Childhood's End Themes

The science of science fiction is more than the trappings of faster-than-light travel, strange alien species, and technology that makes smart phones look like something a caveman wouldn't be caught...

We've got to give Childhood's End credit: It sure doesn't take the easy road here. Too many novels approach this theme like it's a Hallmark Card, and their answers to these grand mysteries are so s...

Cool tech has been a staple of science fiction since its inception. Jules Verne's Captain Nemo had his baller submarine, the Nautilus, and H.G. Wells's alien invaders from War of the Worlds ca...

In Childhood's End, it can be hard to tell which characters are free and which ones are confined. Check it out: The Overlords seem to be free agents until a twist at the end reveals that these alie...

When you ponder sources for morality, what do you think of? The Bible? The Buddha? Your parents? Those PSA messages tacked to the end of afterschool cartoons? Most people probably don't think of sc...

Power is not an obvious force in Childhood's End. Reaching a certain power level—like, say, 9,000—won't let you fly, punch through walls, or develop the ability to shoot fireballs from your han...

Heraclitus was the guy who said you can't step into the same river twice, and the thought is meant to express that things are always changing. If he had read Childhood's End, he might have said you...

In Childhood's End, the manipulation just doesn't quit. Sure, the Overlords manipulate humanity… but who manipulates the Overlords? The Overmind. And who manipulates the Overmind? Well, we never...

Imagine you see a demon—horns, hooves, leathery wings, breath smelling bitterly of brimstone and coffee, the works. Now, if you saw that demon, you'd probably think to yourself that guy is all ab...