Technological advances have always played an important role in the literary progress of humanity. As knowledge has been acquired, technology has improved, and as technology has improved, so has literature. Starting from the Anglo-Saxon era and continuing through the postmodern era. From oral to written tales, to print, to the Industrial Revolution, man's literature has progressively changed at each stage, taking a different point of view and gaining greater understanding. Stanley Kubrick, the director of 2001: A Space Odyssey, understands the concept of technological progress on humanity. And his film can be considered a parallel to this concept of progress. Starting from 450 AD, man initiated the evolution of literature, taking it to the next step. This time period is known as the Anglo-Saxon era. The foundations of this era were left by the Romans. Invaded by external forces, the Romans were forced to evacuate, leaving behind roads, walls and villas. These resources allowed Anglo-Saxon culture to grow and flourish. It also allowed King Alfred of Wessex to unify the land. During this period, the religion was often practiced as a combination of paganism and Christianity. They also move from polytheism to monotheism. In this era, monks were the only literate people. As a result, it influenced the way literature was written. The stories told by bards and purposes, Old English poet, would be passed on to others. These stories would contain a rhyme scheme to help them tell the stories. These stories are written by monks. These stories would reflect the views and beliefs of the monks. A popular story well known in this period is Beowulf. As told by a bard, it is about a warrior who slays a monster for fame and glory. But once written down in manuscript, the theme of the story changed to reflect a well-established Christian religion, and not just out of personal interest..