A smart copy of the first edition of Olaf Stapledon's imaginative and philosophical science fiction novel. It has long been considered to be one of the finest works of science fiction ever written. Some of the elements and themes briefly discussed prefigure later fiction concerning genetic engineering and alien life forms. A pervading theme is that of progressive unity within and between different civilizations. The narrator starts with a concern at the clash of ideas on Earth and finds analogies to both communism and fascism among the aliens he visits. It tackles philosophical themes such as the essence of life, of birth, decay and death, and the relationship between creation and creator, and it succeeds in evoking a sense of the sheer scale and complexity of the cosmos. It dwarfs in scale even his 1930 book Last and First Men, which is a history of the human species over two billion years. Stapledon undertakes the immense task of describing the entire history of life in the universe. Star Maker is a cornerstone work of science fiction. Star Maker is an influential science fiction novel by Olaf Stapledon, written in 1937.

Still a very desirable and a rarely seen first edition. Front cover is worn with splitting at the front cover and spine, no previous owner's names, not exlibrary. This book is much rarer than the hardcover in dust jacket ($4000 - $12000). This is the rare original trade paperback issued in the same year as the hard cover.

Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon