The Legacy of Olaf Stapledon Critical Essays and an Unpublished Manuscript

Although better known for his classic and influential science fiction novels, Olaf Stapledon also wrote eight other science fiction books, seven volumes of philosophy and social criticism, and hundreds of reviews, lectures, and articles. This is the first book collection of original essays dealing with larger issues in Stapledon's writings and with his relationship to such forces as Marxism and literary modernism. The articles develop new avenues for the exploration of Stapledon's work, focusing on philosophical, linguistic, political, and structural elements, and showing how Stapledon's nonfictional writing may illuminate aspects of his fiction. In addition, the book includes Stapledon's hitherto unpublished manuscript "Letters to the Future."