Description:

A.C. Clarke AN Re: Edgar Mitchell's "Way of the Explorer" & NASA Mars Rock

Two autograph notes in the hand of feted British science fiction writer Sir Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008), found in the margins of a letter addressed to Clarke. The two inscriptions together total 17 words in Clarke's hand, including the first note: "not seen - / no time / to read / anything! / (5' shelf / of unread / books!)"; and the second note: "Exciting - / but far / from / conclusive!" The manuscript letter on "Kenyon College … Cambier, Ohio" letterhead is in the hand of an unknown correspondent, almost certainly a faculty member of the college's science department, and addressed to Clarke on October 28, 1996. Expected surface wear including isolated gentle wrinkles. No folds. Else near fine. 8.5" x 11."

"not seen - / no time / to read / anything! / (5' shelf / of unread / books!)"

Clarke's first margin note is related to the question of whether he had read Apollo XIV astronaut Edgar Mitchell's book co-written with Dwight Williams, "The Way of the Explorer: An Astronaut's Journey Through the Material and Mystical World," just published in June 1996. The book elaborated on ideas that Mitchell had explored in a 1995 essay called "The Dyadic Model of Consciousness." Mitchell's experience in space fundamentally changed the way that he viewed himself, others, and the universe, and eventually sparked his interest in metaphysical and paranormal studies.

From Mitchell's essay abstract: "The proposed model for consciousness, called a dyadic model … proposes that the antecedent attributes of anthropic consciousness find their roots in the field of zero point quantum potential which gave rise to the Big Bang … Physical existence evolved through natural process into ever more complex organizations of matter; so also must anthropic consciousness have evolved from more fundamental antecedent characteristics."

Clarke was 78 years old in 1996, but he was still so busy that he could not read all of the books which interested him.

"Exciting - / but far / from / conclusive!"

Clarke's second margin note was in response to a controversial theory advanced by leading NASA researchers in August 1996 that they had uncovered evidence of life on Mars. The scientists, including Kathie Thomas-Keprta, Everett Gibson, and David McKay, had closely examined a meteorite that had been blasted off the surface of Mars onto Earth about 13,000 years previously. The meteorite showed possible evidence of microbial fossils. This would mean that a life form, perhaps one as primitive as bacteria, was once present on Mars.

Clarke's measured comments about the NASA Mars rock show the dual forces at work in his intellect: on the one hand, the science fiction writer in him enthused about a potential new discovery, and all of its potential impact; on the other hand, the scientist in Clarke required a good deal of skepticism.

In addition, the unknown correspondent congratulated Clarke on recently winning the Theodore Von Kármán Award, issued from the International Academy of Astronautics in Beijing in 1996.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke is considered one of the greatest science fiction and futurist fantasy writers of the twentieth century, alongside Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein. Clarke co-wrote the 1968 screenplay for "2001: A Space Odyssey" with director Stanley Kubrick, using material from his 1951 pulp fiction short story "The Sentinel," along with other novelized material from the 1960s. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's seminal movie about space exploration, "2001: A Space Odyssey" was released one year prior to the Apollo XI moon landing, and a full ten years before the "Star Wars" franchise began. The movie normalized the idea of space travel, exploration, and colonization, and also introduced disturbing dystopian tropes, like malignant artificial intelligence, into mainstream popular culture. "2001: A Space Odyssey" proved hugely influential.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

March 30, 2022 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000