Childhood's End | Literary Precedents
Any understanding of Clarke must acknowledge the influence of Olaf Stapledon's Last and First Men (1931): "With its multi-million-year vistas, and its roll call of great but doomed civilizations, the book produced an overwhelming impact upon me." Stapledon's Star Maker (1938) and Odd John were also formative, especially the latter in its story of a paranormal child. But Clarke should also be read in the light of H. G. Wells's The Time Machine (1895; see separate entry), The War of the Worlds (1898; see separate entry), and "The Star." From Stapledon he...
[The entire page is 267 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
Related Topics
Tell a friend about Childhood's End at eNotes.
