| Title | : | Olaf Stapledon: A Man Divided (Science Fiction Writers) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0195030877 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780195030877 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1983 |
Probing the recurrent themes and images of Stapledon's novels -- which include Last and First Men, Odd John, Star Maker, and Sirius -- Leslie A. Fiedler brilliantly illuminates the complexity and richness that underlie Stapledon's fiction. As Fiedler demonstrates, Stapledon was very much a product of the 1930s, embracing a set of leftist attitudes that were common to many other "Oxbridge-educated sons of the English upper classes." But, as Fiedler further shows, there is much more to Stapleton's books than their superficial ideological content: his works are unique in their awe-inspiring vision of the breadth of the physical universe and the depths of the human psyche. "Certainly since encountering him," Fielder writes, "I have never been able to stare up at thee night sky with the same secure faith that either God exists or he does not; anymore than I have been able between sleeping and waking to be sure that the nighttime "I" preparing to dream is identical with or totally different from the conscious "I" about to surrender its dominion."
While placing both Stapledon and his apocalyptic ideas in the context of his times, Fiedler argues that Stapledon's obsession with personal mortality and the limits of the ego are at the center of all his work.
Olaf Stapledon: A Man Divided (Science Fiction Writers) Reviews
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Leslie A. Fiedler is known for, among other things, defending genre literature against his fellow highbrow literary critics. This literary biography takes an extreme--one might say "pure"--case in the science fiction of Olaf Stapledon. Personally, I find Stapledon's grander fiction, the books that cover eons, to be a bit much and am not surprised that they did not become very popular during the author's lifetime. His work with smaller scope, most notably his moving Sirius, is more to my speed.
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"It is hard, indeed, to think of anyone, with he possible exception of Wells himself, who has inspired so many later authors to the supreme tribute of imitation. Stapledon's vast cosmological point of view widened once and for all the scale and scope of science fiction, opening up for the imagination unlimited time and space - including realms hitherto reserved for the visionary and the mystic; and his unflagging invention created, in passing, plot material which has since been mined and quarried by writers, who turn episodes he dismisses in a paragraph into whole novels and series of novels . Sam Moskowitz has listed among those so indebted to him: Eric Frank Russel, Clifford D. Simak, Robert Heinlein, Issac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Kurt Vonnegut. I am inclined to add Philip Jose Farmer, Philip K. Dick, Ursula LeGuin, Stanislaw Lem, Samuel R. Delany - and especially, Paul Anderson" - page 6
Olaf Stapledon: A Man Divided is a highly critical analysis of all of Stapledon's major works and Fiedler wastes no time in admitting his general distaste for Stapledon, which is ultimately what makes this volume a very piercing and objective look at someone who is a very unique and equally laborious author.
Personally, I am a huge fan and admirer of Stapledon's work and the scope it covers, but this volume has made me think twice about a figure who - aside from the pure breadth of imagination contained in his work - was at times a very controversial figure both in his private and political life, and understanding these further dimensions of Stapledon allows you - like Fiedler - to adopt a more critical and objective stance towards Stapledon. For me, the most surprising finding was discovering just out of touch with his times Stapledon actually was and this largely accounts for why his works were never really embraced as popular works of art or science fiction, which can sometimes perplex someone who first discovers Stapledon and the sheer unbelievable scope he covers in some of his books.
Fielder spends a fair amount of time on each of Stapledon's books, but I was somewhat disappointed to discover that he devotes no time whatsoever to any of Stapledon's short stories, particularly The Man Who Became a Tree, a personal favourite of mine, and to this end Fielder's book seems unfinished, but as Fielder admits at his book's conclusion when discussing Stapledon's final book...
"Stapledon left The Opening of the Eyes unfinished, I am tempted to believe, not just because death intervened, but because it is essentially unfinishable - like his oeuvre as a whole destined never ti achieve closure." - page 222
Ultimately, if you are interested in Stapledon and his works then you could not go far wrong than to read Fiedler's book. Certainly it is easily to get a copy of than most of Stapldon's own books! I believe anyone who reads this book will leave it with a greater understanding of Stapledon as a whole and the ideas he was trying to convey throughout his works. However, I still believe that, in many respects, Stapledon was far ahead of his time and it is a time we have still not yet encountered and Fiedler's book is just another instalment in the ongoing and unending fascination with Stapledon, a man who could never even find closure in his own life. -
I think this is the first literary biography I’ve ever read..
Quite interesting and fun to read… but do the authors usually dislike who they’re writing about this much?
Leslie called Stapledon a dolt w a secret crush on Hitler like 4 times in this thing 😅
