{"title":"Olaf Stapledon","description":"Olaf Stapledon was a philosopher and science fiction writer. He published over twenty books throughout his career and is regarded as one of the most influential science fiction writers of the early twentieth century.","products":[{"product_id":"star-maker-paperback","title":"Star Maker - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eOlaf Stapledon\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA contemporary Earthman joins a community of explorers who travel to the farthest reaches of the universe, seeking traces of intelligence. Along the way, they encounter nautiloid water beings, races of hyperspiders and hyperfish, composite group intelligences, plantlike creatures, and other strange life forms. Their dramatic voyage unfolds against a backdrop of life-and-death struggles on a cosmic scale.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStar Maker is the science fiction classic about a human who is transported out of his body and finds himself able to explore space and other planets. The story describes a history of life in the universe and tackles themes such as the essence of life, of birth, decay and death, and the relationship between creation and creator. A pervading theme is the progressive unity between different civilizations. Some of the elements and themes prefigure later fiction concerning genetic engineering and alien life forms. Arthur C. Clarke considered Star Maker to be one of the finest works of science fiction ever written.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 224\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.51 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 27, 2021\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50101527347423,"sku":"9781774641859","price":14.33,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/lpeE4I7pY89781774641859.webp?v=1783593715"},{"product_id":"last-and-first-men-a-story-of-the-near-and-far-future-hardcover","title":"Last and First Men: A Story of the Near and Far Future - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eOlaf Stapledon\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLast and First Men: A Story of the Near and Far Future is a \"future history\" science fiction novel written in 1930 by the British author Olaf Stapledon. A work of unprecedented scale in the genre, it describes the history of humanity from the present onwards across two billion years and eighteen distinct human species, of which our own is the first and most primitive. Stapledon's conception of history is based on the Hegelian Dialectic, following a repetitive cycle with many varied civilizations rising from and descending back into savagery over millions of years, but it is also one of progress, as the later civilizations rise to far greater heights than the first. The book anticipates the science of genetic engineering, and is an early example of the fictional supermind; a consciousness composed of many telepathically-linked individuals.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA controversial part of the book depicts humans, in the far-off future, escaping the dying Earth and settling on Venus -- in the process totally exterminating its native inhabitants, an intelligent marine species. Stapledon's book has been interpreted by some as condoning such interplanetary genocide as a justified act if necessary for racial survival, though a number of Stapledon's partisans denied that such was his intention, arguing instead that Stapledon was merely showing that although mankind had advanced in a number of ways in the future, at bottom it still possessed the same capacity for savagery as it has always had.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 240\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.69 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 06, 2020\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50101595472095,"sku":"9781618957993","price":46.08,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/2wpkdpb7PM9781618957993.webp?v=1783452518"},{"product_id":"star-maker-hardcover","title":"Star Maker - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStar Maker is a science fiction novel by Olaf Stapledon, published in 1937. Star Maker tackles philosophical themes such as the essence of life, of birth, decay and death, and the relationship between creation and creator. A pervading theme is that of progressive unity within and between different civilizations. Some of the elements and themes in Star Maker prefigure later fiction concerning genetic engineering and alien life forms. Arthur C. Clarke considered Star Maker to be one of the finest works of science fiction ever written.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51374012924127,"sku":"9781618957344","price":46.08,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/qOG33RdvZD9781618957344.webp?v=1789168329"},{"product_id":"last-and-first-men-a-story-of-the-near-and-far-future-hardcover-1","title":"Last and First Men: A Story of the Near and Far Future - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA towering landmark of philosophical science fiction, \u003cem\u003eLast and First Men\u003c\/em\u003e by Olaf Stapledon is one of the most ambitious and influential works ever written in the genre.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst published in 1930, this visionary novel presents a sweeping \u003cstrong\u003efuture history of humanity\u003c\/strong\u003e, tracing the rise, fall, and transformation of successive human species across billions of years. Rather than focusing on individual characters, Stapledon turns his gaze outward and forward, exploring \u003cstrong\u003eevolution\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003ecivilization\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003econsciousness\u003c\/strong\u003e, and humanity's place in the cosmos with extraordinary intellectual reach.