"my childhood, which lasted some twenty-five years, was moulded chiefly by the suez canal, abbotsholme, and balliol. since those days i have attempted several careers, in each case escaping before the otherwise inevitable disaster. first, as a schoolmaster, i swotted up bible stories on the eve of the scripture lesson. then, in a liverpool shipping office, i spoiled bills of lading, and in port said i innocently let skippers have more coal than they needed. next i determined to create an educated democracy. workington miners, barrow riveters, crewe railway-men, gave me a better education than i could give them. since then two experiences have dominated me: philosophy, and the tragic disorder of our whole terrestrial hive. after a belated attack on academic philosophy, i wrote a couple of books on philosophical subjects and several works of fantastic fiction dealing with the career of mankind. one of them, last and first men, is in this series."

mr. stapledon is also the author of a modern theory of ethics, last men in london, waking world, odd john, star maker.