Chapter 43 final thanks

Arthur Clarke in 1997 Thanks to IBM for sending me this perfect, cute little Thinkpad 755CD on which this book is made.For years I've been plagued by an unfounded rumor that the name HAL was derived from a permutation of the IBM letters.In order to solve this "mystery of the century", I even asked Dr. Chandra, who invented HAL, to vehemently deny this rumor.Only recently, however, have I been reassured that "Big Blue" is completely unfazed by this association and is quite proud of it.So I will not continue to clarify this rumor, and on March 12, 1997, I sent my congratulations to all those who participated in Hal's "birthday party" at the University of Illinois in Urbana.

I would like to thank Shelly Shapiro, editor at Del Rey Books.As I wrestled with the text, Shapiro's ten-page opinion enriched the work. (Yes, I was an editor myself, and now I don't have to suffer the accusations that writers so often inflict on editors—people in this business are frustrated executioners.) Finally, a sincere thanks to my old friend, Cyril Gardiner, owner of the Galle Face Hotel.He kindly offered me a luxurious and spacious personal suite while I was writing this book.This is my "base of tranquility" during this chaotic time.To add, although the Galle Face Hotel does not have a vast and imaginative view, its convenience is far superior to Ganymede Ganymede.I have never been in a more comfortable working environment in my life.

Perhaps even more encouraging in this regard is the sign hanging at the entrance listing the hundreds of luminaries who have visited the Galle Face Hotel.These included Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who was part of the second Apollo 12 mission to the moon, and a host of fine stage and film stars: Gregory Peck , Alec Guinness, Noel Coward, Carrie Fisher in Star Wars... and Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier ( Laurence Olivier, both of whom appeared briefly in 2061.I'm honored to see my name listed among them. It seemed only fitting that a project should begin at a prestigious restaurant: the Chelsea Hotel in New York—a breeding ground for geniuses and faux geniuses—and that it should be at another hotel half a world away. Finish.However, what I heard outside the window was not the distant and gentle sound of people and cars on West 23rd Street in my memory, but the roar of the Indian Ocean, which was close at hand and was full of wind and rain. It felt very strange.

As I write this acknowledgment, I am sad to learn that Gardiner passed away a few hours ago. It gave me some comfort to know that he had seen the above dedication and was pleased.