The Collected Works of Olaf Stapledon (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Science Fiction Novels, Fantasy Short Stories and Philosophical WorksBy Olaf Stapledon
Length90h 53m
About this audiobook
The Collected Works of Olaf Stapledon gathers the visionary fiction and philosophical speculation of one of the twentieth century's most original literary minds. From the cosmic histories of Last and First Men and Star Maker to the psychologically searching Odd John and Sirius, these works combine scientific imagination, metaphysical inquiry, and a prose style at once austere, lyrical, and panoramic. Situated between late Victorian utopian writing, modernist experimentation, and the emergence of science fiction as a serious literary form, Stapledon's oeuvre enlarges the genre into a vehicle for ethics, cosmology, and evolutionary thought. Olaf Stapledon (1886–1950) was trained in philosophy and deeply shaped by the crises of modernity: world war, pacifist commitment, socialism, and the rapid expansion of scientific knowledge. His academic interests in ethics and his experience as an ambulance driver during the First World War inform his persistent concern with collective destiny, moral responsibility, and the fragility of civilization. This collection is essential for readers who want science fiction at its most ambitious and intellectually demanding. It will reward those interested in speculative literature, philosophy, futurism, and the history of ideas, offering works whose scale and seriousness remain startlingly contemporary.
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
Length90 hrs 53 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJan 8, 2021
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The Last Man (Dystopian Novel) (Annotated)
2Novels
3Last and First Men
4Preface
5Introduction By One of the Last Men
Show all chaptersShow less
6THE CHRONICLE
7II Europe’s Downfall
8III America and China
9IV An Americanized Planet
10V The Fall of the First Men
11VI Transition
12VII The Rise of the Second Men
13VIII The Martians
14IX Earth and Mars
15X The Third Men in the Wilderness
16XI Man Remakes Himself
17XII The Last Terrestrials
18XIII Humanity on Venus
19XIV Neptune
20XV The Last Men
21XVI The Last of Man
22Last Men in London
23PREFACE
24INTRODUCTION THE FUTURE’S CONCERN WITH THE PAST
25CHAPTER I THE WORLD OF THE LAST MEN
26CHAPTER II EXPLORING THE PAST
27CHAPTER III THE CHILD PAUL
28CHAPTER IV PAUL COMES OF AGE
29CHAPTER V ORIGINS OF THE EUROPEAN WAR
30CHAPTER VI THE WAR
31CHAPTER VII AFTER THE WAR
32CHAPTER VIII THE MODERN WORLD
33CHAPTER IX ON EARTH AND ON NEPTUNE
34Odd John
35CHAPTER I JOHN AND THE AUTHOR
36CHAPTER II THE FIRST PHASE
37CHAPTER III ENFANT TERRIBLE
38CHAPTER IV JOHN AND HIS ELDERS
39CHAPTER V THOUGHT AND ACTION
40CHAPTER VI MANY INVENTIONS
41CHAPTER VII FINANCIAL VENTURES
42CHAPTER VIII SCANDALOUS ADOLESCENCE
43CHAPTER IX METHODS OF A YOUNG ANTHROPOLOGIST
44CHAPTER X THE WORLD’S PLIGHT
45CHAPTER XI STRANGE ENCOUNTERS
46CHAPTER XII JOHN IN THE WILDERNESS
47CHAPTER XIII JOHN SEEKS HIS KIND
48CHAPTER XIV ENGINEERING PROBLEMS
49CHAPTER XV JACQUELINE
50CHAPTER XVI ADLAN
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