Last and First Men

Olaf Stapledon’s Last and First Men is a science fiction first published in 1930. Olaf Stapledon uses the form to consider speculation, discovery, and the consequences of unfamiliar ideas, keeping the emphasis on how ideas become choices, conflicts, and consequences. Rather than depending on topical novelty, the book builds its interest through the interaction of character, situation, and idea. The book’s distinctive character comes from an imaginative style shaped by invention, tension, and intellectual curiosity. At roughly 115,372 words with a fairly difficult reading profile, it offers a reading commitment that is easy to judge before beginning while still leaving room for close attention. Its continuing value lies in its place in the development of speculative literature and its continuing questions about progress and humanity. It remains worth reading for the precision with which it turns speculation into a sustained literary experience. Its combination of period detail and recognizable human concerns makes it suitable for independent reading, discussion, or a first exploration of Olaf Stapledon’s work.