http://olafstapledonarchive.webs.com/biography.html

William Olaf Stapledon (1886-1950) may not be a household name, but the fact remains that he is one of the most important writers of the 20th Century. He is known primarily for his four major works Last and First Men (1930) (great timeline in book plan) , Odd John (1935), Star Maker (1937) and Sirius (1944). All of these stand amongst the greatest in science fiction literature, and there are many who consider Star Maker to be the single greatest work of science fiction ever written.