Arthur C. Clarke, one of the masters of science fiction has died at the age of 90. Clarke was not only a visionary of science fiction, but also left his indelible mark on our modern world:

As a Royal Air Force officer during World War II, Clarke took part in the early development of radar. In a paper written for the radio journal “Wireless World” in 1945, he suggested that artificial satellites hovering in a fixed spot above Earth could be used to relay telecommunications signals across the globe.

He is widely credited with introducing the idea of the communications satellite, the first of which were launched in the early 1960s. But he never patented the idea, prompting a 1965 essay that he subtitled, “How I Lost a Billion Dollars in My Spare Time.”

Every time we watch a satellite broadcast, we’re sharing in the legacy of Arthur C. Clarke. Not only was he a great writer, but he was one of the most innovative men of our time. RIP.