Rating: 
Summary: Doesn't hold up
Review: Five years ago, I would have said that this was one of my favorite books. But I just attempted to re-read it, and really it doesn't hold up. I found myself bored with the lack of the depth. I guess I just grew out of this one.
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Summary: One of the indispensable classics of science fiction
Review: "Childhood's End," by Arthur C. Clarke, is a science fiction novel with a truly epic scope and vision. This classic blew my mind when I first read it many years ago. In the novel, the people of Earth witness the arrival of the Overlords, a highly advanced extraterrestrial species. The Overlords establish a seemingly benevolent rule over the comparatively primitive humans. But these powerful aliens remain shrouded in mystery. What is their ultimate agenda? Ultimately, the novel reveals the ultimate destiny of the human species. "Childhood's End" has some almost Lovecraftian touches of terror and mystery. But on the whole I find the novel to be mind-expanding, and oddly inspiring. And the Overlord named Karellen is, to me, one of the most enduring creations in all of science fiction. This book is essential reading for serious readers of science fiction.
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Summary: A Fantastic, Thought-Provoking Read Well Worth Buying
Review: This Arthur C. Clarke novel is excellent, a novel well recommended for not only science-fiction fans but also the neutral reader (readers who don't dislike science-fiction). What really makes this novel good is the writing. I haven't read any other novels by Arthur C. Clarke, but the writing really hits the spot: easy enough for most teenagers to grasp, but sophisticated enough to make you think. The book begins promptly as gargantuan flying saucers appear above some cities of the Earth. They are manned by the 'Overlords', big, benevolent, and too intelligent. The 1950-or-so world drops what they're doing and lets the aliens change their world. Well, not EVERYBODY--a 'Freedom League' springs up that opposes the Overlords. It's the job of a man named Stormgren to quell these guys. The first third of the book is very different from the last two thirds - it centers around the life of Stormgren, and is a little slow at parts but contains a kidnapping and an attempt to discover the Overlords' real identity. (See for yourself in "Barlowe's Guide to the Extra-Terrestrials".) It has a rather sad and abrupt ending. The remaining two-thirds flicks back and forth between short chapters summarizing the progress of the Golden Age the Overlords incite to longer chapters focusing on interesting topics like a dinner party, a Trojan Horse attempt to travel to the Overlords' home planet, and a mini-Utopia set up to embellish the arts & cultures. The ending reveals the Overlords' true mission and is original and very sad. In conclusion, terrific writing transforms a rather thin storyline into an easy, enjoyable read that makes one think. So sit back and enjoy ACC's fine writing style, from fascinating glimpses of the Overlords' home world to looks at the glorious but fading Golden Age. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Read it!!!
Review: hi i am 17 and i hate reading books but this was one of the best books ive read and also one of the very few that i finished. I just wanted to tell people it is worth reading.
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Summary: A Mind Bender!
Review: First off, let me say that if you are reading these reviews for the purpose of trying to decide to read this book, don't read any reviews that are written by anyone from Hoopeston, IL because their class was forced to read this book and I don't think you should write a review if you were forced to read it. This book is the best science fiction I have ever read, but if you've never read science fiction don't start with this because it may be to deep for you. This is a book that definetly makes you think about things. It's a good well written story that is definetly worthy of being called a classic. When reading you're always wondering what this weird story is leading to because it seems like it isn't leading to anything, that it's just a bunch of writing without purpose. It isn't! I won't say anything at all about the ending except you won't expect it at all. I guess my main point is if the book seems boring, which it definetly might, don't stop reading it because of that. The ending is the best I've ever read and well worth the time!
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Summary: Clarke's view of human evolution
Review: First of all, I won't compare this book to any of Clarke's others. This is a work that promotes thought on what man's next step as a species is. The theory of evolution, for those of you who believe in it, is filled with missing links - steps that species take in their development that seem too large to be explained. Maybe these steps can't be explained, but are simply mutations. Mutations need not be viewed in a strictly negative light. Man has evolved through the millenia, and will continue to. Childhood's End describes man's next step in the evolutionary cycle, and how it affects existing humans and the planet earth. The story left me with a sad, empty feeling, causing me to contemplate what the next step in man's evolution really will be.
