The Man Who Saw Humanity From Two Billion Years Away
A Man Who Saw Humanity from Two Billion Years Away
Olaf Stapledon's 1930 novel 'Last and First Men' is a speculative history of humanity spanning two billion years, told from the perspective of the Last Men. Eschewing traditional narrative, Stapledon creates a mythic vision of civilizations rising and falling, influenced by his wartime experiences and mystical insights. The novel's ideas—from telepathy to the Dyson sphere—have seeded countless science fiction works, from X-Men to 'Seveneves'. This article explores Stapledon's life, his 'Anglesey vision', and his enduring influence on writers like Borges and Doris Lessing.
A science fiction author could spend their career turning Stapledon's speculative paragraphs into novels.
- justin66
The last I checked, it was weirdly difficult to buy a copy of Last and First Men and be certain you were getting the complete book as it was intended to be read by the author.
Oddly, this article is "adapted from Matthew De Abaitua’s introduction to Olaf Stapledon’s "Last and First Men," which says "abridged" on the cover. I wonder what that's all about.
- nuclearsugar
The book that he wrote next, Star Maker, is a wonderful read and is quite early for the genre of scifi. Incredible scope and I still think about it often.
- hoppp
I loved the book. It was great.