Childhood's End
Arthur C. Clarke
Yet again, my science fiction class scores with a winner. At first, I was skeptical of this book, which seemed to be just another dystopia, with its restrictions on liberty and patented revolutionary (spurred, of course, by a female). Now, I have nothing wrong with dystopian literature- indeed, 1984 is one of my favorite works- but it is a genre that could stand some serious innovation. Clarke provides an excellent science fiction twist in this book, giving it unique inertia by posing the perpetual question of necessity. Liberty is sacrificed, but there are continual hints that the occupying force may not be so cruel as one is inclined to imagine.
Clarke's narrative takes place over two or three generations of human life, in which humanity is transformed beyond recognition. Alien overlords have subtly dominated human life, but only a few religious fringe groups seek to alter the situation. Problems inherent in occupation are consistently posed throughout the text, engaging the reader and masking the fact that the book isn't tied to a particular set of characters until its midsection. Though Clarke's book is not as disembodied as The Martian Chronicles, it does rely on a series of interrelated vignettes to showcase the fate of humanity, echoing Bradbury's technique but adapting it to create something new and entirely fitting to the premise. Clarke's characters lie somewhere between full development and replicable stock personalities. While this may dismay those of us who are drawn to elaborate characterizations, Clarke is supremely efficient, providing details when necessary and creating a believable fictional world that is fully fleshed out despite some gaps in the specific timeline.
Clarke pays obvious homage to many great writers and thinkers along his path, with paraphrased quotations delightfully sprinkled throughout the text and a direct link to Olaf Stapledon's Star Maker. Childhood's End pays fitting homage to generations of human thought within its own textual play on human legacy and piques the imagination. There is much philosophy to be unpacked in this novel, which is a great read that goes just beyond the surface of common dystopian vision to present a new problem for humanity to solve.
Grade: A
Arthur C. Clarke
Yet again, my science fiction class scores with a winner. At first, I was skeptical of this book, which seemed to be just another dystopia, with its restrictions on liberty and patented revolutionary (spurred, of course, by a female). Now, I have nothing wrong with dystopian literature- indeed, 1984 is one of my favorite works- but it is a genre that could stand some serious innovation. Clarke provides an excellent science fiction twist in this book, giving it unique inertia by posing the perpetual question of necessity. Liberty is sacrificed, but there are continual hints that the occupying force may not be so cruel as one is inclined to imagine.
Clarke's narrative takes place over two or three generations of human life, in which humanity is transformed beyond recognition. Alien overlords have subtly dominated human life, but only a few religious fringe groups seek to alter the situation. Problems inherent in occupation are consistently posed throughout the text, engaging the reader and masking the fact that the book isn't tied to a particular set of characters until its midsection. Though Clarke's book is not as disembodied as The Martian Chronicles, it does rely on a series of interrelated vignettes to showcase the fate of humanity, echoing Bradbury's technique but adapting it to create something new and entirely fitting to the premise. Clarke's characters lie somewhere between full development and replicable stock personalities. While this may dismay those of us who are drawn to elaborate characterizations, Clarke is supremely efficient, providing details when necessary and creating a believable fictional world that is fully fleshed out despite some gaps in the specific timeline.
Clarke pays obvious homage to many great writers and thinkers along his path, with paraphrased quotations delightfully sprinkled throughout the text and a direct link to Olaf Stapledon's Star Maker. Childhood's End pays fitting homage to generations of human thought within its own textual play on human legacy and piques the imagination. There is much philosophy to be unpacked in this novel, which is a great read that goes just beyond the surface of common dystopian vision to present a new problem for humanity to solve.
Grade: A
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