Olaf Stapledon Books in Order
23 books are credited to Olaf Stapledon, published between 1916 and 2017; 12 of them appeared after Olaf Stapledon's death in 1950. The first book is The Seed and the Flower (1916) and the newest is Olaf Stapledon, Best Stories (2017). Publication order is the reading order below.
- Books
- 23
- Published
- 1916–2017
- Pages on record
- 3,350 in 11 of 23 books
Olaf Stapledon (1886-1950) was an English philosopher who wrote science fiction, and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted Stapledon in 2014. Born in Cheshire, Stapledon spent early childhood in Port Said, Egypt, then worked in shipping offices there and in Liverpool. In the First World War Stapledon was a conscientious objector, driving ambulances in France and Belgium and receiving the Croix de Guerre. Last and First Men (1930), Odd John (1935) and Star Maker (1937) are among 23 catalogued books.
How many Olaf Stapledon books are there?
Olaf Stapledon has 23 books, released between 1916 and 2017. 12 of them were published after Olaf Stapledon's death in 1950.
Olaf Stapledon Books in Publication Order
The table lists all 23 Olaf Stapledon books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.
- 1The Seed and the Flower1916 · confirmed 1/41916–1/4
- 2Last and First Men1930 · 246 pages · confirmed 1/419302461/4
- 3Last Men in London1932 · 269 pages · confirmed 1/419322691/4
- 4Odd John1935 · 191 pages · confirmed 1/419351911/4
- 5Star Maker1937 · confirmed 1/41937–1/4
- 6Darkness and the Light1942 · 181 pages · confirmed 1/419421811/4
- 7Old Man in New World1944 · confirmed 1/41944–1/4
- 8Sirius1944 · 188 pages · confirmed 1/419441881/4
- 9Death into Life1946 · confirmed 1/41946–1/4
- 10The Flames1947 · confirmed 1/41947–1/4
- 11A Man Divided1950 · confirmed 1/41950–1/4
- 12To the End of Time1953 · 775 pages · confirmed 1/419537751/4
- 13The Opening of the Eyes1954 · confirmed 1/41954–1/4
- 14Nebula Maker & Four Encounters1976 · 260 pages · confirmed 1/419762601/4
- 15Four Encounters1976 · confirmed 1/41976–1/4
- 16Nebula Maker1976 · 130 pages · confirmed 1/419761301/4
- 17A Modern Magician1979 · confirmed 1/41979–1/4
- 18Far Future Calling1979 · confirmed 1/41979–1/4
- 19Talking Across the World1987 · 382 pages · confirmed 1/419873821/4
- 20An Olaf Stapledon Reader1996 · 314 pages · confirmed 1/419963141/4
- 21Latter-Day Psalms2014 · confirmed 1/42014–1/4
- 22Collected Stories2014 · confirmed 1/42014–1/4
- 23Olaf Stapledon, Best Stories2017 · 414 pages · confirmed 1/420174141/4
Olaf Stapledon books grouped by series
Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. None of these groups has a reading-order page of its own on this site.
Standalone books
23 books23 Olaf Stapledon titles here are not listed as part of any series.
Do you have to read Olaf Stapledon books in order?
No. No source lists any of the 23 Olaf Stapledon books here as part of a series. The numbered table above gives them by publication date.
Where to start with Olaf Stapledon
Start with The Seed and the Flower (1916), the earliest published title.
What is the newest Olaf Stapledon book?
Olaf Stapledon, Best Stories (2017) is the newest Olaf Stapledon book released so far.
Is there a new Olaf Stapledon book coming?
No next Olaf Stapledon book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.
Awards Olaf Stapledon has won
Wikidata records 2 awards for Olaf Stapledon. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.
- Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame2014Won
- Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award2001Won
Olaf Stapledon at a glance
- Died
- Olaf Stapledon died in 1950, according to Wikidata.
- After death
- Books credited to Olaf Stapledon are still being published after Olaf Stapledon's death in 1950; the newest appeared in 2017.
- Release pace
- Olaf Stapledon books have appeared about one every 5 years on average.
- Length
- 3,350 pages across the 11 of 23 books with a recorded length, a median of 260 pages each.
- Busiest decade
- Most Olaf Stapledon books, 5 of 23, were published in the 1970s.
What the Olaf Stapledon books are about
12 of the 23 Olaf Stapledon books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: science fiction is tagged on 7 of 12. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.
- Science fiction 7 of 12 books
- Long Now Manual for Civilization 6 of 12 books
- Fiction in English 4 of 12 books
- Science fiction, English 3 of 12 books
- Authors 2 of 12 books
- English literature 2 of 12 books