Adult, Young Adult

Childhood’s End by Arther C. Clarke – Book Review

Dystopia, Science Fiction - Aliens

Rating

Goodreads:

4.10

Novel Fables:

5/5

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Book Review

Childhood's End

Arthur C. Clark

5/5

Dystopia, Science Fiction - Aliens

(The above links for Amazon and Kobo are affiliate links & I earn a small commission if you purchase a book through them)

Childhood's End

Arthur C. Clark

5/5

Buy a copy:

The above link(s) for Amazon and/or Kobo are affiliate links & I earn a small commission if you purchase a book through them at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support.

"

“Science can destroy religion by ignoring it as well as by disproving its tenets. No one ever demonstrated, so far as I am aware, the nonexistence of Zeus or Thor, but they have few followers now.”

Synopsis

Arthur C. Clarke’s classic in which he ponders humanity’s future and possible evolution. When the silent spacecraft arrived and took the light from the world, no one knew what to expect. But, although the Overlords kept themselves hidden from man, they had come to unite a warring world and to offer an end to poverty and crime. When they finally showed themselves it was a shock, but one that humankind could now cope with, and an era of peace, prosperity and endless leisure began. But the children of this utopia dream strange dreams of distant suns and alien planets, and begin to evolve into something incomprehensible to their parents, and soon they will be ready to join the Overmind . . . and, in a grand and thrilling metaphysical climax, leave the Earth behind.

Review

Here we have a ubiquitous, intelligent, and technologically advanced alien presence that has come to planet Earth. The story is interesting, and you get hooked immediately with the mystery and intrigue surrounding our alien overlords. Where do they come from, why have they chosen our planet, and if they’re here, what’s out there in the universe for us to discover?

You watch the world evolve for decades while under the watch of these unfathomable alien overlords, trying to solve the enigma of their presence. We observe humans’ evolution in terms of psychological, socioeconomic, and even biological growth as they grapple with their new reality over decades. The journey through time was an enjoyable ride, and all that mystery builds up to an astonishing ending.

As for the characters, this is mostly plot-driven. The individual characters were not all that dynamic in any sense, but the characterization of humans as a whole delivered a lot. If you like unique, individual personalities, you won’t get much of that here. On the other hand, if you like big picture analysis and anthropological studies, you’ll likely love this.

Childhood’s End is a relatively short book that’s easy to get through, entertaining at times, a bit dense at others. It’s packed with thought-provoking ideas about humanity’s existence and the infinite Universe. It’s philosophical and ultimately transcends finite concepts of what it means to be human; Of course, it’s sci-fi, but it’s almost spiritual at its core.

I’m blown away by this masterpiece, and I can’t believe I waited so long to pick it up.

Best,

Ashley

From novelfables.com

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