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The story follows the peaceful alien invasion [1] of Earth by the mysterious Overlords, whose arrival begins decades of apparent utopia under indirect alien rule, at the cost of human identity and culture.
- Knowledge, Technology and Power
- The Problems of Utopian Society
- The Purpose of Humanity
In much of his fiction, Arthur C. Clarke supports the idea that knowledge, particularly knowledge of technology, equals power—and not just physical power, but psychological power as well. One of Clarke's three "Laws" is the idea that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." In Childhood's End,the Overlords use their t...
While the main concepts of Childhood's Endrevolve around the irony of the Overlords as benevolent masters that look like "devils" and the division between technological and evolutionary achievement, the book also deals heavily with the possible problems of a utopian society. Before we are even aware that the Overlords have started making beneficial...
Several of Clarke's novels tackle the big questions of the meaning of human existence. Much like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Childhood's End tries to find a purpose for humanity by putting it against a backdrop of alien intelligence. Clarke has often said that he believes humanity is meant to reach out into space and explore the stars. However, in Child...
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.
- (163.5K)
- Mass Market Paperback
Five years later, these aliens, known as the Overlords, have taken control of the entire world. Their flagship is based over New York and is managed by Karellen, the Overlord who is charge of Earth-related affairs.
The Overlord looks like the quintessential picture of the Devil: 12 feet tall; black, armored skin; leathery wings; barbed tail; short horns protruding from his head. However, in those fifty years, the Earth has become a utopian world-state.
Childhood’s End is Arthur C. Clarke’s first successful novel. Set in the future, the novel spans over 130 years from the arrival of the alien race known as Overlords to the completed absorption of the world’s children to the entity known as the Overmind.
Clarke was a large influence on the development of geostationary satellites, foreseeing that they someday could make powerful relay points for telecommunication. He also wrote several nonfiction titles about futurism and the implications of space travel on society.
