# Last and First Men-One of the Most Prophetic Science Fiction Novels Ever **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 24, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-and-first-men-one-of-the-most-prophetic-science-fiction-novels-ever/522413 "2009-12-24T03:30:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-and-first-men-one-of-the-most-prophetic-science-fiction-novels-ever/522413/1 "2009-12-24T03:30:29Z")
Of all the science fiction novels I’ve read and heard of, Olaf Spengler’s \*Last and First Men \* is one of the most prophetic I’ve seen. It predicts the fall of Europe from the world’s stage and the rise of America and China as the two superpowers of the world. [http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks0601101h.html](http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks0601101h.html) ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-and-first-men-one-of-the-most-prophetic-science-fiction-novels-ever/522413/2 "2009-12-24T03:39:00Z")
Olaf Stapledon you mean. You’re probably confusing him with Oswald Spengler who was writing at the time whose famous work is, “Decline of the West.” ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-and-first-men-one-of-the-most-prophetic-science-fiction-novels-ever/522413/3 "2009-12-24T03:50:37Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Olaf Stapledon you mean. You’re probably confusing him with Oswald Spengler who was writing at the time whose famous work is, “Decline of the West.” You are right. Too bad it’s too late to edit. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-and-first-men-one-of-the-most-prophetic-science-fiction-novels-ever/522413/4 "2009-12-24T13:47:59Z")
I’m surprised that’s public domain. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-and-first-men-one-of-the-most-prophetic-science-fiction-novels-ever/522413/5 "2009-12-24T14:27:59Z")
I don’t know if it’s a prophetic novel or not (since it’s been a long time since I reread it), but it and its sequel _Starmaker_ are great novels. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-and-first-men-one-of-the-most-prophetic-science-fiction-novels-ever/522413/6 "2009-12-24T18:48:14Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I’m surprised that’s public domain. It’s from an Australian site not USA. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-and-first-men-one-of-the-most-prophetic-science-fiction-novels-ever/522413/7 "2009-12-24T18:55:55Z")
Stapledon’s _Odd John_ is also a great novel.