- Chronological Confusion Alert: Depending on which copy of Childhood's End you have, you'll read one of two different Chapter 1s. The original featured two scientists: Reinhold in the U.S. and Schneider in the USSR. Both are attempting to launch the first spaceship into space for some military shenanigans. But if you have the revised version from 1990, the first chapter will be as follows.
- Helena Lyakhov performs her usual ritual before heading for the launch site: She chats with a statue named Yuri. Actually, we bet it's a statue of Yuri Gagarin—that would make way more sense.
- She tells Yuri how Russia is preparing to go to Mars. Heading back to the office, she is approached by a busload of tourists, all wanting a picture of the Deputy Commander of the Mars Expedition.
- Before any photos can be taken, a giant shadow slides across the sky all cinematic-like.
- Mission Commander Mohan Kaleer stands on the rim of a crater on Hawaii, thinking on the multinational space expedition to the red planet.
- Kaleer sees a giant ship descending on Earth at the same time Lyakhov sees one in Russia.
- Mankind is not alone in the universe, for reals.