Star Maker

Star Maker (1937) is similar in style to Stapledon's Last and First Men (1930). There are no characters and no plot. The unnamed narrator inexplicably finds himself in disembodied flight through space and time, visiting other worlds, entering the minds of the alien inhabitants. The book is a description of the worlds he visits, but it soon becomes more of a general description of the types of worlds he visits. The descriptions are vague and general, somewhat philosophical. Common elements in the evolution of most of these worlds are war and religion. Eventually some planets acheive a 'utopian phase' and manage to live without war.

I can see why some readers would love this book. Stapledon is very imaginative. I found it increasingly dull. About two-thirds of the way through, after a long slow struggle with this book I abandoned it, at least for now.