Childhood's End

Roger Walter

Reading — Intermediate Level
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Childhood's End is a 1953 science fiction novel by the British author Arthur C. Clarke. The story follows the peaceful alien invasion of Earth by the mysterious Overlords, whose arrival begins decades of apparent utopia under indirect alien rule, at the cost of human identity and culture.

Clarke's idea for the book began with his short story "Guardian Angel" (published in New Worlds #8, winter 1950), which he expanded into a novel in 1952, incorporating it as the first part of the book, "Earth and the Overlords". Completed and published in 1953, Childhood's End sold out its first printing, received good reviews and became Clarke's first successful novel. The book is often regarded by both readers and critics as Clarke's best novel and is described as "a classic of alien literature". Along with The Songs of Distant Earth (1986), Clarke considered Childhood's End to be one of his favorites of his own novels. The novel was nominated for the Retro Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2004.
Source: Wikipedia
  1. In Childhood’s End, the alien invasion of Earth is  
  2. Who are the Overlords?
  3. When was the novel published?
  4. How popular was Childhood’s End?
  5. What do readers and critics think of the novel?
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Discussion

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  1. What is your favorite type of literary genre? Why?
  2. Do you like science fiction? Wy or why not?
    Roger Walter

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    Vocabulary

      • (verb) propose or formally enter as a candidate for election or for an honor or award
      • an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect

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