Last and First Men"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. |
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achieved actually admiration aerial communication ęsthetic American ancient Anglo-French War animal Antarctica artificial bacterium beauty became began biological body brain carnivora centuries China Chinese civilization cloudlets conceived continent cosmopolitan cosmos course craving culture developed disaster divine dominated earth electrolysis energy eternal Europe experience fact Fifth Fifth Men flight future Gordelpus human race human species individual industrial intellectual intelligence intercourse kind less living loyalty man's manner Martian mental merely million nature Neptune never occurred ocean once organization party past minds Patagonian peace period persons physical planet population primitive produced racial radiation radio-active regarded remained remote Russia Russo-German War sacred scarcely scientists Second Second Men senescence serious sexual sexual intercourse social solar system spirit supreme telepathic terrestrial things thought thousand tion tragic unity vast Venerian Venus viduals vision vital whole wholly