Arthur C. Clarke from Sri Lanka

Roger Ebert / December 31, 2004

The best-known Western resident of Sri Lanka is alive and well, but devastated, after the tsunami tragedy.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke, author of "2001: a Space Odyssey," says he is "enormously relieved" that his family and household in Colombia, the nation's capital, "have escaped the ravages of the sea."

But the waves caused heavy damage to his diving station in Hikkaduwa and his holiday bungalows in Kahawa and Thiranagama, he wrote in response to my e-mail. He has long sponsored and written about undersea exploration, especially among the coral reefs of Sri Lanka.

"Our staff members are all safe," he wrote, "even though some are badly shaken and relate harrowing accounts of what happened. Most of our diving equipment and boats at Hikkaduwa were washed away. We still don't know the full extent of the damage."

For many others, he wrote, "the day after Christmas turned out to be a living nightmare reminiscent of 'The Day after Tomorrow'."

Sir Arthur, at 87 a living legend of science fiction and science writing, is credited with the idea of triangulating space satellites to provide global communication. More than half a century later, such satellites make e-mail and cell phones possible, and are bringing relief or sadness to those waiting for news from the areas of devastation.

Sri Lanka "lacks the resources and capacity to cope with the aftermath of a disaster of unprecedented magnitude," he wrote. "I am encouraging friends to contribute to the relief efforts."

He recommends international charities such as CARE or Oxfam -- or Sarvodaya, "the largest development charity in Sri Lanka, which has a 45-year track record in helping the poorest of the poor," and has mounted a "well-organized, countryside relief effort, well above ethnic and other divisions." He cites the website www.sarvodaya.lk and also suggests the list of urgently-needed items at http://www.sarvodaya.lk/Inside_Page/urgently%20needed.htm

"Curiously enough," he wrote, "in my first book on Sri Lanka, I had written about another tidal wave reaching the Galle harbour (see Chapter 8 in 'The Reefs of Taprobane' (1957). That happened in August 1883, following the eruption of Krakatoa in roughly the same part of the Indian Ocean."