Xeelee Sequence
Encyclopedia
The Xeelee Sequence is a series of novels and short stories by British
science fiction
author Stephen Baxter
. The novels span several billions of years, describing the future expansion of Mankind, its war with its arch-nemesis (an alien race called the Xeelee
), and the Xeelee's own war with dark matter
entities called photino birds. Other important Xeelee Sequence species
include the Qax
and the Silver Ghosts. Several novels also deal with humans and posthumans living in extreme conditions, such as the heart of a neutron star
(Flux
) or a universe with considerably stronger gravity (Raft
).
Baxter's Destiny's Children
series is part of this series.
The novels, in chronological order (not publication order) are:
Chronologies including most of the short stories and novels are included in the short story collections Vacuum Diagrams
and Resplendent. When asked directly for a suggested reading order, the author wrote: "I hope that all the books and indeed the stories can be read stand-alone. I’m not a great fan of books that end with cliff-hangers. So you could go in anywhere. One way would be to start with ‘Vacuum Diagrams’, a collection that sets out the overall story of the universe. Then ‘Timelike Infinity’ and ‘Ring’ which tell the story of Michael Poole, then ‘Raft’ and ‘Flux’ which are really incidents against the wider background, and finally ‘Destiny’s Children.’"http://www.themanifold.co.uk/interview.php
An omnibus edition of the first four Xeelee novels; Raft, Timelike Infinity, Flux and Ring, was released in January 2010.http://www.stephen-baxter.com/books.html#xee
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
author Stephen Baxter
Stephen Baxter
Stephen Baxter is a prolific British hard science fiction author. He has degrees in mathematics and engineering.- Writing style :...
. The novels span several billions of years, describing the future expansion of Mankind, its war with its arch-nemesis (an alien race called the Xeelee
Xeelee
The Xeelee are a fictional hyperadvanced species from Stephen Baxter's Xeelee Sequence. They were first remotely mentioned in the 1994 novel Timelike Infinity and were later central actors of several novels and a substantial number of short stories...
), and the Xeelee's own war with dark matter
Dark matter
In astronomy and cosmology, dark matter is matter that neither emits nor scatters light or other electromagnetic radiation, and so cannot be directly detected via optical or radio astronomy...
entities called photino birds. Other important Xeelee Sequence species
Xeelee Sequence species
This article details the various alien races and human offshots present in Stephen Baxter's Xeelee Sequence of future history.-Xeelee:The Xeelee are a hyper-advanced civilization which has existed for billions of years. Their technology far exceeds that of any other species, and lesser...
include the Qax
Qax (species)
In the Xeelee Sequence of future history created by Stephen Baxter, the Qax are an alien species created from chaotic forces...
and the Silver Ghosts. Several novels also deal with humans and posthumans living in extreme conditions, such as the heart of a neutron star
Neutron star
A neutron star is a type of stellar remnant that can result from the gravitational collapse of a massive star during a Type II, Type Ib or Type Ic supernova event. Such stars are composed almost entirely of neutrons, which are subatomic particles without electrical charge and with a slightly larger...
(Flux
Flux (novel)
Flux is a 1993 science fiction novel by British author Stephen Baxter. It is the third book in Baxter's Xeelee Sequence.-Plot introduction:Dura and her fellow human beings live inside a neutron star, as they have for generations...
) or a universe with considerably stronger gravity (Raft
Raft (novel)
Raft is a 1991 hard science fiction book by author Stephen Baxter. Raft is both Baxter's first novel and first book in the Xeelee Sequence, although the Xeelee are not present. Raft was nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1992.-Setting:...
).
Baxter's Destiny's Children
Destiny's Children
Destiny's Children is a science-fiction series by Stephen Baxter. It takes place within his larger series, the Xeelee Sequence. Like his previous Manifold Trilogy, the books are not direct sequels to one another, but are instead thematically linked by the appearance of concepts, themes, and...
series is part of this series.
