Olaf Stapledon (1886–1950)
Author of Star Maker
About the Author
Image credit: Courtesy of the NYPL Digital Gallery (image use requires permission from the New York Public Library)
Series
Works by Olaf Stapledon
Talking Across the World: The Love Letters of Olaf Stapledon and Agnes Miller, 1913-1919 (1987) 13 copies
Collected Stories 4 copies
Through the Depths of the Universe: Complete Sci-Fi Works of Olaf Stapledon: Star Maker, Last and First Men, Odd John,… (2021) 3 copies
A World Of Sound 3 copies
East Is West 3 copies
Arms Out Of Hand 3 copies
A Modern Magician 3 copies
The Man Who Became A Tree 2 copies
Waking World 2 copies
Interplanetary Man 2 copies
Saints and revolutionaries 2 copies
HACEDOR DE ESTRELLAS 1 copy
STA Juan Raro 1 copy
X Biography 1 copy
Critaturas de fuego 1 copy
Beyond the "isms" 1 copy
X Rare stories 1 copy
THE ROAD TO THE AIDE POST 1 copy
William Olaf Stapledon 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Stapledon, William Olaf
- Birthdate
- 1886-05-10
- Date of death
- 1950-09-06
- Burial location
- Dee Estuary, Wales, UK (ashes scattered)
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Seacombe, Wallasey, Cheshire, England, UK
- Place of death
- Caldy, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Seacombe, Merseyside, England, UK
Caldy, Merseyside, England, UK
Port Said, Egypt
Rocester, Staffordshire, England, UK
Manchester, England, UK
West Kirby, Merseyside, England, UK - Education
- Oxford University (Balliol College)
University of Liverpool (Phd)
Abbotsholme School (Rocester, Staffordshire, England, UK) - Occupations
- novelist
teacher
lecturer
ethicist
philosopher
ambulance driver (WWI) (show all 7)
peace activist - Relationships
- Stapledon, Sir Reginald George (uncle)
- Organizations
- University of Liverpool
- Awards and honors
- Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award (2001)
Croix de Guerre (WWI)
Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame (2014) - Short biography
- Olaf Stapledon, englischer Philosoph und Schriftsteller, wuchs in Ägypten auf und studierte in Oxford. Neben seiner Tätigkeit in einer Reederei hielt er an der Universität Liverpool Gastvorlesungen über englische Literatur und über Geschichte der Industrialisierung. Nach seiner Promotion zum Doktor der Philosophie wandte er sich der Erforschung der philosophischen Richtungen im 20. Jahrhundert zu. Von 1930 an schrieb er Science Fiction. In der Tradition von H. G. Wells stehend, schuf er mit seinen Romanen gigantische Extrapolationen der menschlichen Entwicklung und der Entfaltung des Lebens im Kosmos. (Rückentext »Der Sternenschöpfer«)
Members
Discussions
Olaf Stapledon Question in Science Fiction Fans (February 2014)
"Last and First Men" Group Discussion in Group Reads - Sci-Fi (August 2013)
Reviews
Last and First Men and Star Maker : Two Science… by Olaf Stapledon
Early sci-fi that I know I read, but don't remember.
I managed to get 31% into this and then just had to give up trying. I really couldn't manage any more of it.
Imagine that William's favourite book is Gulliver's Travels and he decides to have a go at writing a sci-fi version of it having read Brave New World just before starting. I think that pretty much sums up the first 31%.
The problem is that while Gulliver's Travels and Brave New World are both very good books, and both are very well written and keep the reader's attention, Star Maker is tedious, dull and plodding: at least that's how i found it to be. I can imagine for its time it was very exciting, but sadly some books just don't age well and i think this is one of them.
I don't feel that it's bad enough to warrant a place on "The Deleted" page, so it will get a reprieve and stay in my Amazon lists for now and i may give it another go at some future date when i'm feeling a lot better about life and stuff.… (more)
Imagine that William's favourite book is Gulliver's Travels and he decides to have a go at writing a sci-fi version of it having read Brave New World just before starting. I think that pretty much sums up the first 31%.
The problem is that while Gulliver's Travels and Brave New World are both very good books, and both are very well written and keep the reader's attention, Star Maker is tedious, dull and plodding: at least that's how i found it to be. I can imagine for its time it was very exciting, but sadly some books just don't age well and i think this is one of them.
I don't feel that it's bad enough to warrant a place on "The Deleted" page, so it will get a reprieve and stay in my Amazon lists for now and i may give it another go at some future date when i'm feeling a lot better about life and stuff.… (more)
This 1944 sci-fi novel is about a genetically-modified humanized dog and the girl who loved him. I doubt that Lassie or Fury owes anything to it, but Dean Koontz must have known it when he wrote Watchers (there's even a small clue in a very brief mention of a failed ape experiment in Sirius).
[According to his Wikipedia article, DK has a long relationship with dogs and with a charitable organization for service dogs.]
Anyway, as mildly interesting as this book is, if you are not a connoisseur of this type of thing and want to read about a super-smart dog, I would recommend Watchers instead.… (more)
[According to his Wikipedia article, DK has a long relationship with dogs and with a charitable organization for service dogs.]
Anyway, as mildly interesting as this book is, if you are not a connoisseur of this type of thing and want to read about a super-smart dog, I would recommend Watchers instead.… (more)
Wild ride through the imagination of Stapledon. I like his writing style and see the appeal of this book. I just was not in the mood for fun, plotless survey of his imagination. Maybe another time.
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 62
- Also by
- 13
- Members
- 5,398
- Popularity
- #4,619
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 121
- ISBNs
- 241
- Languages
- 12
- Favorited
- 17
- About
- 1
- Touchstones
- 174