Through the Depths of the Universe: Complete Sci-Fi Works of Olaf Stapledon (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Star Maker, Last and First Men, Odd John, The Flames, A Modern Magician, Last Men in London…By Olaf Stapledon
Length79h 19m
About this audiobook
Through the Depths of the Universe: Complete Sci-Fi Works of Olaf Stapledon gathers the visionary fiction through which Stapledon transformed science fiction into a vehicle for philosophical speculation. From the vast evolutionary panoramas of Last and First Men and Star Maker to the intimate studies of abnormal consciousness in Odd John and Sirius, these works combine cosmic scale with grave, lucid prose. Their style is austere yet rhapsodic, poised between scientific romance, modernist meditation, and metaphysical epic, anticipating later traditions of planetary, posthuman, and "big idea" science fiction. Olaf Stapledon, born in 1886, was a British philosopher, educator, and social thinker whose experiences as an ambulance driver during the First World War and whose academic training in philosophy deeply shaped his fiction. His interest in ethics, pacifism, collective destiny, and the future of intelligence led him to write narratives less concerned with adventure than with humanity's moral and cosmic possibilities. This volume is strongly recommended for readers seeking science fiction at its most ambitious and intellectually serious. It rewards those interested in speculative evolution, cosmic history, theology without dogma, and the fate of consciousness in an immense universe.
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
Length79 hrs 19 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJan 8, 2021
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
60Star Maker
2Introduction
61PREFACE
3Historical Context
62I THE EARTH
4Synopsis (Selection)
63II INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL
5Novels
64III THE OTHER EARTH
Show all chaptersShow less
6Last and First Men
65IV I TRAVEL AGAIN
7Preface
66V WORLDS INNUMERABLE
8Introduction By One of the Last Men
67VI INTIMATIONS OF THE STAR MAKER
9THE CHRONICLE
68VII MORE WORLDS
10II Europe’s Downfall
69VIII CONCERNING THE EXPLORERS
11III America and China
70IX THE COMMUNITY OF WORLDS
12IV An Americanized Planet
71X A VISION OF THE GALAXY
13V The Fall of the First Men
72XI STARS AND VERMIN
14VI Transition
73XII A STUNTED COSMICAL SPIRIT
15VII The Rise of the Second Men
74XIII THE BEGINNING AND THE END
16VIII The Martians
75XIV THE MYTH OF CREATION
17IX Earth and Mars
76XV THE MAKER AND HIS WORKS
18X The Third Men in the Wilderness
77XVI EPILOGUE: BACK TO EARTH
19XI Man Remakes Himself
78A NOTE ON MAGNITUDE
20XII The Last Terrestrials
79Darkness and the Light
21XIII Humanity on Venus
80PREFACE
22XIV Neptune
81Part I - CRISIS
23XV The Last Men
82Part II - DARKNESS
24XVI The Last of Man
83Part III - THE LIGHT (pt. 1)
25Last Men in London
84Part III - THE LIGHT (pt. 2)
26PREFACE
85Sirius (pt. 1)
27INTRODUCTION THE FUTURE’S CONCERN WITH THE PAST
