Childhood's End - Arthur C. Clarke

Hi all,

This month's selection continues our look into humanity, aliens, and possible futures for the Earth. It's one of my favorite Arthur C. Clarke stories and it is going to make for another great meeting! I don't want to say too much for fear of spoiling it for those who have not read it yet. What I can say is that it is a story about oppression and creativity. It is about overcoming obstacles and imagining what life could be like if humans are not alone in the universe.

Book of the Month
"Childhood's End" - Arthur C. Clarke (1953)

I found this 1953 New York Times book review a little dry and spoilery but it's a fun read. William Du Bois serves a backhanded compliment at the beginning that made me chuckle: "It must be said at the outset that Mr. Clarke's publishers have offered his novel as science-fiction, a label that too many readers still associate with Captain Video, rocket-ship sagas and invasions of super-gremlins from universes other than our own. It is quite true that "Childhood's End" contains some of these standard ingredients, but Mr. Clarke has mixed them with a master's hand."

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