Rating:
Summary: Transformation
Review: The vision of Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End is as remarkable and beautiful in the year 2001 as it was the day that it was written. I was doing some internet research on the great author when I stumbled upon some recent customer reviews on this masterpiece. It appears that many children in Illinois were recently coerced into reading this book by some Overlord of a teacher. (I'll bet that teacher looks like Satan, himself.) Most of these reviewers felt that this book was an inconvenient waste of time. After all, this time could have been spent watching Temptation Island. One reviewer wrote: "Exactly the type of endings that made me a science fiction hater to begin with. Nothing happened like I expected." The conclusion of this book is quite unexpected. This is, no doubt, disconcerting to children who have been raised on the predictable outcomes of Baywatch, V.I.P., and, of course, the W.W.F. This same reviewer stated: "Nothing imaginative happened, things just disappeared and the book ended". What happens at "Childhood's End" is something that must be believed, in order to be seen! Some twenty thousand years ago, a small change in genetic code transformed certain primates from cannibalistic beasts into beings capable of producing the Mona Lisa, Beethoven's Ninth, and the writings of William Shakespeare. Childhood's End raises the question: What if there is yet another key inside the soul and/or physical being of humankind that can transform us once again as an entire race. Witness the sadness of the Overlord who is condemned to only sit and watch. With all of their advanced technology, with all of their seemingly vast power, The Overlords cannot take that next step. Even with their mighty ships, The Overlords require years to travel across the galaxy. What if humans will one day traverse the galaxy instantly as beings of sheer thought and pure energy. I guess the students of Illinois are not yet ready for "Childhood's End".
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Summary: First Sci-Fi Book Not as Bad as Expected
Review: When my English teacher first assigned this book, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. Childhood's End is the first science-fiction book I have ever read, so I really had no idea of what to expect. The beggining of the book starts off slow, but by the fourth chapter it starts to move at a rapid pace. I found myself being drawn into the characters' lives; I became more and more involved with each page I turned. The book keeps one in suspense to find out what the Overlord's appearance is, where they come from, and what their plan is. I found it interesting how Arthur C. Clarke was able to correctly predict DNA testing and the pill. I especially found it interesting, how he predicts that humans will become lazy in many ways of life. It was interesting how he has science research losing steam, and the arts losing orginality and creativity. By the end of the book, I was ready for a good ending...unfortunately I was to be disappointed. Although, the ending was well written, I found it depressing to think about. I realize that it holds a deeper meaning and understand that meaning, but for myself I still wish their had been a "happier" ending. All in all I thought that it was a good science-fiction starter, and although I don't plan on reading many more, it gave me an understanding of what science-fiction really is.
Rating:
Summary: The Book Was Not as Bad as I expected
Review: When my English teacher first assigned this book for us to read, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. I had never read science fiction before, so I had no idea of what to expect. From the very beginning however, I found myself being drawn into the characters' lives. Just like all the characters, I wanted to know what the Overlords looked like, what their plan was, and where they came from. This book, although it was written in 1953, correctly predicts things that have already come true. Arthur C. Clarke predicts correctly the pill and DNA testing. I also thought it was humorous how he thought it outrageous that people would watch three hours of television a night! After the frist few chapters, the pace really picks up. I found myself becoming more and more interested the more I read. I found the concept of New Athens incrediably intringuing as well. By the end of the book, I was completely involved in Jean and George's lives...I found this book to be a good introduction to science fiction. It helped get rid of many of my misconceptions on what science fiction is about. Childhood's End, although not a book I normally would hav read, turned out to be alright. All in all I would reccomend this book to only those people who are already science fiction lovers.
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Summary: The Last Generation of Mankind on Earth
Review: I do not particularly enjoy science fiction, so I wasn't very trilled about reading this book for class. This book, written about the future, had several prophesies that I can see happening, but overall, I found it very far-fetched. Already the world watches more than three hours of TV each day, but I cannot see aliens coming to Earth in the foreseeable future. I do not believe that there is live on other planets, and I certainly don't think that another race would come to help the human race reach the next step in evolution (especially because I do not believe in evolution.) I don't think that we shall ever as a race reach a Utopia, because so much violence, hatred, and evil goes on in the world. I found the ending to be quite pessimistic. It sounded like an ending of humans, even if Clark meant for it to be a beginning of a new stage. Clark made it sound like it was a coveted stage to reach, but it sounded dismal to me. Overall, I disliked the storyline, but I must give credit to Clark because he made it kind of interesting. He kept baiting the line with some new information that made you want to know what the Overlords would look like, or what their purpose was. I wanted to keep reading simply to find out how it ended, although I found the end depressing. It is not a boring book, but I just didn't agree with Clark's point-of-view.
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