Childhood's End: Difference between revisions
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''Childhood's End'' is a novel by [[Arthur C. Clarke |
''Childhood's End'' is a novel by [[Arthur C. Clarke]], originally published in 1953 (but based off of a 1950 short story of his). The plot concerns the [[Benevolent Alien Invasion]] of a race called the Overlords. After stopping the [[Cold War]] and establishing a world government, they maintain peace on Earth, but refuse to show themselves for fifty years. Humanity enters a golden age, before spoilery events happen. Yeah, you can't read much more than that without the entire plot being given away. |
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As suggested by the title, the main theme of the book is the end of humanity's "childhood" into a new era. |
As suggested by the title, the main theme of the book is the end of humanity's "childhood" into a new era. |
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[[Shout-Out|Shout Outs]] to it in fiction are not uncommon, ranging from some in ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' and ''[[ |
[[Shout-Out|Shout Outs]] to it in fiction are not uncommon, ranging from some in ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' and ''[[Xenogears]]'' to the cover of [[Led Zeppelin]]'s ''Houses of the Holy", and the [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]] song "Watcher Of The Skies". |
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=== Tropes Used: === |
=== Tropes Used: === |
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* [[Adaptation Expansion]]: The first part of the novel is basically a slightly-altered retelling of Clarke's short story "Guardian Angel". The second and third parts are original, about what happens after. |
* [[Adaptation Expansion]]: The first part of the novel is basically a slightly-altered retelling of Clarke's short story "Guardian Angel". The second and third parts are original, about what happens after. |
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* [[Ancient Astronauts]]: The myths aren't from memory, but precognitive visions of the aliens. |
* [[Ancient Astronauts]]: The myths aren't from memory, but precognitive visions of the aliens. |
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* [[Ascend to |
* [[Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence]]: {{spoiler|The current generation of humans will be the last one and with them human civilization will cease to exist, as all their children born from that moment on are no longer human and will mind-meld and ascend into a higher form of consciousness that transcends material bodies. Ultimately, that is the fate of all sentient races, except those that are "stuck"}} |
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* [[Assimilation Plot]] |
* [[Assimilation Plot]] |
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** {{spoiler|Ever wondered where ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' got the whole Instrumentality sequence from?}} Now you know. |
** {{spoiler|Ever wondered where ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' got the whole Instrumentality sequence from?}} Now you know. |
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* [[Last of His Kind]]: [[Lampshaded]]. "He had always been a good piano player, and now he was the best in the world." |
* [[Last of His Kind]]: [[Lampshaded]]. "He had always been a good piano player, and now he was the best in the world." |
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* [[Older Than They Think]]: Clarke joked in his updated prologue that new readers will think that the opening scene with the fleet of alien ships blocking the sun was ripped off from ''[[Independence Day]]'' (despite this being written in ''1953''!). In fact, Clarke himself knew of an even earlier story with the same scene. |
* [[Older Than They Think]]: Clarke joked in his updated prologue that new readers will think that the opening scene with the fleet of alien ships blocking the sun was ripped off from ''[[Independence Day]]'' (despite this being written in ''1953''!). In fact, Clarke himself knew of an even earlier story with the same scene. |
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{{quote|"...I am also informed that [[Independence Day|its]] opening is identical to that of ''[[Childhoods End|Childhood's End]]'' (1953) and that it contains [[Cliché Storm|every known science fiction cliché]] since Méliès' ''[[A Trip to |
{{quote|"...I am also informed that [[Independence Day|its]] opening is identical to that of ''[[Childhoods End|Childhood's End]]'' (1953) and that it contains [[Cliché Storm|every known science fiction cliché]] since Méliès' ''[[A Trip to the Moon]]'' (1903)."|'''Arthur C. Clarke''', in the Sources and Acknowledgments section of ''3001''}} |
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* [[Old Shame]]: He mentions in the Millennial edition that he wrote this when he still had a belief in the paranormal. |
* [[Old Shame]]: He mentions in the Millennial edition that he wrote this when he still had a belief in the paranormal. |
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* [[Ominous Floating Spaceship]] most likely the [[Trope Maker]], certainly a contender for the [[Ur Example]], were it not for Clarke's own comments that the Trope is older. |
* [[Ominous Floating Spaceship]] most likely the [[Trope Maker]], certainly a contender for the [[Ur Example]], were it not for Clarke's own comments that the Trope is older. |
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* [[Outgrown Such Silly Superstitions]]: Every religion besides Buddhism is then discredited. |
* [[Outgrown Such Silly Superstitions]]: Every religion besides Buddhism is then discredited. |
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* [[Psychic Powers]]: The new generation of babies start showing various forms of these. Most notably, Telekinesis. |
* [[Psychic Powers]]: The new generation of babies start showing various forms of these. Most notably, Telekinesis. |
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* [[The End of the World |
* [[The End of the World as We Know It]]: {{spoiler|Earth and everything on it become energy for the new generation's journey to join the Overmind}} |
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* [[The Singularity]] |
* [[The Singularity]] |
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* [[Space Whale Aesop]]: Stop killing animals and ruining earth's environment because {{spoiler|you're evolving into a new form that will eventually ruin the Earth anyway!}} |
* [[Space Whale Aesop]]: Stop killing animals and ruining earth's environment because {{spoiler|you're evolving into a new form that will eventually ruin the Earth anyway!}} |
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