In an ambitious move, Syfy has announced plans to adapt Arthur C. Clarke's 1953 sci-fi classic Childhood's End as a six-hour miniseries.

The novel depicts the peaceful invasion of Earth by the mysterious alien Overlords, whose arrival ends all war and helps to establish a world government and a near-utopian society. However, peace and prosperity come at a hefty price.

Childhood's End has been eyed for adaptation several times over the years, including one version for which veteran comics artist Neal Adams produced design work, but no attempts came to fruition.

Syfy has tapped Doctor Who and Sherlock veteran Nick Hurran to direct the miniseries, based on a scrip by Life on Mars co-creator Matthew Graham.

"As we aggressively develop scripted programming over a diverse creative landscape, we want our content to reflect the greatest sci-fi stories from the past and the present," Syfy President Dave Howe said in a statement. "The powerful themes of Childhood's End, from the fearsome price of peace and prosperity, to the very question of what constitutes a human being, remain fascinating and timeless. This will be the most ambitious project for Syfy in many years."

Childhood's End will premiere sometime in 2015.