# Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke

4 Hacker News commenters recommended Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended for its sweeping time scale and Clarke's take on a similar subject; one reader found it dated.

## Why people recommend it

- Sweeping time scale of story (1 comments): "The sheer time scale of the story is impressive" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49904487))
- Clarke's take on similar subject (1 comments): "I like Arthur C. Clarke’s take on a similar subject in Childhood’s End." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46427698))

## What people warn about

- Feels dated in places (1 comments): "I thought that it was dated (the Spanish watching a bullfight when the aliens came, oh c'mon!)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46285681))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir](https://hackerapproved.com/p/project-hail-mary.md): 117 recommend
- [There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm](https://hackerapproved.com/p/there-is-no-antimemetics-division.md): 98 recommend
- [Blindsight by Peter Watts](https://hackerapproved.com/p/blindsight.md): 96 recommend
- [Dune by Frank Herbert](https://hackerapproved.com/p/dune.md): 82 recommend
- [Accelerando by Charles Stross](https://hackerapproved.com/p/accelerando.md): 71 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0330514016?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780330514019) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke", https://hackerapproved.com/p/childhood-s-end/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).