In 1948 stapledon, gave a talk titled interplanetary man. The book describes a history of life in the universe, dwarfing in scale. Sirius by stapledon, olaf and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Nov 20, 2016 when i read these words a quarter of a century ago i was only vaguely aware of olaf stapledon. Star maker is a science fiction novel by british writer olaf stapledon, published in 1937. Jan 27, 2008 star maker olaf stapledon wesleyan university press, 2004. Stapledon is the great classical example, the cold pitch of perfection as he turns scientific concepts into vast ontological epic prose poems, the ultimate sf writer. The book describes a history of life in the universe, dwarfing in scale stapledon s previous book, last and first men 1930.
Clarke i cited earlier science fiction writer and philosopher olaf stapledon, who had a profound influence on clarke. Year by year, month by month, the plight of our fragmentary and precarious civilization becomes more. Olaf stapledon s 1937 successor to last and first men offers another entrancing speculative history of the future. Pdf star maker book by olaf stapledon free download 272. Narrated by the same voice as narrated last and first men the novel is a sequel of sorts. The book starts with an introduction by one of the last men. Star maker tackles philosophical themes such as the essence of life, of birth, decay and death, and the relationship between creation and. Stapledon wrote many books in his life, including odd john, sirius, worlds of wonder, darkness and light. A work of unprecedented scale in the genre, it describes the history of humanity from the present onwards across two billion years and eighteen distinct human species, of which our own is the first. The earth our story begins with an unassuming nights. Without intention, the narrator of olaf stapledon s book, star maker, finds himself whisked away on a disembodied journey through the cosmos, moving with impunity through time and space to witness the history of the universe.
William olaf stapledon 10 may 1886 6 september 1950 known as olaf stapledon was a british philosopher and author of science fiction. Its narrator, a contemporary earthman, joins a community of explorers who travel to the farthest reaches of the universe, seeking traces of intelligence. Wherein the author discusses the work in relation to. Star maker is a science fiction novel by olaf stapledon, published in 1937. Free download or read online star maker pdf epub book. Pdf last and first menstar maker book by olaf stapledon. The first edition of the novel was published in 1937, and was written by olaf stapledon. Fiction in english, science fiction, fiction, cosmology, long now manual for civilization. Jan 18, 2019 the book i picked up was his star maker link is to amazon. Olaf stapledon books list of books by author olaf stapledon. Olaf stapledon download star maker olaf stapledon ebook. Star maker tackles philosophical themes such as the essence of life, of birth, decay and death, and the relationship.
Olaf stapledon 18861950 was born near liverpool and educated at balliol college, oxford and liverpool university. This page was last edited on 4 february 2017, at 12. Last and first men is probably the ultimate book of human evolution. One of my favorite books, and in this book he describes.
Star maker by olaf stapledon abebooks shop for books. Cover has dj front pasted to cover by the publisher. First published in 1937, olaf stapledon s descriptions of alien life. The star maker science fiction olaf stapledon high on love. Star maker olaf stapledon preface audiobook youtube. Sirius by olaf stapledon is a science fiction novel and part of the gollancz sf masterworks collection. Free download or read online last and first menstar maker pdf epub book. I once read a scifi book called the star maker by olaf stapleton, a fascinating book.
All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. When he decided that the former book which chronicled the entire future history of humankind had not been nearly ambitious enough, stapledon followed it up with a history of the entire universe, culminating in a brief glimpse into the nature and history of god himself the. First published in 1930, olaf stapledon writes a history of mankinds future over a period of two billion years. Why olaf stapledons star maker is essential reading. Olaf stapledon s star maker 1937 a story of one mans psychic journey through the history and future of the entire universe. Stapledon is one of science fictions greatest thinkers, and this book is a bit of a slogi had to keep going back a page to reread each time i. The key points of stapledons star maker theology are outlined in the. Odd john first edition olaf stapledon bauman rare books. Olaf stapledon s star maker 1937, a cosmic epic that combines bewildering magnitudes with precise and arresting details, remains one of the enduring classics of science fiction. Olaf stapledon is better known for last and first men 1930, a sweeping history of the future whose early chapters are now embarrassingbut star maker leaps straight into a unfurling vision of infinity. The story details the mental journey of an unnamed narrator who is transported not only to other worlds but also other galaxies and parallel universes, until he eventually becomes part of the cosmic mind. Star maker by olaf stapledon first edition pub 1937.
First published in 1937, olaf stapledon s descriptions of alien life are a political commentary on human life in the turbulent interwar years. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. Star maker by olaf stapledon meet your next favorite book. Stapledon is one of science fictions greatest thinkers, and this book is a bit of a slogi had to keep going back a page to reread each time i got lost. The book i picked up was his star maker link is to amazon. Sirius is the pinnacle of thomas trelones experiments, the body of a large dog with the intelligence of a gifted human. Stapledon did not call his books science fictionthe term is supposed to have been invented in america in 1929but he was certainly aware that his selfimposed task was to illuminate, in fictional form, the perspectives of modern. Written by olaf stapledon, audiobook narrated by andrew wincott. Stapledon worked steadily on the novel over four years, struggling first with its bold and unconventional metaphysical speculations and then with its narrative shape. Stapledon describes the various types of civilisation his observer visits, and while theyre initially based on extrapolations of earth biology even the symbiotic races, which play such a great part in the book but soon it transpires the stars are sentient, and then the galaxies too. The rest of the book is a survey of what they found.
