Childhood's End

To me, this book is the highpoint for Clarke. I'm not saying that some of the other stuff wasn't great, because it was. All I'm saying is that this is an awesome piece of work that hits all the coolness buttons. It's a little campy, it explores the last man on Earth scenario in a totally new way, it's extremely anachronistic and deals with everything from science to the occult. I like campy and unintentional anachronisms don't bug me, I kinda think they lend a nostalgic feel to the work.

I really don't want to get too much into the story as there are some good twists that I don't want to reveal. Let's just say that Jan is a cool character, but the children are what's cool. The last third of the book is great. The trip to Carina is interesting, but the last few chapters is where Jan shines. I also like the overlord's names.

I really like the whole book. Pick this one up when you can.