Sirius av Olaf Stapledon berättar om hur forskaren Thomas Trelone med hormoner och kirurgiska experiment skapar en ”superhund”, som behärskar mänskligt språk och mänskligt tänkande. Sirius kommer under hela sitt liv att slitas mellan sina instinkter som hund och sitt mänskliga intellekt, och drabbas dessutom av förföljelse från människor som anser den talande hunden vara en styggelse. Boken är en stillsamt ömsint saga om problemen med att vara annorlunda och till slut ta ställning för vem man innerst inne är, och samtidigt en studie i människors rädsla för det okända. Engelsmannen Olaf Stapledon (1886 – 1950) är mest känd för sina romaner Last and First Men (De sista och de första människorna) och Star Maker (Stjärnskaparen) men skrev flera romaner till. De mest omtalade av dessa är Odd John – om en pojke som föds med övernaturliga krafter, vilket gör att han inte bryr sig om mänskliga konventioner – och Sirius, här för första gången i svensk översättning.
Boken är nyöversatt av KG Johansson. Han har även skrivit en biografi över författaren, samt kommentarer till texten. Stjärnskaparen ingår i TiraTiger Förlags klassikerserie.
Engelsmannen Olaf Stapledon (1886 – 1950) är mest känd för sina romaner Last and First Men (De sista och de första människorna) och Star Maker (Stjärnskaparen) men skrev flera romaner till. De mest omtalade av dessa är Sirius – om en hund som föds med mänsklig intelligens – och Odd John (Konstige John), här för första gången i svensk översättning. Redan som baby är John annorlunda. Han ser konstig ut med sitt stora huvud, de stora ögonen och de spindelliknande lemmarna. Men han är begåvad och överträffar snart syskon och föräldrar – och den skola där han placeras skickar hem honom efter ett par veckor. John växer upp till en märklig yngling, som lever sitt liv hur han vill, utan att bry sig om moral eller lagar. Han har också mentala krafter som gör det svårt för ”normala” att stå emot honom. Med tiden träffar han andra udda människor, och tillsammans beslutar de sig för att skapa en ny värld.
Olaf Stapledonin järisyttävä mestariteos vie lukijansa avaruuden ääriin, miljardien valovuosien taakse.Maan asukas saa yhteyden tähtienvälisiin tutkimusmatkailijoihin, joiden mukana hän lähtee etsimään elämää maailmankaikkeuden kaukaisimmilta kolkilta. Hän kohtaa matkallaan mitä ihmeellisimpiä elämänmuotoja hyönteismäisistä ja kalamaisista eliöistä parvitietoisuuksiin ja älykkäisiin planeettoihin. Kaiken yllä häilyy kuitenkin tuhon uhka, sillä käynnissä on kosminen kamppailu elämästä ja kuolemasta.Tähtien tekijä on ainutlaatuinen, mielikuvituksen rajoja kolkutteleva klassikko, jonka mittakaava hakee vertaistaan kirjallisuuden historiassa.
Olaf Stepldon - krupnejshij futurolog XX veka, stojavshij u istokov Zolotogo Veka nauchnoj fantastiki. Etot ekstsentrichnyj filosof, pedagog i politik sozdal pervuju v mirovoj literature khroniku dalekogo buduschego. Ego proizvedenijami vdokhnovljalis Ajzek Azimov, Artur Klark i Robert Khajnlajn, ego idei realizovyvali fiziki i genetiki.Istorija razdvoenija lichnosti - parafraz istorii doktora Dzhekila i mistera Khajda ili diagnoz sovremennogo obschestva? Chto, esli nash privychnyj obraz zhizni - splosh litsemerie i meschanstvo, a probudivshajasja "temnaja polovina" prizyvaet pokonchit s proshlym, nachat dyshat polnoj grudju, pochuvstvovat vkus borby... i zadumatsja o roli Chelovechestva vo Vselennoj? Etot magicheskij roman - objazatelnoe chtenie dlja vsekh, kogo ne ostavili ravnodushnymi takie knigi, kak "VALIS" Filipa Dika i "Planeta Ka-Peks" Dzhina Brjuera.
V mirovoj literature Stepldon ostaetsja absoljutno unikalnoj figuroj. On okazalsja predtechej Zolotogo Veka nauchnoj fantastiki; temy i sjuzhety ego proizvedenij do sikh por zaimstvujut krupnye pisateli i gollivudskie stsenaristy."Iz smerti v zhizn"... Genialnyj futurolog, uvidevshij dve mirovye vojny, vlozhil v etu knigu vse svoi nadezhdy i opasenija, svjazannye s nashej trevozhnoj epokhoj i sudboj tsivilizatsii... Chto takoe istorija Cheloveka - chereda konfliktov ili vzroslenie Dukha? Smogut li khozjaeva tretej planety - i Solnechnoj sistemy - dostojno projavit sebja v predelakh svoej galaktiki ili razocharujut Sozdatelej zvezd? Stepldon vnov priglashaet nas v dalekoe buduschee, no otvechat na postavlennye voprosy predlagaet samomu chitatelju...
Last and First Men: A Story of the Near and Far Future is a science fiction novel written in 1930 by the British author Olaf Stapledon. A work of unprecedented scale in the genre, it describes the history of humanity from the present onwards across two billion years and eighteen distinct human species, of which our own is the first and most primitive. Stapledon's conception of history is based on the Hegelian Dialectic, following a repetitive cycle with many varied civilizations rising from and descending back into savagery over millions of years, but it is also one of progress, as the later civilizations rise to far greater heights than the first. The book anticipates genetic engineering, and the idea of superminds composed of many telepathically-linked individuals. A controversial part of the book depicts humans, in the far-off future, escaping the dying Earth and settling on Venus-in the process totally exterminating its native inhabitants, a marine intelligent species. Stapledon's book has been interpreted by some as condoning such interplanetary genocide as a justified act if necessary for racial survival, though a number of Stapledon's partisans denied that such was his intention, arguing instead that Stapledon was merely showing that although mankind had advanced in a number of ways in the future, at bottom it still possessed the same capacity for savagery as it has always had. We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.
The Flames by William Olaf Stapledon We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.
Last and First Men: A Story of the Near and Far Future is a science fiction novel written in 1930 by the British author Olaf Stapledon. A work of unprecedented scale in the genre, it describes the history of humanity from the present onwards across two billion years and eighteen distinct human species, of which our own is the first and most primitive. Stapledon's conception of history is based on the Hegelian Dialectic, following a repetitive cycle with many varied civilizations rising from and descending back into savagery over millions of years, but it is also one of progress, as the later civilizations rise to far greater heights than the first. The book anticipates genetic engineering, and the idea of superminds composed of many telepathically-linked individuals. A controversial part of the book depicts humans, in the far-off future, escaping the dying Earth and settling on Venus-in the process totally exterminating its native inhabitants, a marine intelligent species. Stapledon's book has been interpreted by some as condoning such interplanetary genocide as a justified act if necessary for racial survival, though a number of Stapledon's partisans denied that such was his intention, arguing instead that Stapledon was merely showing that although mankind had advanced in a number of ways in the future, at bottom it still possessed the same capacity for savagery as it has always had.
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