What do you think?
Rate this book
Proxima
Obelisk
A remarkable collection of short stories and novellas from one of our greatest SF authors.
This collection contains stories set in the worlds of the bestselling duology Ultima and Proxima, which expand on the characters and worlds of that series, including two brand new short stories. There are also a selection of alternate histories and possible futures, building on Baxter's work with Terry Pratchett on the Long Earth series.
Confirms Stephen Baxter's place as one of the greatest practitioners of the SF short story.
This collection contains stories set in the worlds of the bestselling duology Ultima and Proxima, which expand on the characters and worlds of that series, including two brand new short stories. There are also a selection of alternate histories and possible futures, building on Baxter's work with Terry Pratchett on the Long Earth series.
Confirms Stephen Baxter's place as one of the greatest practitioners of the SF short story.
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2016
51 people are currently reading
682 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Baxter
403 books2,596 followersStephen Baxter is a trained engineer with degrees from Cambridge (mathematics) and Southampton Universities (doctorate in aeroengineering research). Baxter is the winner of the British Science Fiction Award and the Locus Award, as well as being a nominee for an Arthur C. Clarke Award, most recently for Manifold: Time. His novel Voyage won the Sidewise Award for Best Alternate History Novel of the Year; he also won the John W. Campbell Award and the Philip K. Dick Award for his novel The Time Ships. He is currently working on his next novel, a collaboration with Sir Arthur C. Clarke. Mr. Baxter lives in Prestwood, England.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
July 5, 2019
Diese neue SF-Collection in deutscher Sprache von Stephen Baxter, darin befinden sich Kurzgeschichten aus verschiedenen Schaffensperioden und verschiedene Themengebieten. So stammen die ersten vier Storys aus seinem PROXIMA-ULTIMA-Zyklus, sechs Geschichten handeln von alternativen Verangenheiten, zwei über alternative Gegenwarten und fünf Stories von Zukunftsentwürfen Baxterischen Prägung…
In "Auf der Chryse-Ebene" stoßen zwei Kolonisten auf einen, im Prozess des Terraforming befindlichen, Mars mit ihrem Sportgerät mit einem Flugzeug eines jungen Mädchens zusammen ab, die aus dem Orbit abgestürzt ist. Sie sind weit weg vom nächsten Habitat, die Kommunikation ist ausgefallen und sie haben nur noch wenig Luft und kaum noch etwas zu Essen und zu Trinken…
"Reise nach Amasien" spielt in einer Zukunft nach der Singularität mit der Päpstlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften des Vatikans, um Kontakt zu einer der drei zentralen künstlichen Intelligenzen (KI's) aufzunehmen, die mehr und mehr Ressourcen für ihre eigenen mysteriösen Zwecke verbrauchen als es für echte Menschen braucht. Ein künstliches Profil einer Person, die für KI-Rechte plädiert, reist durch den Cyberspace, um eine Mega-KI zu treffen, die ursprünglich aus 9 digitalisierten Menschen bestand. Dies ist eine packende Geschichte mit einer guten Perspektive auf KIs im Vergleich zu menschlichen Prioritäten. Besonders interessant sind die langfristigen Perspektiven dieser Maschinen und ihr Blick auf die Menschen. In dieser Story gibt es auch wieder eine Begegnung mit Erdschein, dessen Auftritt im Proxima/Ultima-Zyklus dem Leser bekannt sein dürfte…
"Obelisk", die Titelgeschichte dieser Anthologie, wirft einen weiteren Blick auf einen zukünftigen Mars, auf dem ein Bürgermeister einen Wirtschaftsverbrecher beaufsichtigen muss.
"Flucht aus Eden" setzt das Mars-Thema mit einem Paar fort, das eine lustige Spritztour abseits der Strenge einer von den Vereinten Nationen kontrollierten Kolonie sucht.
"Das Jubillee Komplott" spielt im Jahr 1887 bei der eine gigantische Brücke zwischen Frankreich und England zum Thronjubiläum von Königin Victoria eingeweiht wird.
In "Das Schicksal und die Feuerlanze" wurde ein Sohn des römischen Kaisers im Jahr 1914 in London einer alternativen Vergangenheit getötet, in der das oströmische Reich nicht untergegangen ist. Das Attentatsopfer ist ein gewisser Gavrilo, der in unserer wirklichen Zeitlinie durch sein Attentat im Jahre 1914 den österreichischen Thronfolger ermordet hatte. Dieses Attentat droht Europa in einen industrialisierten Krieg mit Stahlschiffen und automatischen Kanonen zu stürzen.
In "Das niemals blinzelnde Auge" trifft ein Inka-Schiffs-Prototyp im Jahre 1966 im römischen Imperium, in London ein. Die Inkas sind erst kürzlich in Europa angekommen, haben aber Flugzeuge. Die Ankunft ist der Beginn des kulturellen Austauschs und vielleicht noch etwas anderes ...
