Science fiction fans have been holding their breath since last year's announcement that Syfy planned on developing a mini-series based on the Arthur C. Clarke novel Childhood's End.

Now, fans of the book can get a taste of what to expect in a new clip from Syfy, although the video is really just a teaser, with Charles Dance narrating and explaining just a little of the setting of the story being adapted for television.

"We on Earth have begun to get things wrong," Dance says in the clip. "There's economic crises, disease, war. We need supervising, we need reigning back."

*Spoiler Alert*

Those who have read the books know that "reigning back" results in a peaceful alien invasion. These aliens become Overlords and their presence brings about a sort of Utopia to Earth - and of course, as a result, the culture suffers and the human race faces an identity crisis.

Clarke published Childhood's End in 1953 and it quickly became the author's first successful novel, as well as one of his best, in the opinion of many fans as well as many critics. There have been other attempts to adapt the novel into film, but to date, the only adaptation to surface was a BBC radio version.

Last year, Syfy announced that the network would adapt the novel as a mini-series to air on their network. Later, they announced that Dance – best known as Tywin Lannister on Game of Thrones – would star as the alien Overlord Karellan. Mike Vogel (Under the Dome) is Ricky Stormgren, a midwestern farmer who eventually becomes ambassador for the human race. Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck) rounds out the cast as Rupert Boyce, an "enigmatic American entrepreneur."

The film's executive producers are Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind, I am Legend) and Mike De Luca (Captain Philips, The Social Network). The novel's adaptation into the television event was done by Matthew Graham (Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes).

Childhood's End premieres on Syfy in December.

[Photo Credit: Syfy]

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