SCOUT· 28%1h 22m·2025-11-25·Arts CultureLast and First Men by Olaf Stapledon
Writer and critic Matthew De Abaitua joins Andy, Una and Nicky to discuss Last and First Men: A Story of the Near and Far Future (1930), the astounding first novel by Olaf Stapledon. The book is one of the founding texts of science fiction, a fact that has both assured its reputation and arguably restricted its…
Scout bees are checking it out — divided opinions, the swarm hasn't committed.
- Platform
- 28%
- Community
- no read yet
- Value
- no read yet
Buzzmeter says it's buzzing across platforms — the Hive Vote says whether the people who actually listened liked it.
Rate this episode
Add your vote to the Hive — listeners rate every episode after they finish.
- No reviews yet — be the first.
What people are saying
“A worthy appreciation of Last and First Men. Some cavils: there are too few details about the individual iterations of humanity, the bizarre details, etc. There's some discussion of this, but not enough for my taste. The genocidal ideology…”
Similar episodes from other shows
More like Backlisted →
The Left Hand of Darkness - an incredible book that shattered the glass ceiling in sci fi
Earthsea, and Other Realms: Ursula Le Guin as Social Inactivist (EF, JP, [UKL])
CultureLab: Emily H. Wilson celebrates the expansive world of science fiction
Episode 154: Live with James Bradley
One great episode in your inbox, daily — free.
One email a day, unsubscribe anytime. No spam, ever.