Damn. I really liked reading this guys books over the years. He really was a very deep thinker and he put out a lot of really thought provoking essays over the years on science (not the fictional science in this case).
I looked around for something better, and though the subject matter might be less the welcomed by most of the people who peruse these boards I'll post it anyway. Maybe we can just appreciate how masterful a wordsmith this guy was by listening to this reading by Chuck Heston of one of his science Essays.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozO4YB98mCY