I have seen Olaf Stapledon’s name in several recent articles talking about classic science fiction. Prior to this, I had barely heard his name before. So, I decided to go out and read his most famous work: Last and First Men. It is subtitled “A story of the near and far future” and it that’s probably the most accurate description. So, let’s check it out.

First of all, Last and First Men isn’t a novel in the traditional sense. There are no characters and no ongoing story lines. It’s more of a history lecture from the future than anything else. Unfortunately this makes the reading a little dry at times. Stapledon starts from just after World War I and extrapolates out to which countries will rule the world. He has some hits (US vs China as the two big countries in late 20th Century) and some misses (completely misses WWII and Nazism). Then Stapledon goes through the different men. Our current species is the First Men. Then after a nuclear Holocaust, the survivors start off the Second Men.

There are a number of chapters going on for each type of Men (all the way through the 18th, and Last, Men) who die off when a nearby supernova destroys the solar system. The book does a great job showing that even as Man evolves, he still has a lot of the same problems and prejudices. There are genocides and battles throughout the history.

I wasn’t thrilled with the book. It was interesting, but the dryness and lack of plot/character made it difficult for me to get through. I enjoyed it, but doubt I’d want to read it again. Mildly recommended.