Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon
Olaf Stapledon‘s vision of mankind’s entire future history until the end is profound, beautiful, and affecting, and was written way back in 1930. It is unfortunate that Last and First Men has not found a wider audience, though it had a deep impact on many of science fiction’s luminaries, including Arthur C. Clarke, who indicated that this book and its later successor Star Maker were the two most influential books he had ever read. In my mind, it is one of the most imaginative early SF classics ever written, and is just as important as the works of H.G. Wells.
Stapledon touches on many themes that still resonate today, particularly mankind’s potential for both great achievements and selfish cruelty, for deep insight and self-delusion. As mankind progresses through 18 major stages over billions of years (apparently influenced by the Hegelian Dialectic), even delving into his own racial past, we see the vast potential of mind in the universe. And though mankind is finally likened to a single movement in the vast eternal symphony of the cosmos, this does not detract in any way from the tragic beauty of our brief existence.
Unlike modern novels, Last and First Men reads like a future history without specific characters, touching down briefly to document key events and pausing to reflect on their significance. Because it was written in 1930, the early chapters about the First Men actually cover world history through our present time, so they are interesting in their predictions of world politics between the two world wars. However, it is only as the time scale picks up towards the end of the First Men that the book hits its stride, so I think most readers can safely skip the first 3-4 chapters without missing anything.
Last and First Men gets far more fascinating as newer generations of men develop, forming larger brains and a telepathically-linked groupmind, but ever again falling back into decay and destruction before seeding the next generation of man, until the Eighteen Men, who turn out to be the Last Men. It’s hard to imagine a grander scale of progress and decline, and it is stunning that Stapledon produced a work of such scope and vision during a time when Europe was consumed by nationalism and conflicting ideologies.
If I remember right, I did bog down in those early chapters. I didn’t finish this when I first tried it. Thanks for the insight that it is written as a history. I think the lack of viewpoint character also stymied me.
I might try it again though, for this influential author. Thanks for the insights, Stuart!
Hi Marion, I would definitely skip ahead to the end of the First Men section. I was starting to get concerned after the first few chapters, but it really picks up after that, since the book actually covers 5 billion years of human evolution. No time for small details like characters or dialogue, so it really is an unusual book, but so worth reading!