Society’s website at planetary.org, where every edition of the show is archived and available for easy web streaming.

Regular Planetary Radio segments include “Q and A,” which provides a chance for listener’s questions about the universe to be answered by experts, and “What’s Up,” an irreverent review of historic milestones in space exploration, amazing space facts, and what can be seen in the night sky. “What’s Up?” also offers listeners a weekly space trivia contest.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For more information, contact Susan Lendroth at (626) 793-5100 ext. 237 or by e-mail at susan.lendroth@planetary.org.

THE PLANETARY SOCIETY:

Carl Sagan, Bruce Murray and Louis Friedman founded The Planetary Society in 1980 to advance the exploration of the solar system and to continue the search for extraterrestrial life. With members in over 125 countries, the Society is the largest space interest group in the world.