"Das Darwin-Anathema" ist im Jahre 2009 in London angesiedelt, wo eine Frau namens Mary mit dem Dampfschiff von Terra Australis ankommt um am Inquisitionsprozess gegen Charles Darwin teilzunehmen. In diesem Europa besiegten die Katholiken die Protestanten im 18. Jahrhundert. Charles Darwins Evolutionstheorie hat sich als umstritten erwiesen, und obwohl er lange tot ist, wird er vor Gericht gestellt.
In "Der Mars bleibt bestehen" ist es das Jahr 2026 und der 50. Jahrestag des ersten Menschen, der den Mars betrat ist angebrochen. Aber der letzte marsianische Kolonist weiß, dass er angesichts des Weltkrieges, der auf der Erde ausgebrochen ist, möglicherweise auch der letzte noch lebende Mensch ist.
In "Eagle Song" wird ein seltsamer Stern am Himmel beschrieben, die Beobachtungen beginnen von 7150 v. Chr. Bis 2210 n.Chr. Die Stories zeigen die Entwicklung der kulturellen Evolution des Menschen
In "Die Pevatron Ratten" tauchen Ratten auf mysteriöse Weise in einem Mega-Hochenergie-Super-Beschleuniger auf… Dies ist eine gute, altmodische Geschichte im SF-Stil, die man vielleicht in den 1950er und 1960er Jahren gelesen hat, aber mit einigen modernen Besonderheiten.
Der Abschnitt über die neuen Zuküfte beginnt mit der Story "Turings Äpfel", wird ein riesiges Radioteleskop auf der anderen Seite des Mondes gebaut, das wiederum eine fremde Intelligenz entdeckt, die Tausende von Lichtjahren entfernt ist ...
"Artefakte" ist wieder eine der typischen Geschichten von Stephen Baxter, in der ein Ereignis im Multiversum stattfindet, die Fragen nach der Struktur des Multiversums und dem Ende unseres Universums nach sich zieht…
In ''Vacuum Lad '' hat einen Shuttle-Passagier entdeckt, dass er die Fähigkeit hat, im Vakuum zu überleben ...
In "Vabanque" erwacht der elfjährige Matt auf und findet sich völlig alleine, er scheint der letzte Mensch auf Erden zu sein. Nur die KI's scheinen zu wissen, was los ist
In "StarCall" wird die interplanetare und interstellare Kommunikation thematisiert…
Stephen Baxter schafft es in diesem Band seine ganze Bandbreite in diese wenigen Geschichten zu packen, seine Art zu schreiben, seine Art, Grenzen zu überschreiten und neue, coole Ideen zu erfinden finde ich noch immer ausnehmend gut, er schafft es noch immer mich zu überraschen. Dieser Band zeigt das exemplarisch…
Vielleicht ist dieser Band ein guter Einstiegsband um Zugang zu diesem Autor zu finden?…
In "Auf der Chryse-Ebene" stoßen zwei Kolonisten auf einen, im Prozess des Terraforming befindlichen, Mars mit ihrem Sportgerät mit einem Flugzeug eines jungen Mädchens zusammen ab, die aus dem Orbit abgestürzt ist. Sie sind weit weg vom nächsten Habitat, die Kommunikation ist ausgefallen und sie haben nur noch wenig Luft und kaum noch etwas zu Essen und zu Trinken…
"Reise nach Amasien" spielt in einer Zukunft nach der Singularität mit der Päpstlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften des Vatikans, um Kontakt zu einer der drei zentralen künstlichen Intelligenzen (KI's) aufzunehmen, die mehr und mehr Ressourcen für ihre eigenen mysteriösen Zwecke verbrauchen als es für echte Menschen braucht. Ein künstliches Profil einer Person, die für KI-Rechte plädiert, reist durch den Cyberspace, um eine Mega-KI zu treffen, die ursprünglich aus 9 digitalisierten Menschen bestand. Dies ist eine packende Geschichte mit einer guten Perspektive auf KIs im Vergleich zu menschlichen Prioritäten. Besonders interessant sind die langfristigen Perspektiven dieser Maschinen und ihr Blick auf die Menschen. In dieser Story gibt es auch wieder eine Begegnung mit Erdschein, dessen Auftritt im Proxima/Ultima-Zyklus dem Leser bekannt sein dürfte…
"Obelisk", die Titelgeschichte dieser Anthologie, wirft einen weiteren Blick auf einen zukünftigen Mars, auf dem ein Bürgermeister einen Wirtschaftsverbrecher beaufsichtigen muss.
"Flucht aus Eden" setzt das Mars-Thema mit einem Paar fort, das eine lustige Spritztour abseits der Strenge einer von den Vereinten Nationen kontrollierten Kolonie sucht.
"Das Jubillee Komplott" spielt im Jahr 1887 bei der eine gigantische Brücke zwischen Frankreich und England zum Thronjubiläum von Königin Victoria eingeweiht wird.
In "Das Schicksal und die Feuerlanze" wurde ein Sohn des römischen Kaisers im Jahr 1914 in London einer alternativen Vergangenheit getötet, in der das oströmische Reich nicht untergegangen ist. Das Attentatsopfer ist ein gewisser Gavrilo, der in unserer wirklichen Zeitlinie durch sein Attentat im Jahre 1914 den österreichischen Thronfolger ermordet hatte. Dieses Attentat droht Europa in einen industrialisierten Krieg mit Stahlschiffen und automatischen Kanonen zu stürzen.