86Sirius (pt. 2)
28CHAPTER I THE WORLD OF THE LAST MEN
87Sirius (pt. 3)
29CHAPTER II EXPLORING THE PAST
88Sirius (pt. 4)
30CHAPTER III THE CHILD PAUL
89Death into Life (pt. 1)
31CHAPTER IV PAUL COMES OF AGE
90Death into Life (pt. 2)
32CHAPTER V ORIGINS OF THE EUROPEAN WAR
91Death into Life (pt. 3)
33CHAPTER VI THE WAR
92A Man Divided
34CHAPTER VII AFTER THE WAR
931 - A WEDDING FIASCO
35CHAPTER VIII THE MODERN WORLD
942 - VICTOR'S EARLY LIFE
36CHAPTER IX ON EARTH AND ON NEPTUNE
953 - BEGINNINGS OF OUR FRIENDSHIP
37Odd John
964 - BUSINESS MAN AND SOLDIER
38CHAPTER I JOHN AND THE AUTHOR
975 - NEW START
39CHAPTER II THE FIRST PHASE
986 - MAGGIE'S EARLY LIFE
40CHAPTER III ENFANT TERRIBLE
997 - UNCERTAIN HAPPINESS
41CHAPTER IV JOHN AND HIS ELDERS
1008 - A DISTRESSING INTERLUDE
42CHAPTER V THOUGHT AND ACTION
1019 - VICTOR FORGES AHEAD
43CHAPTER VI MANY INVENTIONS
10210 - CHECK
44CHAPTER VII FINANCIAL VENTURES
10311 - GLOOM
45CHAPTER VIII SCANDALOUS ADOLESCENCE
10412 - STRANGE TRIUMPH
46CHAPTER IX METHODS OF A YOUNG ANTHROPOLOGIST
105Short Stories
47CHAPTER X THE WORLD’S PLIGHT
106The Flames
48CHAPTER XI STRANGE ENCOUNTERS
107INTRODUCTORY NOTE (pt. 1)
49CHAPTER XII JOHN IN THE WILDERNESS
108INTRODUCTORY NOTE (pt. 2)
50CHAPTER XIII JOHN SEEKS HIS KIND
109The Seed and the Flower
51CHAPTER XIV ENGINEERING PROBLEMS
110The Road to the Aide Post
52CHAPTER XV JACQUELINE
111A Modern Magician
53CHAPTER XVI ADLAN
112East is West
54CHAPTER XVII NG-GUNKO AND LO
113A World of Sounds
55CHAPTER XVIII THE SKID’S FIRST VOYAGE
114Arms Out of Hand
56CHAPTER XIX THE COLONY IS FOUNDED
115Analysis
57CHAPTER XX THE COLONY IN BEING
116Reflection
58CHAPTER XXI THE BEGINNING OF THE END
117Memorable Quotes
59CHAPTER XXII THE END
Odd John (Annotated)Olaf Stapledon9h 32m$2 · $0.00
Olaf Stapledon: Complete Novels (Annotated)Olaf Stapledon67h 43m$2 · $0.00
Star MakerOlaf Stapledon10h 53m$1 · $0.00
Sirius (Sci-Fi Novel)Olaf Stapledon9h$2 · $0.00
SiriusOlaf Stapledon9h$1 · $0.00
The Complete NovelsOlaf Stapledon68h 29m$1 · $0.00
Death into LifeOlaf Stapledon5h 38m$2 · $0.00
Darkness and the LightOlaf Stapledon6h 50m$2 · $0.00
The Essential Works of Olaf StapledonOlaf Stapledon90h 40m$1 · $0.00
Sirius (Sci-Fi Novel)Olaf Stapledon8h 16m$2 · $0.00
Olaf Stapledon: Complete NovelsOlaf Stapledon68h 30m$1 · $0.00
Star Maker (Summarized Edition)Olaf Stapledon4h 2m$2
Odd JohnOlaf Stapledon9h 22m$1 · $0.00
Star MakerOlaf Stapledon10h 57m$2 · $0.00
The FlamesOlaf Stapledon2h 48m$2 · $0.00
Sirius (Summarized Edition)Olaf Stapledon3h 21m$2
Olaf Stapledon: Collected WorksOlaf Stapledon79h 32m$2 · $0.00
The Essential Works of Olaf StapledonOlaf Stapledon91h 9m$2 · $0.00
Last and First Men (Annotated)Olaf Stapledon14h 9m$2 · $0.00
Judgment DayRick Partlow10h 44m$20
ViniumS. H. Jucha14h 7m$23
Sons of War 4: SoldiersNicholas Sansbury Smith, Tom Abrahams12h 54m$25
Hell to PayMichael Anderle7h 50m$20
A Civil CampaignLois McMaster Bujold18h 49m$32
Warrior’s FateWalt Browning10h 37m$20
The RisenErica Stevens10h 17m$20
100 Years to ExtinctionPeter Solomon14h 48m$27
