Last and First Men

[[C. S. Lewis]], in his own preface to ''[[That Hideous Strength]]'', notes: "I believe that one of the central ideas of this tale came into my head from conversations I had with a scientific colleague, some time before I met a rather similar suggestion in the works of Mr. Olaf Stapledon. If I am mistaken in this, Mr. Stapledon is so rich in invention that he can afford to lend, and I admire his invention (though not his philosophy) so much that I should feel no shame to borrow."

[[C. S. Lewis]], in his own preface to ''[[That Hideous Strength]]'', notes: "I believe that one of the central ideas of this tale came into my head from conversations I had with a scientific colleague, some time before I met a rather similar suggestion in the works of Mr. Olaf Stapledon. If I am mistaken in this, Mr. Stapledon is so rich in invention that he can afford to lend, and I admire his invention (though not his philosophy) so much that I should feel no shame to borrow."

The reference to objecting to Stapledon's philosophy was no accident. In particular, Lewis objected to Stapledon's idea, as expressed in the present book, that mankind could escape from an outworn planet and establish itself on another one; this Lewis regarded as no less than a [[Satan]]ic idea {{Ndash}}especially, but not only, because it necessitated the [[genocide]] of the original inhabitants of the target planet. [[Professor Weston]], the chief villain of Lewis's ''[[The Space Trilogy|Space Trilogy]]'', is an outspoken proponent of this idea (much to his grief, however), and in ''[[Out of the Silent Planet]]'', Lewis opposes to it his depiction of the virtuous and [[stoicism|stoic]] [[Martians]]/Malacandrians who, even though they possess the technology to cross space and colonize Earth. choose to die with their dying planet.

The reference to objecting to Stapledon's philosophy was no accident. In particular, Lewis objected to Stapledon's idea, as expressed in the present book, that mankind could escape from an outworn planet and establish itself on another one; this Lewis regarded as no less than a [[Satan]]ic idea {{Ndash}}especially, but not only, because it necessitated the [[genocide]] of the original inhabitants of the target planet. [[Professor Weston]], the chief villain of Lewis's ''[[The Space Trilogy|Space Trilogy]]'', is an outspoken proponent of this idea (much to his grief, however), and in ''[[Out of the Silent Planet]]'', Lewis opposes to it his depiction of the virtuous and [[stoicism|stoic]] [[Martians]]/Malacandrians who, even though they possess the technology to cross space and colonize Earth, choose to die with their dying planet.

[[Arthur C. Clarke]] has said of Stapledon's 1930 book ''Last and First Men'' that "No other book had a greater influence on my life ... [It] and its successor ''[[Star Maker]]'' (1937) are the twin summits of [Stapledon's] literary career."{{cite web |url=http://www.testermanscifi.org/ClarkeQuotesPart2.html |title=Arthur C. Clarke Quotes |accessdate=8 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070123183810/http://www.testermanscifi.org/ClarkeQuotesPart2.html |archive-date=23 January 2007 }}

[[Arthur C. Clarke]] has said of Stapledon's 1930 book ''Last and First Men'' that "No other book had a greater influence on my life ... [It] and its successor ''[[Star Maker]]'' (1937) are the twin summits of [Stapledon's] literary career."{{cite web |url=http://www.testermanscifi.org/ClarkeQuotesPart2.html |title=Arthur C. Clarke Quotes |accessdate=8 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070123183810/http://www.testermanscifi.org/ClarkeQuotesPart2.html |archive-date=23 January 2007 }}