Last and first men

Olaf Stapledon was a philosopher by profession and his book Last and first men is heavily influenced by this fact. The novel is written in the form of a history book. Stapledon undertakes a huge task in telling the future history of mankind from the 20th century and far into the distant future when mankind reaches out seeking new planets. By then, mankind has evolved into a being only remotely similar to what we are today. At several occasions in history, humanity is almost destroyed, but manages to rebuild society and continue to evolve.
I have never read a science fiction book so full of ideas and with such an imaginative view of what the future may hold in store for us. True, it's not an easy book to read, but rewarding none the less.

Starmaker

This book can be read as a sequel to Last and first men. The novel Starmaker tells the story of mankinds first encounters with alien beings. Starmaker is another highly imaginative novel crammed full of interesting ideas. Our galactic neigbours, out of reach with our limited technology, are instead reached not by rockets but rather by using telepathic powers.