“ Science can destroy religion by ignoring it as well as by disproving its tenets. “ Science is the only religion of mankind.” and Clarke's bias against theism is revealed early on in the book by the remarks of one of his characters: The origin and precise nature of the Supermind is not discussed in the story, but then of course if it is a supermind, what can our poor intelligence make of it. Now, there is nothing of God in this, unless you equate the Supermind, which is composed of the composite minds of many species.

It had nourished them, through the fierce moments of their inconceivable metamorphosis, as the food stored in a grain of wheat feeds the infant plant while it climbs towards the Sun.” Childhood's End. They had leeched away the last atoms of its substance. They would leave earth in a pillar of fire and as they left, destroy their birthplace: They would be endowed with supernatural psychic powers, and after developing these powers during a maturation period on earth, would join with the Supermind that had desired this change. That new, improved species was to be derived from the children of the generation visited by the Overlords. Rather, they were acting as nannies for a new humankind, and to prevent mankind from destroying itself until that new man emerged. However, it was not to give mankind Utopia that the Overlords came to Earth. “Utopia was here at last: its novelty had not yet been assailed by the supreme enemy of all Utopias-boredom.” The Overlords institute a benevolent dictatorship, eliminating nuclear fission and other explosive missiles, want and crime. Clarke, is a story about a benevolent take-over of earth by aliens ('the Overlords') who look like the common image of the devil-horns, wings, tail and all that. Surveys of SF apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic works are given in the References*.Ĭhildhood's End, the classic by Arthur C. Rather than giving a catalog of these, I'm going to discuss two classics that span religious attitudes, from atheist to Catholic faithful. There are a host of stories dealing with end-times, ranging from post atomic-war destruction of civilization, destruction of earth by collision with asteroids, alien take-overs of the world, or the final end of the Universe. For the SF author, this can mean the end of the world-earth-the end of the Universe, or the end of everything (from Creatio ex nihilo to Annihilatio ad nihilum). And as the quote above suggests, we're talking about end-times-the Apocalypse, Armageddon, the Ball is Over. In this post, the fourth of the series, I'm going to focus on works for which the religious attitudes of two SF authors cover the range from atheist to true believer. focuses on eschatology-ideas about 'the last days', the end of the world as we know it and the dawning of a radically new era.' Gabriel McKee, The Gospel According to Science Fiction 'Because SF primarily deals with the future, it must inevitably deal with the end of the world, and thus SF overlaps more closely with apocalyptic literature than with any other type of religious writing. Armageddon in Revelation, from 'Israel my Beloved' website

Canticle for leibowitz cobalt bomb