Front matter
Reading edition
OLAF STAPLEDON
Last and First Men
A story of the near and far future
First published 1930
Contents
PREFACE11
INTRODUCTION, by One of the Last Men15
The Chronicle
IBALKAN EUROPE
1The European War and After21
2The Anglo-French War23
3Europe after the Anglo-French War31
4The Russo-German War37
IIEUROPE’S DOWNFALL
1Europe and America42
2The Origins of a Mystery46
3Europe Murdered51
IIIAMERICA AND CHINA
1The Rivals55
2The Conflict63
3On an Island in the Pacific67
IVAN AMERICANIZED PLANET
1The Foundation of the First World State75
2The Dominance of Science78
3Material Achievement81
4The Culture of the First World State84
5Downfall93
VTHE FALL OF THE FIRST MEN
1The First Dark Age98
2The Rise of Patagonia102
3The Cult of Youth106
4The Catastrophe112
VITRANSITION
1The First Men at Bay120
2The Second Dark Age129
VIITHE RISE OF THE SECOND MEN
1The Appearance of a New Species132
2The Intercourse of Three Species138
3The Zenith of the Second Men143
VIIITHE MARTIANS
1The First Martian Invasion151
2Life on Mars153
3The Martian Mind160
4Delusions of the Martians164
IXEARTH AND MARS
1The Second Men at Bay169
2The Ruin of Two Worlds176
3The Third Dark Age184
XTHE THIRD MEN IN THE WILDERNESS
1The Third Human Species189
2Digressions of the Third Men195
3The Vital Art200
4Conflicting Policies205
XIMAN REMAKES HIMSELF
1The First of the Great Brains209
2The Tragedy of the Fourth Men214
3The Fifth Men221
4The Culture of the Fifth Men225
XIITHE LAST TERRESTRIALS
1The Cult of Evanescence233
2Exploration of Time238
3Voyaging in Space243
4Preparing a New World249
XIIIHUMANITY ON VENUS
1Taking Root Again255
2The Flying Men259
3A Minor Astronomical Event269
XIVNEPTUNE
1Bird’s-Eye View273
2Da Capo275
3Slow Conquest279
XVTHE LAST MEN
1Introduction to the Last Human Species284
2Childhood and Maturity290
3A Racial Awakening294
4Cosmology304
XVITHE LAST OF MAN
1Sentence of Death313
2Behaviour of the Condemned315
3Epilogue321
Diagrams
TIME SCALE 174
TIME SCALE 2133
TIME SCALE 3190
TIME SCALES 4 AND 5285