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Thus Spake Zarathustra is a novel written by famed german philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. An influential text, Thus Spake Zarathustra chronicles the life and philosophy of Zarathustra, a character based on Zoroaster, the founder of Zoroastrianism. Summary Of The Book Thus Spake Zarathustra summarizes Nietzsche's views on the eternal self, the irrelevance of religion and the superhuman, the ultimate goal for humanity. Nietzsche introduces his philosophies through Zarathustra. The most popular and controversial concept introduced in the book is that of of the ubermensch or the superhuman which was introduced in contrast to the christian belief of the afterlife. Christianity stresses on the eternal life and urges believers to accept that as the ultimate goal. In contrast, Nietzsche introduces this concept to urge humans to live life to the fullest here on Earth. He urges people not to be dissatisfied with their current lives and to make their time more fulfilling. In defining the ubermensch, he denounces the concept of the soul by stating that its just a part of the body and not an independent aspect. The controversial statement that “God is Dead” is brought out in relation to this concept. Christianity has been brought under the scanner and many criticisms have been levelled against the same. The text adopts an atheistic stance. The element of recurrence is also brought out in Thus Spake Zarathustra. Things will happen again and again thus enabling man to ensure that he has no regrets in life. This is achieved through the will to power, a fundamental aspect of human psyche which can help man to reach the ultimate self enhancement, i.e. become an ubermensch. The text also denounces emotions such as pity, mercy and compassion as they are believed to be a hindrance in human development. The book seeks to avoid the nihilistic stance and urges people to fully explore their potential. The text is interspersed with a lot of poetic verses. Many references to various western philosophical ideas are also alluded to in the novel. About Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Nietzsche was a renowned German philosopher, thinker, poet, and cultural critic. He was a prolific writer, having written on a variety of topics such as religion, morality, philosophy, culture, and science. His works include On The Genealogy Of Morals, The Will To Power, Beyond Good And Evil: Prelude To A Philosophy Of The Future, The Antichrist, Human, All Too Human: A Book For Free Spirits, Twilight Of The Idols With The Antichrist and Ecce Homo among others. Nietzsche has been critically received by the audience and critics. He is hailed as a brilliant thinker. However, his works have also courted controversy. Original and brazen, his works have nevertheless left a lasting impact on philosophy and literature. His mental prowess was no doubt brilliant. He died in 1900 at the age of 55.