Thus Spake Zarathustra Illustrated

Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None (German: Also sprach Zarathustra: Ein Buch für Alle und Keinen, also translated as Thus Spake Zarathustra) is a philosophical novel by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, composed in four parts written and published between 1883 and 1885. As one of the most influential works in modern nihilism, the book follows the life, speeches, and travels of Zarathustra, the originator of Zoroastrianism. Much of the work deals with ideas such as the "eternal recurrence of the same," the parable on the "death of God," and the "prophecy" of the Übermensch, which were first introduced in The Gay Science. Nietzsche himself considered Zarathustra to be his magnum opus. Thus Spoke Zarathustra argues man should seek to perfect himself during his life on earth, surpassing societal standards of morality and goodness. The ideal is - man transforming himself into the "Übermensch," a more evolved, superhuman-like state of being.