Childhood's End

Childhood’s End was first published in 1953, just four years after the Soviet Union conducted its first successful nuclear bomb test. How does the novel respond to the apocalyptic fears of nuclear war that were so prevalent in its era?

The Overlords introduce technologies that greatly ease humanity’s burdens, bringing about a seemingly utopian world. How does the novel treat potential anxieties surrounding technology? What does it suggest about the dangers of excessive reliance on technology?

The Overlords are portrayed as largely benevolent. However, their protection in the novel leads to the end of humanity as we know it. This end is viewed from different perspectives as either a tragedy or a triumph. How does the novel balance grief for the end of humanity as we know it with hope for what it may become?

Though the Overlords are vastly more technologically advanced than the humans, Karellen sees their fate as ultimately tragic, since they can never become one with the Overmind as the humans do. What aspects of humanity make it capable of this transition? What does this suggest about The Relationship Between Technology and Mysticism?

There are several minor characters who are named but are not instrumental in the development of the story. Pick three minor characters and explain what they represent in the larger conflict of the story.

Although the Overlords represent the power of scientific discovery and intellect, there are also several human scientists featured in the novel. Identify these scientists and discuss how their characterizations enhance or contrast with the picture of science presented by the Overlords.

Most of the world’s religions shrivel in the sharp light of the Overlords’ technology. The only one that survives is a purified version of Buddhism. Clarke spent a significant portion of his life in Sri Lanka, where Buddhism is the official religion. Discuss how elements of Buddhism appear in the novel, considering especially the nature of time and the ambivalence of the ending.

Though art withers in the utopian world of the novel, mass entertainment—enabled by media technology like television—becomes more culturally central than ever. George Greggson’s dissatisfaction with his work in television leads him to abandon the Overlords’ utopia for the community of New Athens. Discuss the novel’s theory of the relationship between art and entertainment. How can the two be separated? How does entertainment thrive while art falls away?