Peyton Light’s Reviews > Childhood's End > Status Update

Few artists thrive in solitude, and nothing is more stimulating than the conflict of minds with similar interests.

A society consists of human beings whose behavior as individuals is unpredictable. But if one takes enough of the basic units, then certain laws begin to appear—as was discovered long ago by life insurance companies. No one can tell what individuals will die in a given time—yet the total number of deaths can be predicted with considerable accuracy.

“It is a bitter thought, but you must face it. The planets you may one day possess. But the stars are not for Man.”

No Utopia can ever give satisfaction to everyone, all the time. As their material conditions improve, men raise their sights and become discontented with power and possessions that once would have seemed beyond their wildest dreams. And even when the external world has granted all it can, there still remain the searchings of the mind and the longings of the heart.

Fifty years is ample time in which to change a world and its people almost beyond recognition. All that is required for the task are a sound knowledge of social engineering, a clear sight of the intended goal—and power.

There were some things that only time could cure. Evil men could be destroyed, but nothing could be done with good men who were deluded.