The Overmind
What is the Overmind? Funny you should ask: It's the question that has been plaguing readers of Childhood's End since 1953, and it will continue to do so until the book is out of print or humanity...
Ocean and Space
Not to oversimplify things here, but the ocean and outer space represent the unknown in Childhood's End. The only difference is which direction you have to travel to get there.Jan Rodricks starts h...
Carina Constellation
The Overlords' home world orbits a star—the enticingly named NGS 549672—in the constellation Carina. Hey, maybe it's just us, but the fact that the constellation is singled out so often in Jan'...
Religious Imagery
Most people probably don't think of religious imagery when they think of science fiction. They think of spaceships, alien cultures and green-skinned women. And while that's all in the novel—well,...
The Overlords' Spaceships
When the Overlords' ships first appear over Earth, they seem to be like any other alien invaders: They park their vehicles over the major cities of the world, and you settle back to watch the firew...