When a massively superior alien race arrives on Earth, things go much smoother than you would think. Because the Overlords aren’t here to conquer. Their one demand is world peace, and under their guidance (mysterious though it is), mankind is only too happy to oblige. But eventually the lack of any need to better the world starts to take its toll. There’s no creativity, no problem-solving—and the Overlords still won’t explain why they’re really here. Humanity is approaching a fork in the way, and no one knows what lies at the end of the roads, much less which path to take. Childhood’s End gives us the ultimate goal of peace on earth and dares to tell us that it ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. Childhood’s End also pushes the boundaries of our expectations about ourselves, makes us think about what humans might really be capable of, and suggests that what we want might not be what the universe wants. It’s a risky premise, but the result is one of science fiction literature’s masterpieces.

posted Aug 20, 2009 at 1:49PM

 Add a Comment