Star Maker (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Sci-Fi NovelBy Olaf Stapledon
Length11h 9m
About this audiobook
Star Maker is Olaf Stapledon's visionary 1937 masterpiece, a work of speculative philosophy cast as cosmic fiction. Beginning with a solitary narrator's out-of-body journey beyond Earth, the novel expands into a vast survey of civilizations, galaxies, collective minds, and ultimately the enigmatic creator of the universe. Its prose is austere, elevated, and meditative, closer to prophetic essay or metaphysical epic than conventional adventure. In literary context, it stands among the foundational texts of modern science fiction, anticipating later concerns with deep time, alien intelligence, and cosmic evolution. Stapledon, an English philosopher, pacifist, and lecturer, brought to fiction an unusual combination of scientific curiosity, ethical seriousness, and metaphysical speculation. His experiences in the First World War, his academic training, and his commitment to social and spiritual inquiry all shaped his ambition to imagine humanity within a far larger moral and cosmological order. Star Maker emerges from these concerns as both imaginative literature and philosophical investigation. This book is essential for readers seeking science fiction at its most intellectually daring. Those interested in cosmology, philosophy, theology, or the history of speculative literature will find in it a challenging, humbling, and profoundly original vision.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 4.3 (218)
Includes Goodreads, Amazon, StoryGraph, LibraryThing
GenreScience Fiction, General Fiction
Length11 hrs 9 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJan 8, 2021
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The Hill of Dreams (Annotated)
261. BUSY UTOPIAS
2Introduction
272. INTERMUNDANE STRIFE
3Synopsis
283. A CRISIS IN GALACTIC HISTORY
4Historical Context
294. TRIUMPH IN A SUB-GALAXY
5PREFACE
305. THE TRAGEDY OF THE PERVERTS
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6I THE EARTH
316. A GALACTIC UTOPIA
71. THE STARTING POINT
32X A VISION OF THE GALAXY
82. EARTH AMONG THE STARS
33XI STARS AND VERMIN
9II INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL
341. THE MANY GALAXIES
10III THE OTHER EARTH
352. DISASTER IN OUR GALAXY
111. ON THE OTHER EARTH
363. STARS
122. A BUSY WORLD
374. GALACTIC SYMBIOSIS
133. PROSPECTS OF THE RACE
38XII A STUNTED COSMICAL SPIRIT
14IV I TRAVEL AGAIN
39XIII THE BEGINNING AND THE END
15V WORLDS INNUMERABLE
401. BACK TO THE NEBULAE
161. THE DIVERSITY OF WORLDS
412. THE SUPREME MOMENT NEARS
172. STRANGE MANKINDS
423. THE SUPREME MOMENT AND AFTER
183. NAUTILOIDS
43XIV THE MYTH OF CREATION
19VI INTIMATIONS OF THE STAR MAKER
44XV THE MAKER AND HIS WORKS
20VII MORE WORLDS
451. IMMATURE CREATING
211. A SYMBIOTIC RACE
462. MATURE CREATING
222. COMPOSITE BEINGS
473. THE ULTIMATE COSMOS AND THE ETERNAL SPIRIT
233. PLANT MEN AND OTHERS
48XVI EPILOGUE: BACK TO EARTH
24VIII CONCERNING THE EXPLORERS
49A NOTE ON MAGNITUDE
25IX THE COMMUNITY OF WORLDS
50Analysis
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