Stephen Baxter

One of the brightest stars in the revival of "hard science fiction" and "new space opera" in Britain - large scale epics, plenty of mind-boggling ideas, quite entertaining (but sometimes uneven) novels and stories; more info. ---------------------------------------------- "Coalescent" (nv) (Xelee/Destiny's Children series) © Gollancz, 2003 --novel : 2004 Clarke award --novel : 2004 Locus award /9 --/ cool sf novel --/ awesome scale Omninaif writes: "Coalescent" is a very slow moving, meticulous, repetitive, historically informing novel. The first 275 pages will corroborate with this... This novel is about Human Evolution. Or more precisely the ‘Coalescent theory’. Not much more to it then that. Past, present and future events and human actions that ‘evolve’ us or certain societies within our civilization. I love these ‘ideas’, they're extremely thought provoking, that’s why I enjoy SF so much. But Baxter gives you no connection to the characters at all. Most of them appear emotionless and it’s hard to see the function they serve in this book... I wouldn’t recommend this novel. But his writing is good enough to make me want to check out some of his other works. Not a complete waste of my time, just not what I was expecting or wanting". Also check out Infinity Plus" review of this novel. review: 10-Nov-06 (read by Omninaif in 2006) ---------------------------------------------- "Columbiad" © Science Fiction Age, May 1996 --short story : 1997 Locus /13 "George and the Comet" © Interzone, Oct 1991 --fiction : 1992 Interzone Poll "Gossamer" (Xeelee series) © Science Fiction Age, Nov 1995 --short story : 1996 Locus /2 --/ third place space sf story --/ wonder award --/ idea award --/ adventure award --/ awesome scale "The Gravity Mine" © IASFM, Apr 2000 --short story : 2001 Hugo --short story : 2001 Asimov's Reader Poll /5 --/ fourth place space sf story --/ idea award --/ wonder award --/ awesome scale "The Great Game" (Xelee series) © IASFM, Mar 2003 --short story : 2004 Locus Poll "Gray Earth" (Manifold: Origin series) © IASFM, May 2001 Manifold : Origin, 2001 --short story : 2002 Locus /7 "Hero" © IASFM, Jan 1995 Vacuum Diagrams, 1998 "Huddle" (Manifold: Origin series) © F&SF, May 1999 --novelette : 2000 Locus W --/ cool sf story "A Journey To The King Planet" © Zenith # 2, ed. D. Garnett, 1990 Traces, 1997 --/ cool sf story --/ idea award ---------------------------------------------- "Lakes of Light" (Xeelee series) © Constellations, ed. by Peter Crowther, 2005 Resplendent, 2006 --/ fourth place sf story --/ wonder award --/ idea award --/ awesome scale "A star has been sheathed in a thin but impermeable substance; this is rotating at such a speed that the centrifugal force cancels out just enough of the sun's enormous gravity to permit people to live on the surface. Holes in the sheath provide the titular lakes, from which the inhabitants harvest their energy and (via a network of giant mirrors) their light. It's a splendid concept, with all sorts of narrative possibilities..." - via Living on a surface of a star... Resplendent! (this was a fitting title for Baxter's collection, in which this story appeared later). It is of the same caliber as Larry Niven's super-space fiction, only slightly lacking in color and action. Still, a clear winner for its sheer originality. review: 22-Feb-09 (read in 2005) ---------------------------------------------- "A Martian Autumn" © Mars Probes, ed. P. Crowther, 2002 --/ cool sf story "Moon Six" © SF Age, Mar 1997 Traces, 1997 --novelette : 1998 Hugo --novelette : 1998 Locus /2 --novelette : 1998 SF Age Poll W --novelette : 1998 SF Chronicle W --/ cool sf story "Pilgrim 7" © Interzone, Jan 1993 Traces, 1997 --/ cool sf story "Planck Zero" (Xeelee series) © IASFM, Jan 1992 Vacuum Diagrams, 1997 --short story : 1993 Locus /24 (tie) --/ fourth place space sf story --/ wonder award --/ idea award --/ awesome scale "Saddlepoint: Roughneck" (Saddlepoint series) © Science Fiction Age, May 1998 --short story : 1999 Locus Poll --/ third place space sf novella --/ wonder award --/ idea award --/ awesome scale "Sheena 5" © Analog, May 2000 --second place : 2001 Sturgeon /2 --short story : 2001 Locus /5 --short story : 2001 AnLab W --/ fourth place space sf story --/ wonder award --/ idea award "The Twelve Album" © Interzone, Apr 1998 --short story : 1999 Locus Poll --/ cool sf story --/ wonder award --/ idea award "Zemlya" © IASFM, Jan 1997 Traces, 1997 --short story : 1998 Locus /3 --short story : 1998 Asimov's Reader Poll /7 --/ cool sf story ---------------------------------

Click to go to "Dark Roasted Blend" site