Childhood's End

By: Arthur C. Clarke

Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer, Robert J. Sawyer - introduction

Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

The Overlords appeared suddenly over every city - intellectually, technologically, and militarily superior to humankind. Benevolent, they made few demands: unify earth, eliminate poverty, and end war. With little rebellion, humankind agreed, and a golden age began.

But at what cost? With the advent of peace, man ceases to strive for creative greatness, and a malaise settles over the human race. To those who resist, it becomes evident that the Overlords have an agenda of their own.

As civilization approaches the crossroads, will the Overlords spell the end for humankind...or the beginning?

BONUS AUDIO: Includes an exclusive introduction by Hugo Award-winning author Robert J. Sawyer, who explains why this novel, written in the 1950s, is still relevant today.

©2001 Arthur C. Clarke (P)2008 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"In Eric Summerer's capable hands, the plot of Childhood's End is smoothly presented and fully credible. He highlights the patient nature of the Overlords, which has caused humans to become ever more complacent. Summerer excels at delivering the aliens' quiet and intensely engaging dialogue with people. His nuanced performance creates a growing feeling of uneasiness in the listener as the Overlords' insatiable curiosity and watchfulness begin to suggest something less than benign at work." ( AudioFile)

Great book

I very much enjoyed this book - brilliant premise, and plot continually developed. Highly recommended.

what did he eat?

Interesting story, which was perhaps initially thought of some deep cosmological meaning. It is certainly there, however I could not shake off the feeling that current politics is quite well mirrored in the story line. The conflict between the globalists seeking to universalize all and the traditionalists / nationalists seeking freedom to be in peace the way they want it... One unresolved question though: what did the traveller eat while visiting the overlords? Also, upon coming back to Earth many years later, when no more humans were present, what did he eat for many years until the grand finale? :-)

Quality Storytelling

Imaginative.

Arthur C Clarke wrote this book back in 1953, and we still here. Living.

Story and narration are outstanding

What did you love best about Childhood's End?

Very surprising and fascinating

What did you like best about this story?

Clarke does a masterful job of revealing new secrets throughout the journey, culminating in a huge final reveal

What does Eric Michael Summerer and Robert J. Sawyer - introduction bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Eric Summerer is a great narrator; pleasant voice, clear enunciation, good differentiation between characters.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Interesting ideas, but flat characters & no story.

Some fans of speculative fiction might consider this a masterpiece. However, if you enjoy a good story with interesting three-dimensional characters, then this story is NOT for you. While the ideas explored in Childhood's End were intriguing, the lack of any interesting plot or relatable characters made it hard for the story to really capture my attention.

The performance was good, but without a solid story behind it, it ended up falling flat.

Surprising and Unexpected

I was quite surprised at how things developed in this book, especially around the overlords look. I was given something unexpected to think about and was quite grateful for that. A great book.

Still as prophetic and moving as ever

Yet another of my all-time favorite sci if novels by Clarke. The story is both profound and gut wrenching, moving quickly along a time line without losing impressive narrative.

My only complaint is the voice of the women-I felt my ears would bleed. For goodness sake, why not get a woman to voice the women?

Great begining, not so great an end.

What did you love best about Childhood's End?

I loved the idea of an alien civilization enforcing law but not interfering so much with the rest of people's lives.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All the characters who spoke directly to the aliens were credible and likable.

What does Eric Michael Summerer and Robert J. Sawyer (Introduction) bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator is professional, it is easy to follow the story and get a feeling of the character's emotions.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the first half of the book, but I didn't like so much the underlying story, once revealed.

Strange Story

An odd story, especially at the end. It was very imaginative but very odd and it did not make a kot of sense. It was not a bad story.

Excellent Philosophical SciFi

I love when a science fiction book creates new ideas and takes a mind blowing Philosophical approach to its story.