Can man go any further without assistance? This is the underlying question in the book Childhood's End. From the very start we are introduced to the Overlords who have come to earth in order to save man from self-destruction. Childhood's End is of human progress. "In some way or other man journeys to contact with the unknown, and comes face to face simultaneously with the possibility of transcendence and the limits of his humanity"(Slusser 155). This transformation is brought about by the Overmind.

A critic describes the Overmind and Overlord interplay as "a reworking of the morality-play situation of the Devil trying to steal away from God the souls of men"(Samuelson 104). This is a good idea and can a lot of explaining for the reader. The idea that the Overmind is a God-like being makes sense in that this is the reason for converting the children of earth into something greater perhaps so they can enter the Kingdom of God. With the Overlords help man quickly went as far as he could with science and technology, "the price man must pay for continued progress is the human form divine"(Slusser 153).

But what are the Overlords and Overmind tryin

g to save us from? The way another critic describes it is "Salvation is attained by an elaborate process by which man is delivered from the tyranny of matter"(Lois and Stephen 104) This would work well with the above morality issue. The Overlords choose the path of technology over the mystery of the Overmind, however the Overlords have only been able to go so far with the technology. Perhaps that is why they represent the devil, they choose the path of technology but that path has only taken them so far and they have not found true happiness by going that path, they are envious of every race of people that gets to join the Overmind. The Overmind is "God", true happiness and Salvation is obtained by choosing that path. However since they are not really God and Devils the Overlords work with the Overmind helping people make the right choices and join the Overmind.

Rose, Lois and Stephen. The Shattered Ring: Science Fiction and the Quest for Meaning. John Knox Press, 1970.

In closing I draw the following conclusion that science can only take us so far and that idea is personified in the Overlords. We need to be able to make the jump from science to faith so that we can further our progress and through this progress comes true understanding.

Brigg, Peter. Three styles of Arthur C. Clarke: the Projector, the Wit and the Mystic. Taplinger Publishing Co., 1977

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