The Onion interviews Arthur C. Clarke (for real)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

http://www.theonionavclub.com/4007/feature1.html

O: Are you ever disappointed that we haven't come any closer to the technology of 2001 than we have?

ACC: Not really, because we've already seen far more... For instance, these pictures coming from Mars right now. I never imagined... Well, I may have imagined, but I never hoped to see them within my lifetime.

O: Do you have any particular hopes for what they'll find in this round of exploration?

ACC: Well, I think they've already found life. There's some pictures from the laboratories which seem to me to be unmistakably vegetation—leaves and stems and things. I don't see what else it could possibly be. And where there's vegetation, you can bet there'll be something nibbling on it. I'm still hoping we'll find some Martians up there, holding up a sign that says "Yankee go home." (Laughs.)

(...)

O: Another favorite quote you tend to bring up in interviews is, "If there are any gods whose chief concern is man, they can't be very important gods." Can you expound on that?

ACC: (Laughs.) Well, I was rather a cynic once. But now I've combined all my beliefs into this phrase I've been circulating: "Religion is the most malevolent of all mind viruses." It's adapted from a phrase by the British writer and scientist Richard Dawkins, who said that religion was a mind virus, an idea that infected the mind. He said that not all mind-viruses are malignant; some may even be beneficial. But many are harmful—racist theories, for instance.

[CanuckAmok]

1. the real "Onion" interviews are consistently very good.

Intellegent questions, asked of interesting and diverse people.

I have "Tenacity of the Cockroach", which is a collection of some of their best interviews. It's a good read!

[denverbill]

2. Leaves and stems in the Mars pictures? What the???

I'll have some of what he's having, thank you.

[Dogmudgeon]

9. Your order is ready

I think this is what Sir Arthur was talking about.

So what are they? I don't know. They look like trees, but that doesn't mean they have to be trees.

They could even be Martians!

--bkl

[jus_the_facts]

3. Coolness....thanks for postin' this......Clarke fan here.....

:hi:

[zbdent]

4. My take on the "chief concern of man" - If we are the ultimate creation

of God, then God isn't all that -'s made up to be.

bzzt. Did you hear something?

[AmericanErrorist]

5. To be more exact...

You have entered a sub-site. It a sub-site of entertainment. It is a land of reviews, interviews, cartoons, and Dan Savage. You have entered... The Onion A.V. Club.

[jus_the_facts]

6. Ooooo...he should get Speilburg to do the RAMA series.....

.....make 'em in a series of movies like LOTR! I know I'd pay to see those brought to life....d'be too AWESOME!!!! :think:

[chenGOD]

10. Cr*p no, not Spielberg.

Hell get his Mexican counterpart Senor Spielbergo. Spielberg would undoubtedly do something to wreck that.

Anyways, I don't think Clarke wants to do anymore films, if you read the article....

O: Do you have any interest in being closely involved again with a film adaptation of your work?

ACC: After working with Stanley Kubrick for a couple of years, anything else would be an anticlimax.


Having said that, the Rama stuff is some of my favorite Clarke and my choice for director would probably be Chris Cunningham.

[jus_the_facts]

11. yeah I DID read the article....and that was MY opinion.....

.....having said THAT....those would make excellent movies if done correctly by whomever was capable of stayin' true to the story.

[Nomad559]

7. The Onion: Is there a God?

The Onion: Is there a God?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

8. Best answer is by John Leguizamo

"Yeah, but there's not just one God. There's a whole lot of gods, because one God couldn't have possibly made so many mistakes all by Himself. This had to be done by committee."