Olaf Stapledon: Complete Novels (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Philosophical Science Fiction, Cosmic Future Histories, Evolutionary Parables, and Metaphysical Space ExplorationBy Olaf Stapledon
Length67h 43m
About this audiobook
Olaf Stapledon: Complete Novels gathers the full imaginative range of one of speculative fiction's most philosophically ambitious writers, from the cosmic future history of Last and First Men and the metaphysical grandeur of Star Maker to the evolutionary parables Odd John and Sirius. Stapledon's prose is austere, prophetic, and essayistic, less concerned with conventional plot than with vast patterns of consciousness, species, history, and destiny. In literary context, these works stand between H. G. Wells's scientific romances and the later achievements of Arthur C. Clarke, C. S. Lewis, and modern science fiction at its most visionary. Stapledon, born in 1886, was a philosopher, educator, and pacifist whose intellectual formation deeply shaped his fiction. His wartime ambulance service, academic work in ethics, and interest in social progress gave his novels their characteristic fusion of scientific speculation and moral inquiry. He wrote not merely to entertain, but to enlarge the reader's sense of humanity's place in a vast, often indifferent cosmos. This collection is essential for readers seeking science fiction as literature of ideas. It will reward those interested in cosmic imagination, philosophical fiction, evolutionary thought, and the origins of modern speculative writing.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions.
- A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation.
- A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists.
- A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths.
- Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts.
- Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.
Audiobook details
GenreScience Fiction, General Fiction
Length67 hrs 43 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 12, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
2Last and First Men
3Preface
4Introduction By One of the Last Men
5THE CHRONICLE
Show all chaptersShow less
6II Europe’s Downfall
7III America and China
8IV An Americanized Planet
9V The Fall of the First Men
10VI Transition
11VII The Rise of the Second Men
12VIII The Martians
13IX Earth and Mars
14X The Third Men in the Wilderness
15XI Man Remakes Himself
16XII The Last Terrestrials
17XIII Humanity on Venus
18XIV Neptune
19XV The Last Men
20XVI The Last of Man
21Last Men in London
22PREFACE
23INTRODUCTION THE FUTURE’S CONCERN WITH THE PAST
24CHAPTER I THE WORLD OF THE LAST MEN
25CHAPTER II EXPLORING THE PAST
26CHAPTER III THE CHILD PAUL
27CHAPTER IV PAUL COMES OF AGE
28CHAPTER V ORIGINS OF THE EUROPEAN WAR
29CHAPTER VI THE WAR
30CHAPTER VII AFTER THE WAR
31CHAPTER VIII THE MODERN WORLD
32CHAPTER IX ON EARTH AND ON NEPTUNE
33Odd John
34CHAPTER I JOHN AND THE AUTHOR
35CHAPTER II THE FIRST PHASE
36CHAPTER III ENFANT TERRIBLE
37CHAPTER IV JOHN AND HIS ELDERS
38CHAPTER V THOUGHT AND ACTION
39CHAPTER VI MANY INVENTIONS
40CHAPTER VII FINANCIAL VENTURES
41CHAPTER VIII SCANDALOUS ADOLESCENCE
42CHAPTER IX METHODS OF A YOUNG ANTHROPOLOGIST
43CHAPTER X THE WORLD’S PLIGHT
44CHAPTER XI STRANGE ENCOUNTERS
45CHAPTER XII JOHN IN THE WILDERNESS
46CHAPTER XIII JOHN SEEKS HIS KIND
47CHAPTER XIV ENGINEERING PROBLEMS
48CHAPTER XV JACQUELINE
49CHAPTER XVI ADLAN
50CHAPTER XVII NG-GUNKO AND LO
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