Of course the SF world is all
atwitter with the upcoming release of the new STAR WARS movie on December 18,
but The Syfy Channel has something to keep fans distracted while they wait for
the Big Day. Starting Monday, December 14 at 8:00 p.m. EST and running for
three consecutive nights, the network adapts Arthur C. Clarke’s classic SF
novel Childhood’s End for the small
screen.
Take a look at the trailer HERE:
This tale of “beneficial” aliens who
create a Golden Age of peace and prosperity on Earth, only to exact a terrible
price, was Clarke’s first successful novel, published in 1953. It has been the
inspiration for numerous other stories, teleplays and movies, including
CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED in 1960, and Clarke’s own 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY in 1968.
(Some might include any film showing massive motherships hovering over the
cities of the world, or any episode of STAR TREK that kept populations somnambulant
under a computer in that count.) It has become a solid pillar of the genre, a
must-read for any science fiction newbie.
I first read the book as part of
a course taught by my SF mentor and philosophy professor, Dr. Scott Crom, at
Beloit College. I remember gasping, then laughing in delight, when I got to the
Big Reveal of the novel. (No spoilers here. If you haven’t done so, you’ll have
to read it for yourself, or watch the mini-series!) Suffice it to say, Clarke—like
my favorite, Rod Serling, and others of his day—only served to encourage my
basically suspicious nature. Be careful what you wish for, they said, and trust
no one!
Clarke’s idea has been reworked
so many times it is no longer new. Perhaps it wasn’t even new in 1953. But his
expression of it was shiny enough to earn him a Retro Hugo Award for Best Novel
nomination in 2004.
The novel has long been
considered impossible to film, largely because of its ending, I imagine. And The Syfy Channel may not be the best venue for an adaptation. The network’s creative
efforts are uneven, at best. Still, I am excited to see what they will do with
this favorite of my early SF reading years. And, besides, what else is there to
do while we wait for December 18?
Cheers, Donna
Read this classic many, many, many years ago and I'm looking forward to seeing it. Let's hope SyFy does it proud. Some of their newer SciFi offerings have been very encouraging! (Dark Matter, I'm looking at you!)
ReplyDeleteYeah, SyFy has been improving of late. Looking forward to THE EXPANSE in January, too. And I won't say how many years ago that college class was, either, Laurie! :)
ReplyDelete