Homo superior
Science fiction term
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Homo superior is a term used in speculative fiction and philosophy to describe a hypothetical evolutionary successor to Homo sapiens.
The expression was first popularised by the British writer Olaf Stapledon in his novel Odd John (1935), where it referred to a mutant child prodigy whose abilities marked him as a new species beyond ordinary humanity.[1][2][3]
The idea is distinct from Friedrich Nietzsche’s concept of the Übermensch ("superman"), which was philosophical rather than biological, though the two are often compared.[4]
The term has since appeared in popular culture, notably in Stan Lee's X-Men comic from 1963 on, the 1970s British television series The Tomorrow People and in David Bowie’s song "Oh! You Pretty Things" (1971).[5]