. . . Moon-Watcher felt the first faint twinges of a new and potent emotion. It was a vague and diffuse sense of envy--of dissatisfaction with his life. He had no idea of its cause, still less of its cure; but discontent had come into his soul, and he had taken one small step toward humanity.
Arthur C. ClarkeIf there are any gods whose chief concern is man, they can't be very important gods.
Arthur C. ClarkeOne of the great tragedies of mankind is that morality has been hijacked by religion. So now people assume that religion and morality have a necessary connection. But the basis of morality is really very simple and doesn't require religion at all.
Arthur C. ClarkeI sometimes wonder how we spent leisure time before satellite television and Internet came alongโฆand then I realise that I have spent more than half of my life in the โdark agesโ!
Arthur C. ClarkeBehind every man now alive stand thirty ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnumber the living.
Arthur C. ClarkeTrying to predict the future is a discouraging and hazardous occupation. If by some miracle a prophet could describe the future exactly as it was going to take place, his predictions would sound so absurd that people everyone would laugh him to scorn. The only thing we can be sure of about the future is that it will be absolutely fantastic. So, if what I say now seems to you to be very reasonable, then I will have failed completely. Only if what I tell you appears absolutely unbelievable have we any chance of visualizing the future as it really will happen.
Arthur C. Clarke