Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 47 — page 113: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

FICTION Three titles came one hard upon the heels of the other recently from Sidgwick & Jackson (44, Museum Street, London, W.C.1), Although all three are labelled as science fiction, yet only two of them really meet this description. CHILDHOOD’S END, by Arthur C. Clarke, (10s. 6d.) is well in the tradition of science fiction and is probably the most mature novel yet from the prolific pen of this author. Told with power, sincerity and great depth of focus, this story tells of the subjection of Earth by beneficent visitors from the stars. There is no melodrama here. The Overlords, as the star visitors are dubbed, merely hang in the sky and watch, interfering but little and then only to make life easier for the majority of Earth’s popu- lation. The fact that they are so idle makes men suspicious. 112 Why have they come? What is their purpose? Just what is it all about? The Overlords admit to having a purpose but they do not disclose it until it really discloses itself. And here, where the idea involved is tenuous but powerful, nebu- lous but assuredly concrete, the author fails to control his own creation completely. Probably all authors would. But, though this partial lack of integration tends to make one dissatisfied with the last section of the book, there can be no doubt that CHILDHOOD’S END is a major contribution to science fiction. This is the only Clarke book published in Britain that we highly recom- mend, and we recommend it very highly. The second S & J title is THE GREEN HILLS OF EARTH (9s. 6d.), a collection of stories by Robert Heinlein, reprinted from the American conmmiclooolkks.com