One moment a man sits on a suburban hill, gazing curiously at the stars. The next, he is whirling through the firmament, and perhaps the most remarkable of all science fiction journeys has begun. Even Stapledon's other great work, LAST AND FIRST MEN, pales in ambition next to STAR MAKER, which presents nothing less than an entire imagined history of life in the universe, encompassing billions of years.

John Wainwright is a freak, a human mutation with an extraordinary intelligence which is both awesome and frightening to behold. Ordinary humans are mere playthings to him. And Odd John has a plan to create a new order on Earth, a new supernormal species. But the world is not ready for such a change ...

One of the most extraordinary, imaginative and ambitious novels of the century: a history of the evolution of humankind over the next 2 billion years. Among all science fiction writers Olaf Stapledon stands alone for the sheer scope and ambition of his work. First published in 1930, Last and First Men is full of pioneering speculations about evolution, terraforming, genetic engineering and many other subjects.

'A prodigious novel ... Stapledon's literary imagination was boundless' Jorge Luis Borges A lasting influence on successive generations of science fiction writers and on the physicist Freeman Dyson, this poetic, philosophical tale of one man's unexpected voyage through the universe is imbued with a sense of mystery and vast cosmic loneliness. 'The most wonderful novel I have ever read ... Star Maker remains light years ahead' Brian Aldiss 'Probably the most powerful work of imagination ever written' Arthur C. Clarke 'A unique genius' Doris Lessing 'One of the most creative thinkers of our time' Greg Bear

This early work by Olaf Stapledon was originally published in 1914 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'Latter-Day Psalms' is a collection of poetry. William Olaf Stapledon was born on 10th May 1886 in Wallasey, on the Wirral Peninsula near Liverpool, in England. He completed a Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Liverpool and his first published work of prose A Modern Theory of Ethics (1929) was based on his doctoral thesis. The following year, Stapledon published his first work of fiction Last and First Men (1930), the success of which enabled him to become a full-time writer. He had a great impact in the field of science fiction, influencing notable authors such as Arthur C. Clarke and Brian Aldiss.

This early work by Olaf Stapledon was originally published in 1916 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'The Seed and the Flower' is a science fiction short story. William Olaf Stapledon was born on 10th May 1886 in Wallasey, on the Wirral Peninsula near Liverpool, in England. He completed a Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Liverpool and his first published work of prose A Modern Theory of Ethics (1929) was based on his doctoral thesis. The following year, Stapledon published his first work of fiction Last and First Men (1930), the success of which enabled him to become a full-time writer. He had a great impact in the field of science fiction, influencing notable authors such as Arthur C. Clarke and Brian Aldiss.

Star Maker is a science fiction novel by Olaf Stapledon, published in 1937. Star Maker tackles philosophical themes such as the essence of life, of birth, decay and death, and the relationship between creation and creator. A pervading theme is that of progressive unity within and between different civilizations. Some of the elements and themes in Star Maker prefigure later fiction concerning genetic engineering and alien life forms. Arthur C. Clarke considered Star Maker to be one of the finest works of science fiction ever written.