- Author
- Not stated (Wikipedia article, written by many editors)
- Published
- Page last edited 31 October 2026
- Kind
- Wikipedia biography of an author
- Original
- en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaf_Stapledon
- Subject
- Fiction and literature
What it is
Wikipedia editors summarize the life and writing of William Olaf Stapledon. Sections cover life, works, film rights and a bibliography.
What it says
- Stapledon lived from 1886 to 1950 and was an English philosopher and science fiction author.
- Stapledon drove ambulances in the First World War and won the Croix de Guerre.
- After a philosophy PhD, Stapledon turned to fiction to present ideas to a wider public.
- The article says Star Maker contains the first known description of Dyson spheres.
- Last and First Men is a future history of 18 successive species of humanity.
- The article lists many later writers whom Stapledon influenced, including Arthur C. Clarke and Stanisław Lem.
- Some transhumanists see Stapledon as an intellectual forerunner.
What evidence it gives
The article gives dates, a bibliography and numbered citations. It quotes a tribute by Arthur C. Clarke and a remark by Freeman Dyson.
Interests and limits
Wikipedia is written by many editors and can change. The article states influence and priority claims, such as the Dyson sphere, as cited facts. This page did not check those citations.