The novels, in chronological order (not publication order) are:
| Title | Year | Notes |
| Coalescent Coalescent Coalescent is a science-fiction novel by Stephen Baxter. It is part one of the Destiny's Children series, and is the first in the reading order for the Xeelee series... |
2003 | Arthur C. Clarke Award nominee, 2004 |
| Transcendent Transcendent (novel) Transcendent is the third novel in the Destiny's Children series by Stephen Baxter, and a 2006 Campbell Award nominee.-Plot summary:The story alternates between two timelines: the world of Michael Poole in the year 2047, and that of Alia, a posthuman girl who lives approximately half a million... |
2005 | Michael Poole's segment John W. Campbell Memorial Award nominee, 2006 |
| Timelike Infinity Timelike Infinity Timelike Infinity is a 1992 science fiction book by Stephen Baxter. The second book in the Xeelee Sequence, Timelike Infinity introduces a universe of powerful alien species and technologies which manages to maintain a realistic edge due to Baxter's physics background; it largely sets the stage for... |
1992 | |
| Ring | 1993 | before Great Northern launches |
| Starfall Starfall (novel) Starfall is the ninth work in Stephen Baxter's Xeelee Sequence series. The novella was released in 2009 by PS Publishing.... |
2009 | |
| Riding the Rock Riding the Rock Riding the Rock is a 60-page Stephen Baxter novella; it is the seventh novel/novella in the Xeelee Sequence; it was published in 2002, and is a chronologically remote sequel to Reality Dust... |
2002 | Included in Resplendent |
| Reality Dust Reality Dust Reality Dust is the 6th work in Stephen Baxter's Xeelee Sequence series. The novella was released in 2000 by PS Publishing.The plot begins not very long after the Third Expansion began Reality Dust is the 6th work in Stephen Baxter's Xeelee Sequence series. The novella was released in 2000 by PS... |
2000 | Included in Resplendent |
| Mayflower II Mayflower II The Mayflower II is a replica of the 17th century ship Mayflower, celebrated for transporting the Pilgrims to the New World.The replica was built in Devon, England, during 1955–1956, in a collaboration between Englishman Warwick Charlton and Plimoth Plantation, an American museum... |
2004 | Included in Resplendent |
| Exultant | 2005 | |
| Raft Raft (novel) Raft is a 1991 hard science fiction book by author Stephen Baxter. Raft is both Baxter's first novel and first book in the Xeelee Sequence, although the Xeelee are not present. Raft was nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1992.-Setting:... |
1991 | Arthur C. Clarke Award nominee, 1992 |
| Flux Flux (novel) Flux is a 1993 science fiction novel by British author Stephen Baxter. It is the third book in Baxter's Xeelee Sequence.-Plot introduction:Dura and her fellow human beings live inside a neutron star, as they have for generations... |
1993 | |
| Ring | 1994 | after Great Northern returns |
Chronologies including most of the short stories and novels are included in the short story collections Vacuum Diagrams
Vacuum Diagrams
Vacuum Diagrams is a collection of science fiction short stories written by Stephen Baxter. The collection connects the novels of the Xeelee Sequence and also shows the history of mankind in the Xeelee universe, and ultimately the universe...
and Resplendent. When asked directly for a suggested reading order, the author wrote: "I hope that all the books and indeed the stories can be read stand-alone. I’m not a great fan of books that end with cliff-hangers. So you could go in anywhere. One way would be to start with ‘Vacuum Diagrams’, a collection that sets out the overall story of the universe. Then ‘Timelike Infinity’ and ‘Ring’ which tell the story of Michael Poole, then ‘Raft’ and ‘Flux’ which are really incidents against the wider background, and finally ‘Destiny’s Children.’"http://www.themanifold.co.uk/interview.php
An omnibus edition of the first four Xeelee novels; Raft, Timelike Infinity, Flux and Ring, was released in January 2010.http://www.stephen-baxter.com/books.html#xee
External links
- Baxter's own complete (as of July 2009) timeline for the Xeelee Sequence of novels and stories, hosted on his official website.