Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Childhood's End

By Arthur C. Clarke
222 pages

This is a classic science fiction novel by one of the greatest sci-fi writers of all time.  Though it is short, it is not a light read.  This book starts during the Cold War and covers the history of Earth for the next 150 years.  However, in this history, the "Overlords" have come from outer space and are now in charge of Earth.  During their reign, wars are ended and mankind reaches a new level of prosperity.  But man has not yet reached the pinnacle of existence...

Overall, I liked this book.  There were a lot of themes to explore, such as the problems with utopian societies and the purpose of life, so I can definitely see why this is a classic.  However, some of the technology and history in this book is dated.  It was written during the Cold War era and before man had actually reached the moon, so you do need to make the proper allowances for these issues.  Thankfully, the themes of this book are timeless, even if the technology isn't. 

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