Syfy’s two big book adaptations, Childhood’s End and The Expanse, will both premiere in the US on December 14th.

Adapted from Arthur C. Clarke’s novel by Life on Mars’ Matthew Graham and directed by Nick Hurran, Childhood’s End follows the peaceful invasion of Earth by the alien Overlords, who promise to eliminate poverty, war and sickness – ushering in a golden age of peace, health and security for all of humankind. But why do the Overlords insist on hiding their appearance – and what do they ultimately want from Earth? While much of the world enjoys its newfound utopia, some suspect there’s a price to pay. As the truth about the Overlords’ intentions are revealed, humanity will discover its actual destiny may actually be a nightmare, instead of a dream.

The cast is led by Charles Dance, Mike Vogel (Under the Dome), Daisy Betts (The Last Resort), Yael Stone (Orange is the New Black), Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck), Osy Ikhile (The Fear) and Colm Meaney (Star Trek: The Next Generation).

The three x 2-hour episodes will air from 14-16 December.

Accompanying them the first two nights will be the opening two episodes of The Expanse, based on the New York Times bestselling book series collectively known as The Expanse, written by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (under the pen name James S. A. Corey).

Described as “the most ambitious series in Syfy history”, The Expanse is set two hundred years in the future, after mankind has colonized the solar system. “A hardened detective (Thomas Jane, Hung) and a rogue ship’s captain (Steven Strait, Magic City) come together for what starts as the case of a missing young woman and evolves into a race across the solar system to expose the greatest conspiracy in human history.” The rest of the 10 part series will air on Tuesday evenings.