Childhood's End

I heard about this book from Joel Chrono and his leading question immediately drew me in: “What if aliens invaded the planet, but they actually helped us build a utopia? Why?”

Childhood’s End was a mysterious and reflective read that I enjoyed. The (seemingly) benevolent Overlords kept their motives a secret from humans and I kept turning the page to try and get a glimpse into what they really wanted. I was engaged the whole time and was thinking about some of its concepts when I wasn’t reading. I’d recommend this book to anyone. It doesn’t go very deep into the science, opting instead to lean into the philosophy. What’s the point of life? What do we do when we have abundance? What’s larger than ourselves and is there something even bigger than that?

Favorite quotes

The existence of so much leisure would have created tremendous problems a century before. Education had overcome most of these, for a well-stocked mind is safe from boredom.

“Do you realize that every day something like five hundred hours of radio and TV pour out over the various channels? If you went without sleep and did nothing else, you could follow less than a twentieth of the entertainment that’s available at the turn of a switch! No wonder that people are becoming passive sponges-absorbing but never creating.”

It was slightly disturbing, however, to discover that there was a kitchen. In a community of this size, one would normally expect to dial Food Central, wait five minutes, and then get whatever meal they had selected. Individuality was all very well, but this, Jean feared, might be taking things a little too far.

Life was more leisurely than it had been for generations. It therefore had less zest for the few, but more tranquility for the many. Western man had relearned—what the rest of the world had never forgotten—that there was nothing sinful in leisure as long as it did not degenerate into mere sloth.

…George began to wonder, in capital letters, just What Was Going On.

He had been deposited, not very gently, on the lawn, where it was hoped that a hyena would give him a rude awakening. For all practical purposes he could, therefore, be regarded as absent.

“However, I’d like to carry out the experiment in these rather—ah—peculiar circumstances.”
The Peculiar Circumstance sat watching them silently, but doubtless not with indifference. George wondered just what Rashaverak thought of these antics.

My (spoiler-free) review

The human race is frightened and in awe when they realize their childish Space Race is lost and spaceships descend on Earth, waiting in silence. The so-called Overlords usher in a new era of prosperity by ending war, animal cruelty, and poverty. In doing so, they also stifle true progress and innovation.

This was a thoughtful, pensive book. I was constantly thinking about what I would do if I lived in a utopia where my every need was taken care of. Would I do the same things I’m doing now? Would I be writing this very post? Or would be all just be so bored that life isn’t worth living?

It also had an ominous feel to it. All I wanted to know was why the Overlords came and helped humanity prosper. It seemed like there was nothing in it for them and they were there out of the kindness of their hearts (if they have them). There was definitely some foreboding joy there that wouldn’t let me just enjoy all the good that was being created in the world.

Childhood’s End was written in 1953 and at that time, it had futuristic themes—flying cars, interstellar travel, machines doing things for us. What’s interesting is that reading it now, I’d put it in the retrofuturism genre of science fiction. There is the retro appeal of technology from the 50s combined with ideas of a once imagined future. We’re seeing a vision of the past future from our present future.

For example, the world becomes a utopia where travelling to any part of the world takes mere hours and there is world peace yet information still comes from radio broadcasts and printed papers:

“My work here is nearly ended,” said Karellen’s voice from a million radios. “At last, after a hundred years, I can tell you what it was.”

One had to be very old indeed to realize that the papers which the telecaster printed in every home were really rather dull.

“Do you realize that every day something like five hundred hours of radio and TV pour out over the various channels?”

That is what Clarke thought the future could look like and now we’re looking at that prediction from a future that is obviously not that. If this same book were written today with the same concepts, the technology would obviously look different. It reminded me of The Matrix. They can download knowledge but that knowledge is stored on floppy discs and they’re using flip phones. It’s a really fun juxtaposition that I love.

I was hoping for better physical descriptions though. I still don’t really know what the Overlords, buildings, or cars look like. While Clarke was explaining these cool concepts, I kept wishing for better physical descriptions so that I could become more immersed but it never came.

I’m happy with how the book ended. Everything got tied up nicely and—finally—the Overlords motive was revealed. Everyone’s got a boss.

Created: 2024-10-24

Last modified: 2024-10-24