Clarke saw barrage balloons over London in 1941 during WWII, later becoming alien ships in the novel
Formation of United Nations; formation of Israel; dissolution of the British Indian Empire; apartheid in South Africa,
Clarke's success of two previous books; visit to U.S. exposed him to civil rights issues facing African-Americans; influence on development of Jan Rodricks character
Clarke's background; parapsychology in the 1950s; position on paranormal in the 1950s vs. later skepticism (added but more could be said); book disclaimer. Inspiration for the novel, tricked by Uri Geller at Birkbeck College, distancing himself from pseudoscience
Reference: Moss, Joyce (1997). Literature and Its Times: Civil rights movements to future times (1960-2000). Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them. Gale Research. ISBN0787606111. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
argument for anti-science fiction; reliance on psi rather than science. Counterargument: science of star drive to Overlord planet is reasonable; marine science of Sullivan's habitat; social science descriptions behind the development of New Athens utopia; speculative "exobiology" of the Overlords and exoplanetology of the Overlord planet
See Magill's Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature for information on technology
"it belongs...to that group of stories in which vastly superior aliens intrude into the affairs of men—a plot having perhaps its widest vogue during the decade or so after World War II...In this instance the Overlords, who possess the form of Satan, terminate the Soviet-American race for the Moon, end the threat of nuclear holocaust, and in fifty years bring about a seeming utopia." (Clareson 1976)
"Magic" (psi) vs. science (Ouija, precognition vs. advanced technology of the Overlords[1]) power of science vs. human freedom (compared with Brave New World)
Colonialism; compare with the British in India, analogous with the Overlords on Earth
Posthuman future; future evolution of humanity or ultimate destiny; main theme (according to critics); Stapledon influence; "what is the next stage of human evolution"
Beatie, Bruce A. "Arthur C. Clarke and the Alien Encounter: The Background of Childhood's End." Extrapolation 30.1 (Spring 1989): 53-69.
Father-son theme (George Greggson and his son Jeff). Clarke's father was injured in WWI, having inhaled poison gas in the trenches. He died at the age of 43 in 1931, when Clarke was 13. The theme is found throughout Clarke's work, the first being the relationship between Martin Gibson and his son Jimmy in The Sands of Mars (1951).
McAleer (1992)
Neoteny, humanity as children; extinction of the Homo sapiens species.
Honeyman 2004
Clarke denies the existence of religious themes; this conflicts with many critics and interpretations (not surprising considering many of them got the story completely wrong in their reviews)
For example: David Samuelson and L. David Allen in Clareson 1976. First Samuelson: "we feel the tug of the irrational, in familiar terms. The Overmind clearly parallels the Oversoul, the Great Spirit, and various formulations of God, while the children's metamorphosis neatly ties in with mystical beliefs in Nirvana, 'cosmic consciousness,' and 'becoming as little children to enter the Kingdom of God.'"
L. David Allen: "basically, Childhood's End is a religious vision of the way that mankind might develop and the desirability of that direction." (Clareson 1976)
Clarke was an atheist at the time he wrote the story and argues against religious vision in the story itself. That something can be unknown or beyond the state of understanding does not necessarily require religion. Samuelson and Allen can surely find religious symbolism in just about anything, but there is general agreement that the story is structurally coherent.
Clarke's speculation about the original idea for the novel originating with seeing barrage balloons over London in 1941
Expand prologue version changes
The idea for the aliens was influenced by John W. Campbell's story, The Mightiest Machine (McAleer 88) first serialized in 1934 and published in book form in 1947.
Original short story was written in July 1946; rewritten in 1947. Scott Meredith attempted to sell it, but it was rejected. Meredith requested a rewrite, which added a different ending. It was published in Famous Fantastic Mysteries in April 1950. Clarke expanded the story in February 1952, becoming Part I of the novel. The first draft was completed in December. By the end of January 1953 he was still revising. He visited the New York in April 1953, and Ballantine Books bought the novel at the recommendation of Bernard Shir-Cliff, who told them to buy everything Clarke had, including Expedition to Earth and Prelude to Space. (McAleer 89)
The Overlords travel 40 light-years to Earth from their red dwarf star system in the Carina constellation. They arrive in the [late 20th/early 21st century depending on Clarke's version?] Total trip time is ~2 months at 99 percent the speed of light.
9h 00m 00s−60° 00′ 00″
[original version] Rheinhold Hoffmann is working on the Colombus Moon project on the small Pacific Island of Taratua (ref to Tarawa or Tahuata?) when the Overlords arrive in their ships. Hoffmann was competing in a space race with Konrad Shneider.
[original version] When the Overlords arrive in their ships, Konrad Shneider is working on the Moon project at Lake Baikal, the world's oldest and deepest lake. Schneider was competing in a space race against Rheinhold Hoffmann.
Stromgren, Secretary General of the United Nations, meets Alexander Wainright, leader of the Freedom League, an anti-alien organization, at the United Nations Headquarters.
Goldman, Stephen H. "Immortal Man and Mortal Overlord: The Case for Intertextuality." Death and the Serpent: Immortality in Science Fiction and Fantasy. Ed. Carl B. Yoke and Donald M. Hassler. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1985. 193-208.
Huntington, John. "From Man to Overmind: Arthur C. Clarke's Myth of Progress." Olander and Greenberg 211-22.
Menger, Lucy. "The Appeal of Childhood's End." Critical Encounters: Writers and Themes in Science Fiction. Ed. Dick Riley. New York: Frederick Ungar, 1978. 87-108.
Samuelson, David. "Childhood's End: A Median Stage of Adolescence?" Olander and Greenberg 196-210.
