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Childhood's End (Del Rey Impact)
 

Childhood's End (Del Rey Impact)

by Arthur C. Clarke

The Overlords appeared suddenly over every city--intellectually, technologically, and militarily superior to humankind. Benevolent, they made few demands: unify earth, eliminate poverty, and end war. With little rebellion, humankind agreed, and a golden age began.

But at what cost? With the advent of peace, man ceases to strive for creative greatness, and a malaise settles over the... (read more)

Top tags: science fiction,  fiction,  sci-fi,  dystopia,  arthur c. clarke (all tags)

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Other Reviews

Amazon Reviews (5)
 

Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
Katamaster
  • Rated 5 stars

“This is Arthur C. Clarke at his stellar best! Aliens resembling the devil land on Earth and everything changes. Religion is gone as well as man's place in the universe. One man tries to unravel the mystery of Earth's new masters. But it is the equivilent of trying to get a dog to understand nuclear physics.
Clarke's explanation of many of the old legends was probably the first to do so. Would have loved to see this story played out in an episode of The Twilight Zone.

”

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Didn’t Like It

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
jmadigan
  • Rated 2 stars

“When science fiction great Arthur C. Clark died a few weeks ago I was moved to pick up something by him to mark the passage. Since I've read his Space Odyssey books already, I grabbed a small, lesser known work by the name of Childhood's End. Stuffed with themes like humanity's place in the universe, the nature of utopia, the impact of first contact on society, and the potential for human achievement, it's definitely classic sci-fi. I just wish Clark had expanded a lot of these themes and...”

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Community:
  • Rated 4.017065 stars
Amazon:
  • Rated 4.571429 stars
  

Newest Comments

  • Christophe J

    christophe j said:

    “Some cool visuals of the book here...

    http://www.nealadamsentertainment.com/pages/conceptchildhood.html”

    posted Tuesday, February 19 2008
  • Christophe J

    christophe j said:

    “The end of earth, the end of man, the evolved children having superpowers and melding with this almost godlike mind. I dunno, not my favorite of clarkes, maybe because it departs on his very factual science and more of a fantasy of a devil race and the god that will absorb man. Hmmm...i guess i kind of get it .....a very religious symbolic kind of ending, ...only two roads to go to in the universe per the character Jan, overlords (the devils) or the overmind (god?) and i guess earth was the middle ground (purgatory)? Hmmm... it's sinking in, fascinating.”

    posted Tuesday, February 19 2008
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