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Voice of the Imagination, whole no. 50, July 1947

Page 6

Burns, Coleridge, Gray, Tennyson, Swinburne. What, poor little Poe on his own again? Where's Whitman & Longfellow?

But all this isn't getting me anywhere (except in bad with my friends across the Atlantic). To-morrow my furlough ends, and I must away back to Italy, to Bordighera on the Riviera where the thousand lights of Monte Carlo glitter all night across the bay. How much rather I'd just sit here! What new things to see, I wonder, ere, I can dream in here again?

"LAST MEN IN LONDON" by Olaf Stapledon
Methuen and Company, Ltd. London.

The author, imagining himself for the purpose of writing this book, to be a Neptunian researcher of two thousand million years in the future, observes and comments upon humanity's attempts to adjust itself in the Universe.

The Neptunian observer selects one individual, Paul by name, into whose mind he enters, experiencing our present-day thoughts and emotions through Paul's eyes while yet retaining his own Neptunian intelligence. The set up affords the author full opportunity to inject his propaganda and expound his radical views on improvement toward a better civilisation. Placing Paul upon a figurative dissecting table, the Neptunian mercilessly probes through Paul's brain and offers up for the readers' minute inspection all of Paul's most intimate thoughts and reactions to life and its problems.

The Neptunian observer pounces upon humanity's faults and fables with uncanny accuracy. In his observations on the reaction of various types of human beings to war, for instance, the reader is able to simultaneously comprehend humanity's attempt to rationalize war and the Neptunian realisation of the futility of such conflicts. The insight into the reasoning of the pacifists, the soldiers and the Red Cross workers through the observations of the Neptunian is very enlightening. 

Although Paul is the main character of the book, at no time does he assume a definite personality of his own. Paul is merely a guinea pig through which the Neptunian characterizes humanity as a whole.

The Neptunian has the power to influence Paul to some extent without the latter's knowledge. I could not help but feel, however, that if all humanity were to be similarly influence, it would lead toward retrogression rather than progress, since occasionally the Neptunian advocated a surrender to humanity's weaknesses rather than to overcoming them. However, I suspect that Stapledon also uses his shockingly cold-blooded and impersonal views on the mores and behaviour of humanity to achieve the alien effect prevalent within his books. The description of Neptunian life, living habits and appearances of these individuals of the future, who have both human and animal qualities, lends a credible other-worldly atmosphere to the story. 

Toward the conclusion of the book, a new mutant species appears on the scene, and it is intimated in the Neptunian's chronicle that this type will ultimately assume leadership of the world. 

Though not so great in scope as "Last And First Men", this book is more compact and will be retained longer in the memory of the average reader, I believe, for the author did not have to contend with the problem of crowding millions of years into a few hundred pages. 

"Last Men in London" is brilliantly written and contains some exceedingly keen observations and sound criticism aren't our way of life.  If you enjoy Stepledon, don't miss this book.

[illegible signature - Tignina?]
November 23rd, 1946.

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Burns, Coleridge, Gray, Tennyson, Swinburne. What, poor little Poe on his own again? Where's Whitman & Longfellow? But all this isn't getting me anywhere (except in bad with my friends across the Atlantic). To-morrow my furlough ends, and I must away back to Italy, to Bordighera on the Riviera where the thousand lights of Monte Carlo glitter all night across the bay. How much rather I'd just sit here! What new things to see, I wonder, ere, I can dream in here again? "LAST MEN IN LONDON" by Olaf Stapledon Methuen and Company, Ltd. London. The author, imagining himself for the purpose of writing this book, to be a Neptunian researcher of two thousand million years in the future, observes and comments upon humanity's attempts to adjust itself in the Universe. The Neptunian observer selects one individual, Paul by name, into whose mind he enters, experiencing our present-day thoughts and emotions through Paul's eyes while yet retaining his own Neptunian intelligence. The set up affords the author full opportunity to inject his propaganda and expound his radical views on improvement toward a better civilisation. Placing Paul upon a figurative dissecting table, the Neptunian mercilessly probes through Paul's brain and offers up for the readers' minute inspection all of Paul's most intimate thoughts and reactions to life and its problems. The Neptunian observer pounces upon humanity's faults and fables with uncanny accuracy. In his observations on the reaction of various types of human beings to war, for instance, the reader is able to simultaneously comprehend humanity's attempt to rationalize war and the Neptunian realisation of the futility of such conflicts. The insight into the reasoning of the pacifists, the soldiers and the Red Cross workers through the observations of the Neptunian is very enlightening. Although Paul is the main character of the book, at no time does he assume a definite personality of his own. Paul is merely a guinea pig through which the Neptunian characterizes humanity as a whole. The Neptunian has the power to influence Paul to some extent without the latter's knowledge. I could not help but feel, however, that if all humanity were to be similarly influence, it would lead toward retrogression rather than progress, since occasionally the Neptunian advocated a surrender to humanity's weaknesses rather than to overcoming them. However, I suspect that Stapledon also uses his shockingly cold-blooded and impersonal views on the mores and behaviour of humanity to achieve the alien effect prevalent within his books. The description of Neptunian life, living habits and appearances of these individuals of the future, who have both human and animal qualities, lends a credible other-worldly atmosphere to the story. Toward the conclusion of the book, a new mutant species appears on the scene, and it is intimated in the Neptunian's chronicle that this type will ultimately assume leadership of the world. Though not so great in scope as "Last And First Men", this book is more compact and will be retained longer in the memory of the average reader, I believe, for the author did not have to contend with the problem of crowding millions of years into a few hundred pages. "Last Men in London" is brilliantly written and contains some exceedingly keen observations and sound criticism aren't our way of life. If you enjoy Stepledon, don't miss this book. [illegible signature - Tignina?] November 23rd, 1946.