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The book covers such a long period of time, history up to current time is covered in one sentence, something like,”It was a time of great religious and political turmoil.”

I was sure it was from “Last and First Men” by Olaf Stapledon, but after searching for key words and rereading the story I can’t find the quote.

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    Hi, welcome to the site. Can you specify any science fiction or fantasy elements that featured in this book? We could also use more details regarding the plot. Knowing the approximate year in which you read this might help, too.
    – LogicDictates
    Commented Jun 16, 2023 at 1:47
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    Not what you're looking for but I'm reminded of this quotation:: "Following the death of Jesus Christ, there was a period of readjustment that lasted for approximately one million years."
    – user14111
    Commented Jun 16, 2023 at 1:47
  • Sounds like it could almost be from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
    – Todd Wilcox
    Commented Jun 16, 2023 at 15:26
  • Which words in the remembered quote are you 100% sure occur in the original? What was the context of the quote? Was it part of the author's narration, or was it spoken by a character in the story? Was it part of a history lecture? Was it spoked by a human, an alien, a robot?
    – user14111
    Commented Jun 17, 2023 at 4:14
  • If it was from Last and First Men it was spoken to a human from today by a human in the distant future. I have read Sirens Of Titan. I’ve read a lot of SiFi over the last 65 years. After researching for this paraphrase I’m guessing I am way off, but it is so clear in my memory.
    – Nick
    Commented Jun 18, 2023 at 14:02

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I wonder if you're thinking of this, from Kurt Vonnegut's The Sirens of Titan:

The million-year period to which the burned junk related would be summed up in history books in one sentence, according to Koradubian: Following the death of Jesus Christ, there was a period of readjustment that lasted for approximately one million years.

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    That line is in the list of sci-fi quotations on my profile page!
    – user14111
    Commented Jun 16, 2023 at 1:57
  • Being new here I’m not sure how to reply. I was sue it was from Last and First Men, but doubt my memory now. I’ve read Sirens of Titan. Should I mark the question as likely answered? User14111
    – Nick
    Commented Jun 16, 2023 at 21:36
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    It's up to you. If you're not quite sure, feel free to take your time to think about it
    – Andrew
    Commented Jun 16, 2023 at 21:46
  • @Nick Have you read The Sirens of Titan? It's probably not the one you're looking for, because the actual story does not cover a long period of time. When you sau "history up to current time" does "current time" refer to something close to our current time, or is it some time far in our future?
    – user14111
    Commented Jun 17, 2023 at 3:58
  • The quote covers history from the beginning of recorded history until modern times. (1930’s) en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_and_First_Men
    – Nick
    Commented Jun 18, 2023 at 14:07

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