Olaf Stapledon

Born in Wallasey in 1886, Olaf Stapledon was a philosopher, novelist, educator, and social reformer. He studied at the University of Liverpool and later taught philosophy there, along with subjects including English literature, industrial history, and psychology.

Stapledon began publishing poetry before turning to the visionary science fiction that made him famous. In Last and First Men (1930), he traced humanity’s possible future across billions of years, while Star Maker (1937) expanded his scope to the evolution of intelligence throughout the cosmos. His work was shaped by pacifism, humanism, and a deep concern with the possibilities—and dangers—of civilization. He died in 1950.