Olaf stapledon, author of last and first men 1930 and star maker 1937 has a claim to being the greatest. Star maker by olaf stapledon, 9781857988079, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. The two of them leave to find world after world, collecting awarenesses, and forming a collective mind. Jun 09, 2016 preface to olaf stapledon s star maker 1937 an introduction to what is arguably one of the most important works of early science fiction. Star maker by olaf stapledon book chat earnestlyeston. The main characters of this science fiction, fiction story are. See all books authored by olaf stapledon, including star maker, and last and first men, and more on. From these incredible books sprang a range of ideas such as planetary terraforming, genetic engineering, human evolution, transcendence, dyson spheres. At a moment when europe is in danger of a catastrophe worse than that of 1914 a book like this. Pdf star maker book by olaf stapledon free download 272 pages.
Get this book free when you sign up for a 30day trial. Star maker is a science fiction novel by olaf stapledon, published in 1. The next, he is whirling through the firmament, and perhaps the most remarkable of all science fiction journeys has begun. The book challenges preconceived notions of intelligence and awareness, and ultimately argues for a broadened perspective that would free us from culturally ingrained thought and our inevitable. Starmaker by olaf stapledon is a classic of early 20th century science fiction. At a moment when europe is in danger of a catastrophe worse than that of 1914 a book like this may be condemned as a distraction from the desperate. Synopsis star maker is an influential science fiction novel by olaf stapledon, written in 1937. It describes the rich tapestry of cosmic evolution, surpassing in scale his previous novel first and last men 1930, which details the history of humanity from the present day back to two million years ago. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 438 pages and is available in paperback format. Olaf stapledon has 62 books on goodreads with 49518 ratings.
Star maker is a science fiction novel by british writer olaf stapledon, published in the book describes a history of life in the universe, dwarfing in scale stapledon s previous book, last and first men, a history of the human species over two billion years. But it is for last and first men 1930 and star maker 1937 that he is most famous. Widely regarded as one of the true classics of science fiction, star maker is a poetic and deeply philosophical work. Olaf stapledon project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Even stapledon s other great work, last and first men, pales in ambition next to star maker. The book describes a history of life in the universe, dwarfing in scale stapledon s previous book, last and first men 1930, a history of the human species over two billion years.
Olaf stapledon, a professor with a doctorate in philosophy, published two earlier novels, last and first men 1930 and odd john. It was stapledon s fourth novel and was first published in 1937. A pervading theme is that of progressive unity within and between different civilizations. Jun 09, 2016 olaf stapledon s star maker 1937 a story of one mans psychic journey through the history and future of the entire universe. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or.
When olaf stapledon wrote star maker in 1937, it was under the cloud of a war to come, with extreme ideologies on the rise, and he saw his books as a way of addressing not just this issue, but also the ones that deeply bothered him, be it private ownership, the division of people into narrow categories, of ideologies that divided people, the. The book describes a history of life in the universe, dwarfing in scale stapledons previous book, last and first men 1930, a history of the human species over two billion years. William olaf stapledon 10 may 18866 september 1950known as olaf stapledon was a british philosopher and author of science fiction. Star maker olaf stapledon 1937 preface at a moment when europe is in danger of a catastrophe worse than that of 1914 a book like this may be condemned as a distraction from the desperately urgent defence of civilization against modern barbarism. Stapledon was born in seacombe, wallasey, on the wirral peninsula in.
Star maker, by olaf stapledon, is an incredible novel by an author whose contributions to science fiction are unique and serve as inspiration to many of the greatest works in the field. A story of the near and far future is a future history science fiction novel written in 1930 by the british author olaf stapledon. First published in 1937, olaf stapledon s descriptions of alien. Star maker tackles philosophical themes such as the essence of life, of birth, decay and death, and the relationship between creation and creator. Star maker olaf stapledon chapter 1 audiobook youtube. One moment a man sits on a suburban hill, gazing curiously at the stars.
Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Then i embarked on a lifelong journey in stapledons universe. William olaf stapledon 18861950 has been depicted by some critics as a feeble kind of fellow. In 2014, he was inducted into the science fiction and fantasy hall of fame. Star maker olaf stapledon wesleyan university press, 2004.
Nov 28, 2011 stapledon lead a remarkably interesting life and despite his limitations as a writer though i personally have no problem with his style and even virginia woolf told him that star maker is the kind of book she wished she could write and political thinker, his soaring, unstoppable imagination triumphed every time. William olaf stapledon 10 may 1886 6 september 1950 known as olaf stapledon was a british philosopher and author of influential works of science fiction. After spending eighteen months working in a shipping office in liverpool and port said, he lectured extramurally for liverpool university in english literature and industrial history. Star maker is a 1937 science fiction novel by olaf stapledon, and a sequel of sorts to last and first men. The book describes a history of life in the universe. Sep 26, 20 it all begins with a man staring up at the stars. With an almost psychedelic flair, stapledon describes a cerebral travelogue that starts from earth and proceeds to another world where he experiences a humanoidlike society but with different sensory inputs that has shaped their sociocultural behaviors. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 272 pages and is available in paperback format. Star maker by olaf stapledon star maker 1937 is a scifi novel written by british writer olaf stapledon. On the contrary, i believe he was a man of marked character, an athlete in his youth at oxford, and certainly a brave man to have embarked on an enterprise as considerable as the present book. Clarke and through clarke, olaf stapledon sent me on a wild search. The book describes a history of life in the universe, dwarfing in scale stapledon s previous book, last and first men.
464 42 685 713 1351 705 1152 1192 1600 215 64 1239 699 705 973 1462 65 1293 277 1306 1122 1015 1252 94 117 864 278 462 765 611 654 87 343 1025 1229