Childhood's End
Author: Clarke, Arthur C.
Title: Childhood's End
Publication: New York: Ballantine Books, (1953)
Edition: First Edition
Description: Hardcover. First printing, octavo size, 224 pp. Very good + / good.
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (1917-2008) was an incredibly talented man; by the time of his death he had earned a number of Hugo and Nebula awards for his science fiction, he received the Kalinga Prize in 1961 for popularising science, served twice as the chairman of the British Interplanetary Society, was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1989 and was knighted in 1998.
Perhaps best known to most Americans for "2001 A Space Odyssey", this SciFi novel predates "Odyssey" by fifteen years.
Per Wiki, the "story follows the peaceful alien invasion of Earth by the mysterious Overlords, whose arrival begins decades of apparent utopia under indirect alien rule, at the cost of human identity and culture." The novel received positive reviews and the first printing sold out; it "became Clarke's first successful novel" (ibid).
___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full red cloth over boards, black lettering and publisher's logo stamped onto the spine; octavo size (7 7/8" by 5 3/8"), pagination: [i-vi] 1-214 [3, "About Arthur c. Clarke"] [1, "About Ballantine Books"]. Dust jacket has the correct price of $2.00 with the code "H 33", both at the top of the front flap, summary of book on front flap and publisher's ads for other SciFi books on the back flap, front panel and spine with illustration, lettering in black and red, back panel with black-and-white photograph of (a very young) Clarke with short bio below.
___CONDITION: Volume a bit better than very good, with clean boards, straight corners with a speck of rubbing, a strong text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and the volume is entirely free of prior owner markings; some sunning to the bottom and top edges, mild bumping to the head and tail, very light offsetting to the pastedown endpapers, and the spine slightly cocked. The dust jacket is not price-clipped with all component parts present and attached; we are grading as good only due to overall edgewear which includes some chips at both head and tail (not affecting the lettering) and a closed tear at the top where the front panel and flap meet (approx. 2" long), the spine also sunned and with some light, old staining.
___CITATION: Currey, p. 113; Clute and Nicholls, p. 230.
___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.
___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
Seller ID: 24041801
Subject: Science Fiction
