Olaf Stapledon

Olaf Stapledon (1886–1950) was a British philosopher, writer, and university lecturer. After studying at Balliol College, Oxford, he worked for his family’s shipping business in Port Said, Egypt, and served with an ambulance unit during the First World War. He received a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Liverpool in 1925. His major science-fiction works include *Last and First Men* (1930), *Last Men in London* (1932), *Odd John* (1935), and *Star Maker* (1937). He also published nonfiction, including *A Modern Theory of Ethics* (1929), and taught at the University of Liverpool until his death.