Edited

The only way humanity will change is through genetic engineering that will create the spiritual enlightened being the exists in a state of oneness or fearlessness. Osho certainly had something like that according to his disciples. But it is almost impossible for anyone else to achieve this state. It appears to be almost a genetic accident, perhaps it could be duplicated by cloning.

Olaf Stapleton speaks of this in his book Last and First Men a must read for anyone interested in the subject.


9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Science fiction / philosophy / spirituality, April 2, 2002
By Kim Boykin (Scott, Georgia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Last and First Men (SF Masterworks) (Sf Masterworks 11) (Paperback)
Wow! Stapledon is an excellent sci fi writer and an excellent philosopher of the human condition.

There are no ordinary characters in this story. The protagonist is humanity, and this is humanity's autobiography. Or perhaps the story is better understood as a family saga, with each succeeding race of humanity as a new character, from the First Men (that's us) through the Last Men in the way far future.

Again and again, over a vast span of time, humanity waxes and wanes, flourishes and is nearly extinguished, sinks to barbarism and rediscovers a religion of selfless love. Humanity takes on new forms and moves to new planets. In the moments when humanity is capable of philosophical and spiritual reflection, it is plagued by recurring issues--in particular, by the tension between two of its greatest spiritual attainments: (1) a deep love for and identification with all life and the passionate desire for all life to continue and to be free of suffering, and (2) a dispassionate aesthetic appreciation of fate, a mystical awe at the beauty of the drama of the cosmos, including individual and racial suffering and extinction.

The story is engaging, and I was awed by how clearly articulated and how deeply explored is this basic paradox of spirituality. Like two of my favorite authors, Nancy Mairs and Annie Dillard, Stapledon takes a clear and unflinching look at the pain and angst of life in this universe and manages to find hope and beauty. Just two small gripes: it gets a little too pedantic at the very end, and the editor should have deleted about 90% of the occurrences of the word "extravagant." If you like Science fiction with deep ideas, or if you like spiritual or philosophical reflection and think you can at least tolerate the sci fi genre, I highly recommend this book. Tweet