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The characters in ‘Time’ are believable and intelligently written, with Reid Malenfant being one of Baxter’s most interesting protagonists to date.
In conclusion, I found this novel to be a gripping read, although I would warn readers who are not fond of hard sci-fi to think before ... Read review
Stephen Baxter, Britain's foremost author of "hard" SF rooted in real physics, is ... more
renowned for thinking big.Timebegins with a US entrepreneur's deceptively low-key plans to reclaim space and exploit the asteroids, bypassing NASA's bureaucracy and ...
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Stephen Baxter, Britain's foremost author of "hard" SF rooted in real physics, is ... more
renowned for thinking big. Time begins with a US entrepreneur's deceptively low-key plans to reclaim space and exploit the asteroids, bypassing NASA's bureaucracy a...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
What if the time machine from H.G. Wells' classic novel of the same name had fallen into ... more
government hands? That's the question that led Stephen Baxter to create this modern-day sequel, which combines a basic Wellsian premise with a Baxteresque universe-spanning epic. The Time Traveller, driven by his failure to save Weena from the Morlocks, sets off again for the future. But this time the future has changed, altered by the very tale of the Traveller's previous journey.
Postage & Packaging:£2.75 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
What if the time machine from H.G. Wells' classic novel of the same name had fallen into ... more
government hands? That's the question that led Stephen Baxter to create this modern-day sequel, which combines a basic Wellsian premise with a Baxteresque universe-spanning epic. The Time Traveller, driven by his failure to save Weena from the Morlocks, sets off again for the future. But this time the future has changed, altered by the very tale of the Traveller's previous journey.
Postage & Packaging:£2.75 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Stephen Baxter, Britain's foremost author of "hard" SF rooted in real physics, is ... more
renowned for thinking big. Time begins with a US entrepreneur's deceptively low-key plans to reclaim space and exploit the asteroids, bypassing NASA's bureaucracy and safety regulations. One bizarre cost-cutting measure: the "Big Dumb Booster" pilot is a genetically enhanced, intelligent squid. Then the mission is redirected following a weird mathematical prediction that humanity hasn't long to live, and a "Feynman radio" transmission from the future that highlights a particular asteroid. Here a space-time gateway opens on unimaginably distant futures, stepping far beyond the dying sun of Wells's The Time Machine to visions of a galaxy reshaped by humanity to hoard its energy ... beyond stars, beyond black holes, beyond even mass. And the emerging message, seen most clearly by a new generation of persecuted, ultra-gifted children, is that this seeming triumph--this total exploitation of our universe's possibilities--isn't good enough. A better path awaits, via a cataclysm that dwarfs mere supernova explosions... Baxter pays homage to the transformations of Clarke's Childhood's End (there's also a nod to 2001), but without the mysticism: it's all respectable, if speculative, physics. His final, devastating payoff makes sequels seem impossible. Two are planned. Rousing stuff, on a cosmic scale. --David Langford
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Advantages: Inspires a sense of awe Disadvantages: Not for casual sci-fi readers
...far-reaching but at the same time rooted in believable science which, together with the expected creative liberties, make compelling science fiction.
Baxter’s ideas are often so big that for the reader to understand them, they must first get through quite a bit of scientific background. I’ve come across people who berate Baxter’s novels for being too much like scientific textbooks, and although I concede that their opinion is based ... ...point. If the reader is willing to open their mind and try to take the ideas on board, this contributes to the overall sense of wonder.
The story itself revolves around the discovery of a message from the distant future that directs the main protagonist, a failed astronaut named Reid Malenfant, toward a distant asteroid. What does he find there? I won’t spoil the story by telling you, but it results in an engrossing finale that excellently ... more
Stephen Baxter is without a doubt one of the masters of modern science fiction, and this novel definitely ranks among his best.
The main aspect of Baxter’s writing that continually draws me in is the unparalleled ease with which he can inspire awe. His ideas are indeed far-reaching but at the same time rooted in believable science which, together with the expected creative liberties, make compelling science fiction.
Baxter’s ideas are often so big that for the reader to understand them, they must first get through quite a bit of scientific background. I’ve come across people who berate Baxter’s novels for being too much like scientific textbooks, and although I concede that their opinion is based in truth, I don’t consider this to be a negative point. If the reader is willing to open their mind and try to take the ideas on board, this contributes to the overall sense of wonder.
