Childhood’s End is Arthur C. Clarke’s first successful novel. Set in the future, the novel spans over 130 years from the arrival of the alien race known as Overlords to the completed absorption of the world’s children to the entity known as the Overmind. Clarke was a celebrated science fiction writer, commonly considered one of the “big three” science fiction authors, along with Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein. In addition to his writing, Clarke was also an engineer. He was instrumental in the development of geostationary satellites, which revolutionized communication worldwide. He also worked extensively in developing ethical space exploration plans with the United Nations. Childhood’s End was originally published in 1953 and is considered a major work in the genre of science fiction.

There are three different editions of the novel: the original published in 1953, the edition republished in 1990 with a revised first chapter, and the final edition published in 2001, which restores the original first chapter and includes the 1990 revision as an appendix at the end. Adapted into a BBC radio production in 1997 and a SyFy Channel miniseries in 2015, Childhood’s End was also nominated for the 1954 Hugo Award in science fiction. Childhood’s End engages the conflict of Individual Achievement Versus Collective Advancement, a widespread concern in the early years of the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union. The novel also explores themes related to the tension between science and faith and the more universal question of the role of the parent in a child’s coming of age.

This guide uses the Del Ray Ballentine Book paperback edition published in 1990 with the revised first chapter.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide contain discussions of child loss and references to suicide. Additionally, the source text uses outdated and offensive racial language, including the use of the n-word, which is not replicated in this guide.

Plot Summary

Childhood’s End is separated into three parts: “Earth and the Overlords,” “The Golden Age,” and “The Last Generation.” The novel spans more than 135 years of time on Earth. “Earth and the Overlords” covers the first five years of the Overlords’ time on Earth, “The Golden Age” jumps forward 50 years to the revelation of the Overlords’ appearance, and “The Last Generation” describes how humanity and the Earth come to an end.

The precise timeline of the novel varies depending on the edition. The edition referenced in this guide begins after 2001, with humanity preparing to travel to Mars. These preparations are interrupted by the arrival of the Overlords, a seemingly peaceful alien race who, over the course of the novel, transform human society seemingly for the better. The Overlords’ mission on Earth is led by the Overlord Karellen—also referred to as the Supervisor. In the first five years of the Overlord occupation, Karellen works exclusively with Rikki Stormgren—the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Stormgren must mediate between Karellen’s instructions and the general distrust of the Overlords by various pockets of humans, chiefly Alexander Wainwright’s Freedom League. In the course of his work, Stormgren is kidnapped by an extremist wing of the Freedom League and, while remaining loyal to Karellen, is persuaded to attempt to discover the main mystery of “Earth and the Overlords”: the appearance of the Overlords. After engaging the assistance of a renowned physicist, Stormgren successfully glimpses Karellen but keeps his appearance a secret. Karellen promises that the Overlords will reveal their appearance in 50 years’ time.

“The Golden Age” begins with that revelation: The Overlords look like devils. Karellen initially invites two children into his ship and emerges with one on either arm. When viewed closely, the Overlords appear less humanoid than devils are typically portrayed, but they seem to be the inspiration for the legends of devils and demons in various Earth religions. Throughout this section, there are descriptions of how the Overlords changed human society. In essence, it appears to be a utopia: War, disease, poverty, and hunger have been eliminated; with massive automation, there is no necessity for anyone to work, though most still do—especially given universal education through college or graduate study. However, within all the positives, there are concerns that humankind has lost its drive to achieve. Religion has been eliminated, though spirituality remains; art has largely given way to entertainment with the virtual elimination of struggle; the Overlords have prohibited research into space travel, and as a result, science has largely stagnated.

The climax of this section is centered around a housewarming party for Rupert and Maia Boyce. The party introduces Jean Morrel and George Greggson, Jan Rodricks, and the Overlord Rashaverak. At the end of the party, Rupert’s séance tool leads to two major developments: Jan asks the location of the Overlords’ home world, and Jean faints when the star nearest their planet is named. Jean’s fainting reveals to Rashaverak and the Overlords that she has a particular talent, which will come to fruition in her children in the next section. The Overlords also become interested in Jan, just as he pursues his dream to visit the stars.

With the help of an undersea biologist who has been commissioned to send a tableau of a whale and giant squid to the Overlords, Jan stows away in the Overlords’ ship, headed toward their home planet. Although he is discovered, he is successful both in visiting outer space and in seeing the entirety of the Overlords’ planet. The section ends with Karellen’s explanation of the Overlords’ policy for humans to stay on Earth and avoid space—in essence, the human mind is not prepared for the mind-bending experience of space travel.

“The Last Generation” describes the end of humanity and of Earth itself. Ten years after Jan’s departure, Jean and George have married and have two children. Their son, Jeffrey, is the older child and the first to show signs of the transformation that will end humanity. After Jeff is saved from a tsunami by the Overlords, he begins to have dreams that take him throughout space and time. The dreams are actually trances, and Jeff becomes more cut off from his family and friends. Simultaneously, the Greggsons’ baby daughter exhibits bizarre paranormal abilities. George visits Rashaverak for help, and he is told that his children are the first element of human transformation, which is unstoppable. In a matter of months, all the world’s children have entered the same trance-type state of the Greggson children. The Overlords collect them and remove them from possible harm. Over a short period of time, the rest of humanity dies out completely—with one exception: Jan Rodricks.

When Jan Rodricks returns to Earth after seeing the Overlords’ home world, some 80 years after he stowed away, he discovers that he is the last human alive. The children have progressed in their transformation, becoming part of what the Overlords call the Overmind, whom the Overlords serve. The children have been placed on a continent by themselves and are becoming less and less distinguishable from one another physically. They already move as one and act as a single being. They strip their continent of all animals and plants. Jan settles in an abandoned town and dedicates himself to his music.

In a short time, the children begin to affect the rotation of the moon. This manipulation leads to the departure of the Overlords, while Jan stays behind to narrate his experience via radio. The transformation of the children completes when they pull all the Earth’s energy, causing the world to literally dissolve. Karellen reflects on what he sees as the tragedy of his species—they will never transform the way the humans, and four other species, have.