Novels of alien invasion are as common as dirt; however, peaceful alien invasions are a far rarer breed of story. Beginning with “Guardian Angel,” Clarke began laying the groundwork for the chronicle of the interaction with humanity by the mysterious Overlords who seem entirely benign in intent. Clarke's tale of the end of the human race as we understand it is an epic. The title of the work itself gives you the basic plot: the Overlords are here to help humanity transition to its maturity. The tale of how this unfolds is what makes Childhood's End a work. From the revelation of the Overlords' appearance, to a stowaway's forty light-year journey to the Overlords' home world to the beginning of what the human race is evolving into, this is an epic saga. After five decades of prosperity under the watchful eyes of the Overlords, humanity's future is that of a group mind, one that will be united with an even vaster one as part of the Overmind.