Amazing Tales Volume 1Max Williams et al.4h 5m$2.30
H. G. Wells: Collected Works (Annotated)H. G. Wells427h 28m$2 · $0.00
Scars of RebellionAnthony J. Melchiorri12h 56m$25
The Galaxy, and the Ground WithinBecky Chambers9h 56m$29 · $0.00
AvengerBlair Howard9h 54m$23
Core’s AttackS.E. Smith5h 57m$17
TimelessR. A. Salvatore12h 30m$33 · $0.00
The Extinction New Zealand Series Box SetAdrian J. Smith23h 7m$30
The Quantum ChainNick Jones12h 59m$23
Thud!Terry Pratchett12h 29m$8 · $0.00
We’re AliveKc Wayland5h 10m$15
Science Fiction & Fantasy CollectionH. P. Lovecraft16h 32m$2 · $0.00
Body Refinement in a Beast Tamer’s World, Book 1Seth Ring14h 7m$27
EmberJeffrey Wilson, Brian Andrews13h 58m$23
The Complete Works of Jane Austen (Unabridged)Jane Austen88h 8m5 (1)$1 · $0.00
Desperate MeasuresBrenda Jackson8h 59m5 (1)$28 · $0.00
Searching For ThanksgivingS.E. Smith4h 24m$20
Naughty 4Brenda Hampton7h 30m$17
The Dance with Me TrilogyShelley Shepard Gray21h 44m$35
Anne Shirley (Complete 14 Book Collection)Lucy Maud Montgomery125h 28m$2 · $0.00
The DopemanJaQuavis Coleman5h 25m$20
Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate CollectionArthur Conan Doyle59h 49m$5 · $0.00
WhistlerAnn Patchett10h 45m4.3 (13)$29 · $0.00
Grand Opening 2Carl Weber9h 16m$20
Sons of Valor II: Violence of ActionBrian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson12h 34m$23
Malevolent MagicMildred Abbott7h 13m$17
Bikes, Toys, and Hot BoyzGenesis Woods, Shantaé13h 9m$23
War LordBernard Cornwell13h 21m$33 · $0.00
Ghetto BastardK’wan7h 37m$20
The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic NovelFrancis Scott Fitzgerald4h 45m$18 · $0.00
The Vineyard BrideKatie Winters5h 5m$15
The Fyodor Dostoyevsky Complete CollectionFyodor Dostoyevsky266h 5m5 (1)$200 · $0.00
You may also like
Master Prompt EngineeringRui Jorge Claro2h 53m$10 · $0.00
Strategies For Financial SuccessEdivaldo Ascaneo32m$6 · $0.00
Gamification (Audiobook)Unknown Author1h 30m$18 · $0.00
ISO/IEC 38500: A pocket guide, second editionAlan Calder46m$14 · $0.00
The New Roaring TwentiesPaul Zane Pilzer8h 40m$20 · $0.00
Business-Englisch lernen Audio - Motivieren Sie Ihr Team!Spotlight Verlag1h 14m$23
Amazing Tales Volume 92Fox B. Holden et al.1h 59m$2.30
Polyglotpython:Jimmy L. De Mello1h 41m$30 · $0.00
Social Media Marketing BoostFernando Moreira0m1 (1)$7 · $0.00
Change by Design, Revised and UpdatedTim Brown7h 37m$26 · $0.00
The Complete NovelsOlaf Stapledon68h 29m$1 · $0.00
Economic Fundas Episode 5 - The Most Important Over in Cricket: Probabilistic ThinkingAmit Varma, Vivek Kaul36m$4
The NumeratiStephen Baker7h 55m$17 · $0.00
The AI Culture BlueprintSagar Pandya1h 30m$2 · $0.00
AI in the Writing WorkshopDennis Magliozzi, Kristina Peterson5h 28m$20
Roget's Thesaurus (Annotated)Peter Mark Roget29h 35m$2 · $0.00
Google ItAnna Crowley Redding4h 18m$15
Four Days a WeekJuliet Schor7h 21m$24 · $0.00
The Definitive Guide To The World's Leading Artificial IntelligenceKael Novera6h 51m$8 · $0.00
Story Behind HyperfaceRekha Balakrishnan9m$4