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Hello world. I have not updated the blog in a while since I decided schoolwork was as good an excuse as any not to pay attention to the world. I've decided to relay my thoughts about some of my recent reads to all of you because some of the books I read this year were quite good and I think they are worth looking into by any science fiction or fantasy enthusiast.
This week I will cover a classic Golden Age science fiction novel titled "Childhood's End" by Arthur C. Clarke. The novel's primary focus is to decode the ultimate fate of the human race as a transitional species. As a transitional species, the role of the human race is not to explore the far reaches of the universe or to travel through time. Instead, the humans are destined to give birth to trans-humans with extrasensory perception and powers that the human race cannot explain through science.
The span of the book encompasses many generations of humans beginning with the generation that lived during the Cold War. Events quickly deviate from reality when extra-terrestrials travel to earth and eliminate any military and nuclear threats that could potentially cause the extinction of the humans. The aliens, or Overlords as they are called, serve a much greater being in the universe and they have traveled to Earth to ensure that the humans fulfill their duty as the race that gives rise to the new humans.
The most significant part of the story for me was discovering the physical attributes of the Overlords. They are unlike any extra-terrestrial being one could imagine in that they resemble an all too familiar human icon. I do not wish to spoil this, however I will say that I was disturbed at the prospect of seeing such an icon in the light that is presented in the novel.
Suffice it to say, the book covers quite a bit of territory in the realm of science fiction. Published in 1953, the book does a terrific job of exploring the potential of the human race even by today's standards. I would encourage people with even the slightest interest in science fiction to read this classic. I'll be back next week to add more to the expanding pool of knowledge that is the Internet.
