by Aldous Huxley
(Issue 10 ? posted June 13, 1997; archived June 27, 1997)A million million spermatozoa,
All of them alive:
Out of their cataclysm but one poor Noah
Dare hope to survive.
And among that billion minus one
Might have chanced to be
Shakespeare, another Newton, a new Donne -
But the One was Me.
Aldous Leonard Huxley (1894-1963) authored 47 books, many still considered classics today. Grandson of Thomas Henry Huxley, the great biologist who helped develop the theory of evolution, Huxley began his career as a magazine writer and published several books of poetry before his first novel appeared. He is probably most famous for his dystopian Brave New World (1931), a nightmare future of biologically controlled humanity. His brother Sir Julian Huxley was a staunch advocate of Darwinian evolution and helped bring the field in line with population genetics.
Soma Web is an in-depth exploration of his works, life, and beliefs.