Born in Liverpool, England on November 13th 1957, Stephen Baxter is one of the most highly regarded and consistent science fiction authors of modern day literature. Heavily influenced by other leading science fiction authors such as H.G Wells and Arthur C. Clarke, Baxter has collected a number of awards for his work and is one of the most prolific authors of the 2st century both in terms of volume of output and critical acclaim.

Novels

Stephen Baxter’s first novel, Raft, published by UK publisher Voyager in 1991. In addition to following in the steps of his hero H.G Wells’ and Arthur C. Clarke in regards to discussing the concept of time travel, Raft also explores the idea of alternate universes and the potential death of the human race. These themes are further explored in Baxter’s novels Timelike Infinity (1992), Flux (1993), Ring (1993), Vacuum Diagrams (1997), Reality Dust (2000), Riding the Rock (2002), Mayflower II (2004) and Starfall (2009), which make up the author’s Xeelee Sequence series.

Popular Concepts

However, it is the concept of time travel that features most prominently in Stephen Baxter’s bibliography. The author’s recent collaboration with Arthur C. Clarke on the A Time Odyssey series in addition to his own Time’s Tapestry series further highlight Baxter’s interest in the field of time travel in fiction. In regards to the author’s latest series of novels, the Northland Trilogy, Baxter explores the concept of alternate universes, which is an idea that also features throughout his work. However, even in these cases, the alternate universes in each of the books are set in different time periods (the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age). In terms of writing technique, Baxter has always stated that he is not a fan of novels that end with cliff hangers and has repeatedly gone on record as saying that his books, especially in the case of the Xeelee Sequence, were intended to be read in any order.

Picture: T. L. Furrer – Fotolia

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