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Octavo, pp. [i-iv] v-xi [xii] 1-355 [356: printer's imprint], original dark blue cloth, front panel stamped in blind, spine panel stamped in gold. Laid into this copy are two brief notes signed by Stapledon, one dated 1929 and one dated 1930, a brief signed telegram, newspaper tear sheet with a long review for the book from John O London's Weekly, dated 15 November 1930 and a small newspaper clipping with the author's obituary. Variant without publisher's catalogue inserted at rear. Published 23 October 1930. 2036 copies printed. The author's first novel, "one of the most remarkable imaginative works in the field of futuristic fiction: an account of human development during the next hundreds of millions of years." - Clarke, Tale of the Future (1978), p. 58. "On his own terms, Stapledon is unequaled, and he certainly has been one of the major influences on contemporary science fiction." - Survey of Science Fiction Literature III, pp. 1140-43. "LAST AND FIRST MEN and STAR MAKER soar far beyond the accepted limits of science fiction. Stapledon is the great classical example, the cold pitch of perfection as he turns scientific concepts into vast ontological epic prose poems, the ultimate SF writer." - Aldiss, Trillion Year Spree: The History of Science Fiction, p. 198. Stapledon's "influence, both direct and indirect, on the development of many concepts which now permeate genre SF is probably second only to that of H. G. Wells." - Clute and Nicholls (eds), The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (1993), pp. 1151-53. [Reference: Aldiss, Trillion Year Spree: The History of Science Fiction, p. 198. Anatomy of Wonder (1976) 3-56; (1981) 2-98; (1987) 2-109; and (1995) 2-119. Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 2086. Clareson, Science Fiction in America, 1870s-1930s 718. Clarke, Tale of the Future (1978), p. 58. Clute and Nicholls (eds), The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (1993), pp. 1151-52. Gerber, Utopian Fantasy (1973), p. 151. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, pp. 204-05. Stableford, Scientific Romance in Britain 1890-1950, pp. 200-03. Survey of Science Fiction Literature III, pp. 1140-43. In 333. Bleiler (1978), p. 185. Reginald 13553. Satty and Smith A3.1.1]. A little darkening to end papers, mild foxing to page edges and to early and late leaves, a nearly fine copy in a good to very good dust jacket, light wear with minor loss at corner tips, two tiny chips at upper spine panel, slight color fade to spine panel, large chip along upper rear panel 70 mm long x 15 mm deep, verso of head of spine and upper corner fold have brown stains from tape (no longer present) with some bleed through at the corners. (28417). Seller Inventory # 28417
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