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlending \u003cstrong\u003especulative evolution\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003ecosmic science fiction\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003ephilosophical inquiry\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLast and First Men\u003c\/em\u003e examines how intelligence adapts to changing worlds, how societies grapple with extinction and renewal, and how moral responsibility might survive across unimaginable spans of time. Its ideas anticipated later discussions of \u003cstrong\u003etranshumanism\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003epost-human futures\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003ehard science fiction\u003c\/strong\u003e, making it a foundational text for modern speculative thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePraised for its originality and prophetic vision, the novel has influenced generations of writers, scientists, and philosophers, and remains essential reading for anyone interested in \u003cstrong\u003eclassic science fiction\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eideas-driven speculative fiction\u003c\/strong\u003e, and the long-term future of humanity. Though challenging, the book rewards readers with a sense of awe rarely matched in literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA cornerstone of early twentieth-century science fiction, \u003cem\u003eLast and First Men\u003c\/em\u003e is ideal for \u003cstrong\u003elibraries\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eacademic collections\u003c\/strong\u003e, and readers seeking a profound, intellectually daring alternative to conventional narrative fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBold, unsettling, and astonishingly prescient, this is science fiction at its most expansive-an enduring masterpiece of human imagination.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51375120187615,"sku":"9781515469360","price":51.28,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/ThaJOWGWxw9781515469360.webp?v=1789193079"},{"product_id":"last-and-first-men-abridged-edition-paperback","title":"Last and First Men, Abridged Edition - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA dazzling work of science fiction to which \u003ci\u003eDune\u003c\/i\u003e, the Foundation trilogy, and \u003ci\u003e2001: A Space Odyssey\u003c\/i\u003e owe a major debt.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eNarrated telepathically by one of the Last Men, Olaf Stapledon's epic history of the future caused a literary sensation when it first appeared in 1930. Over the course of two billion years, it seems, ever more alien versions of humankind will rise and fall -- developing every sort of utopian and dystopian civilization only to descend into savagery again and again, until eventually the Earth's resources are depleted. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis abridged edition takes us from the fall of the First Men to the initial efforts of the Fifth Men, the \"last Terrestrials,\" to colonize other planets!","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51375406612703,"sku":"9780262054621","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/m365xYHE-09780262054621.webp?v=1789200233"},{"product_id":"star-maker-paperback-1","title":"Star Maker - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2020 Reprint of the 1937 Edition. \u003cem\u003eStar Maker\u003c\/em\u003e tackles philosophical themes such as the essence of life, of birth, decay and death, and the relationship between creation and creator. A pervading theme is that of progressive unity within and between different civilizations. Some of the elements and themes briefly discussed prefigure later fiction concerning genetic engineering and alien life forms. Sir Arthur C. Clarke considered Star Maker to be \"probably the most powerful work of imagination ever written\", and Brian W. Aldiss called it \"the one great grey holy book of science fiction\".\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA single human narrator from England is transported out of his body via unexplained means. He realizes he is able to explore space and other planets. After exploring a civilization on another planet in our galaxy at a level of development similar to our own that existed millions of years ago thousands of light years from Earth (the \"Other Earth\") in some detail, his mind merges with that of one of its inhabitants, and as they travel together, they are joined by still more minds or group-minds. This snowballing process is paralleled by the expansion of the book's scale, describing more and more planets in less and less detail.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51438148747487,"sku":"9781684224395","price":15.57,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/0xeHp4-jBd9781684224395.webp?v=1790092517"},{"product_id":"last-and-first-men-paperback","title":"Last And First Men - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"No book before or since has ever had such an impact upon my imagination,\" declared Arthur C. Clarke of Last and First Men. This masterpiece of science fiction by British philosopher and writer Olaf Stapledon (1886-1950) is an imaginative, ambitious history of humanity's future that spans billions of years. Together with its follow-up, Star Maker, it is regarded as the standard by which all earlier and later future histories are measured. The protagonist of this compelling novel is humanity itself, stripped down to sheer intelligence. It evolves through the ages: rising to pinnacles of civilization, teetering on the brink of extinction, surviving onslaughts from other planets and a decline in solar energy, and constantly developing new forms, new senses, and new intellectual abilities. From the present to five billion years into the future, this romance of humanity abounds in profound and imaginative thought.