The story itself revolves around the discovery of a message from the distant future that directs the main protagonist, a failed astronaut named Reid Malenfant, toward a distant asteroid. What does he find there? I won’t spoil the story by telling you, but it results in an engrossing finale that excellently showcases Baxter’s incredible imagination and ability to think on a scale that dwarfs many of his contemporaries. Another aspect of the story that I found interesting was the emergence of the super-intelligent children, and particularly the reaction of the general population towards them which was distressingly convincing and lead me to think about how the human race seems inherently fearful of change. You only have to read history or look at the news to see how true this is.
The characters in ‘Time’ are believable and intelligently written, with Reid Malenfant being one of Baxter’s most interesting protagonists to date.
In conclusion, I found this novel to be a gripping read, although I would warn readers who are not fond of hard sci-fi to think before they buy. However, if you’re willing to open your mind to big ideas and don’t mind having to assimilate some advanced physics, you should find ‘Time’ to be thoroughly rewarding.
Advantages: Good start, quite humourous Disadvantages: A little too much science
Time is a novel with a really good concept, Baxter always seem to think of them. Not a huge fan I was encouraged to read this after the excellent 'Moonseed'. It starts off well, a mathmatician works out that the world will end and the only way to save the world is too get advice from the future. The first part of the book is humourous (unusually for Baxter) and entertaining unfortunatley he gets bogged down a little too much in the science, I usually ...
dom00 12.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Time - Stephen Baxter
Advantages: thought provoking and engaging Disadvantages: maybe too much jargon
...Future. That is what Baxters Time gives us... a time line between the day after tommorow and the end of time.
It follows a set of characters who want to start mining the asteroids, in order to do so they dispatch a spacecraft containing a genetically engineered intelligent squid, Sheena, out into space then follow themselves. In the course of their adventure they encounter an artefact and use it to travel further and further into the future and ... ...part of a trilogy (and a set of short stories) however each book takes the characters from the start again and plants them in a different universe, For ecample in this one the univerese has no aliens but in Space aliens are everywhere. An interesting concept. The question that each book covers is why the universe is like that.
Overall a fantastic read, deeply thought provoking and intelligently researched and written. It may be a little too technical ...
RafK2survey 26.04.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Time - Stephen Baxter
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Advantages: Great Mix of Story and Science Disadvantages: A tad too long?
In my opinion Moonseed is one of the best novels that StephenBaxter has written. Usually he forgets the story and concentrates on the science too much but this time he has got that mix right. The scale of the story is also fantastic as he does no less than destroy the earth while keeping the story quite personal. One of the best things about this novel is the ending which is almost worthy of Arthur C. Clarke, he manages to wrap up the story enough while showing that as in real life the story has only just begun. ...
Advantages: suitable for all ages no violence, sex swearing Disadvantages: longer books may be a bit hard going for some
of books(
Arthur C Clarke (I find Clarke very similar to Asimov)
StephenBaxter (who wrote the sequel to the time machine - The Time Ships- the first Baxter novel I read)
Michael Crighton (The Andromeda Strain, Sphere)
Piers Anthony (Mode)
Patrick Moore (non fiction - astronomy) ...
exup35 07.03.2007 (25.03.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Isaac Asimov
In the millennium's last great novel, Stephen Baxter takes us a short step beyond Y2K. The year is 2010. We have survived! So far. Cornelius Taine of Eschatology, Inc., mathematical genius, predicts that in just 200 years our species will be wiped out. Even evacuation from Earth will not save us from extinction. Reid Malenfant, entrepreneur, has Big Dumb Boosters ready to fly from the California desert, to be piloted by an enhanced squid named Sheena 5. When Taine offers Malenfant the ultimate dream of saving the species, Sheena's mission is diverted to investigate Earth's recently discovered - and very remote - second moon. What Sheena 5 discovers there is nothing less than a revelation: the secret reason for our existence visible at last beneath the rippled surface of Time's river. Malenfant and Taine must follow Sheena! But they are pursued by an enraged US Air and Space Force, and a mighty battle in space may cut short their hopes for the ultimate transformation of mankind.
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