Childhood’s End – Book Review
What can I say? This is a classic – read it! Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke is a fantastic tale of alien contact with earth. It explores the consequences of such contact with a mindful and engaging narrative.
There are three sections to the book, each with its own mystery and its own characters. This approach allows the author to explore the impacts of an alien contact through a wide lens and keeps the reader engrossed in the world.
One benefit of Clarke’s work is that it is 237 pages. It doesn’t waste the reader’s time with exposition or superfluous narratives, something that more recent sci-fi books have been guilty of. A lesser author wants to share the world building they’ve done at the expense of the story, while Clarke keeps the pace going.
Another thing Clarke does well is that he doesn’t belittle the audience with detailed explanations of everything that has happened, like a step-by-step manual. His writing gives the audience a chance to piece things together by themselves, which makes for a much more interesting read.
This book is a classic for a reason and any sci-fi lover should read it, if only to understand one of the reasons behind the sci-fi boom of the 1950’s.
Thanks for this. I’ll give it a go. Have you read Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut? I think you’d enjoy it.
Thank you! I haven’t read The Sirens of Titan, but I’ll put it on my list. I have to admit that I actually haven’t read many of the classic sci-fi books! My only excuse is that I grew up outside of an English speaking country… 🙂