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67576581554399,"sku":"9781519799470","price":16.18,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/xdarQRxeB-9781519799470.webp?v=1790384017"},{"product_id":"last-and-first-men-a-story-of-the-near-and-far-future-paperback","title":"Last and First Men: A Story of the Near and Far Future - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLast and First Men: A Story of the Near and Far Future is a \"future history\" science fiction novel written in 1930 by the British author Olaf Stapledon. A work of unprecedented scale in the genre, it describes the history of humanity from the present onwards across two billion years and eighteen distinct human species, of which our own is the first and most primitive. Stapledon's conception of history is based on the Hegelian Dialectic, following a repetitive cycle with many varied civilizations rising from and descending back into savagery over millions of years, but it is also one of progress, as the later civilizations rise to far greater heights than the first. The book anticipates the science of genetic engineering, and is an early example of the fictional supermind; a consciousness composed of many telepathically-linked individuals.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA controversial part of the book depicts humans, in the far-off future, escaping the dying Earth and settling on Venus -- in the process totally exterminating its native inhabitants, an intelligent marine species. Stapledon's book has been interpreted by some as condoning such interplanetary genocide as a justified act if necessary for racial survival, though a number of Stapledon's partisans denied that such was his intention, arguing instead that Stapledon was merely showing that although mankind had advanced in a number of ways in the future, at bottom it still possessed the same capacity for savagery as it has always had.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67577347735775,"sku":"9781618957986","price":25.56,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/NvJ4ttVnx29781618957986.webp?v=1790391333"},{"product_id":"last-men-in-london-paperback-paperback","title":"Last Men in London (Paperback) - Paperback","description":"","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67577375752415,"sku":"9781849028653","price":18.79,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/zYsbh0GUY79781849028653.webp?v=1790391399"},{"product_id":"star-maker-hardcover-1","title":"Star Maker - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStar Maker is a science fiction novel by Olaf Stapledon, published in 1937. Star Maker tackles philosophical themes such as the essence of life, of birth, decay and death, and the relationship between creation and creator. A pervading theme is that of progressive unity within and between different civilizations. Some of the elements and themes in Star Maker prefigure later fiction concerning genetic engineering and alien life forms. Arthur C. 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Unlike traditional novels, it presents a vast future history of humanity spanning billions of years, chronicling the rise and fall of 18 distinct human species across multiple planets, including Earth, Venus, and Neptune.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKey Themes \u0026amp; Concepts: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCosmic Evolution \u0026amp; Transhumanism - Stapledon explores the biological, psychological, and social evolution of humanity, imagining successive species that surpass Homo sapiens in intelligence, longevity, and adaptability.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCycles of Civilization - The book depicts repeated collapses and rebirths of human civilizations, often due to war, environmental catastrophe, or technological hubris.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCollective Consciousness - Some later human species develop telepathic abilities or group minds, reflecting Stapledon's interest in communal existence beyond individualism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExistential \u0026amp; Philosophical Depth - The novel grapples with humanity's place in the universe, the limits of knowledge, and the possibility of meaning in an indifferent cosmos.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStructure \u0026amp; Style: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten as a \"future history\" from the perspective of the last human species (the Eighteenth Men), the book reads like an epic chronicle rather than a conventional narrative.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStapledon's prose is dense, visionary, and often detached, focusing on grand ideas rather than individual characters.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLegacy \u0026amp; Influence: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInspired later science fiction writers like Arthur C. Clarke, Stanislaw Lem, and H.G. Wells (who praised the book).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnticipated concepts like genetic engineering, terraforming, and post-humanism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIts sequel, Star Maker (1937), expands the scope to a cosmic level, tracing the evolution of intelligent life across the universe.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhy Read It?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA foundational text in \"big idea\" SF, exploring deep time and the far future long before modern works like Dune or Foundation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA philosophical meditation on progress, intelligence, and the fragility of civilizations.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA challenging but rewarding read for fans of speculative thought experiments.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67666913984735,"sku":"9798897731886","price":40.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/4Yk0qrk41a9798897731886.webp?v=1790545856"},{"product_id":"last-and-first-men-a-story-of-the-near-and-far-future-paperback-1","title":"Last and First Men: A Story of the near and far future - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLast and First Men: A Story of the Near and Far Future (1930) is a monumental work of speculative fiction by British philosopher and writer Olaf Stapledon. 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Clarke, Stanislaw Lem, and H.G. 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