As the devoted narrator remarks, John does not feel obliged to observe the restricted morality of Homo sapiens.

Stapledon's recurrent vision of cosmic angst – that the universe may be indifferent to intelligence, no matter how spiritually refined – also gives the story added depth.

Later explorations of the theme of the superhuman and of the incompatibility of the normal with the supernormal occur in the works of Stanisław Lem, Frank Herbert, Wilmar Shiras, Robert Heinlein and Vernor Vinge, among others.

George Pal bought the rights to Odd John and in 1966 Castle of Frankenstein magazine reported that actor David McCallum would play the title role.

[2] In 2023, Shift released a comic book adaptation, scripted by Chris Murray and illustrated by Nel Robinson.