In "Das niemals blinzelnde Auge" trifft ein Inka-Schiffs-Prototyp im Jahre 1966 im römischen Imperium, in London ein. Die Inkas sind erst kürzlich in Europa angekommen, haben aber Flugzeuge. Die Ankunft ist der Beginn des kulturellen Austauschs und vielleicht noch etwas anderes ...
"Das Darwin-Anathema" ist im Jahre 2009 in London angesiedelt, wo eine Frau namens Mary mit dem Dampfschiff von Terra Australis ankommt um am Inquisitionsprozess gegen Charles Darwin teilzunehmen. In diesem Europa besiegten die Katholiken die Protestanten im 18. Jahrhundert. Charles Darwins Evolutionstheorie hat sich als umstritten erwiesen, und obwohl er lange tot ist, wird er vor Gericht gestellt.
In "Der Mars bleibt bestehen" ist es das Jahr 2026 und der 50. Jahrestag des ersten Menschen, der den Mars betrat ist angebrochen. Aber der letzte marsianische Kolonist weiß, dass er angesichts des Weltkrieges, der auf der Erde ausgebrochen ist, möglicherweise auch der letzte noch lebende Mensch ist.
In "Eagle Song" wird ein seltsamer Stern am Himmel beschrieben, die Beobachtungen beginnen von 7150 v. Chr. Bis 2210 n.Chr. Die Stories zeigen die Entwicklung der kulturellen Evolution des Menschen
In "Die Pevatron Ratten" tauchen Ratten auf mysteriöse Weise in einem Mega-Hochenergie-Super-Beschleuniger auf… Dies ist eine gute, altmodische Geschichte im SF-Stil, die man vielleicht in den 1950er und 1960er Jahren gelesen hat, aber mit einigen modernen Besonderheiten.
Der Abschnitt über die neuen Zuküfte beginnt mit der Story "Turings Äpfel", wird ein riesiges Radioteleskop auf der anderen Seite des Mondes gebaut, das wiederum eine fremde Intelligenz entdeckt, die Tausende von Lichtjahren entfernt ist ...
"Artefakte" ist wieder eine der typischen Geschichten von Stephen Baxter, in der ein Ereignis im Multiversum stattfindet, die Fragen nach der Struktur des Multiversums und dem Ende unseres Universums nach sich zieht…
In ''Vacuum Lad '' hat einen Shuttle-Passagier entdeckt, dass er die Fähigkeit hat, im Vakuum zu überleben ...
In "Vabanque" erwacht der elfjährige Matt auf und findet sich völlig alleine, er scheint der letzte Mensch auf Erden zu sein. Nur die KI's scheinen zu wissen, was los ist
In "StarCall" wird die interplanetare und interstellare Kommunikation thematisiert…
Stephen Baxter schafft es in diesem Band seine ganze Bandbreite in diese wenigen Geschichten zu packen, seine Art zu schreiben, seine Art, Grenzen zu überschreiten und neue, coole Ideen zu erfinden finde ich noch immer ausnehmend gut, er schafft es noch immer mich zu überraschen. Dieser Band zeigt das exemplarisch…
Vielleicht ist dieser Band ein guter Einstiegsband um Zugang zu diesem Autor zu finden?…
December 26, 2013
A lack-of-first-contact story. What if aliens showed up and turned out to have neither benign nor hostile intentions toward us? What if they weren't interested in us at all?
September 25, 2016
Audience: Those who love science fiction and alternative history/future plot ideas.
Summed up in one word: Vast
Author Bio: Stephen Baxter is the pre-eminent science fiction writer of his generation. Published around the world he has also won major awards in the U.K. Us, Germany and Japan. Born in 1957 he has degrees from Cambridge and Southampton. He lives in Northumberland with his wife. (Bio from Gollancz)
First Impression: Stephen Baxter is an ambitious and talented author. I was mesmerised by his work and blown away by the scale of his writing ability. OBELISK is a collection of short stories, several based on work he has already published (Ultima and Proxima) and the rest are a compilation of alternative yesterdays, todays and tomorrows, all centred around one core element, Science.
Summary/Intro: Contained within are stories set in the worlds of the best selling duology Ultima and Proxima, which expand on the characters and worlds of that series, including two brand new short stories.
Also included are a selection of alternate histories and possible futures, building on Baxter's work with Terry Pratchett on the Long Earth series.
This collection confirms Stephen Baxter's place as one of the greatest practitioners of the SF short story.
(Synopsis from OBELISK - Stephen Baxter)
Review
Story/Plot/Narration: There is A LOT of content to cover here (I have 5 pages of notes front and back...). 17 short stories in total, so first off, you definitely get your money's with this book. Stephen Baxter is seen as a science fiction icon and I completely agree
with this idea as the writing in this book is impressive, creative and detailed.
"The whole place glowed with sourceless light; she cast no shadows. Before her, most astonishingly of all, a sea lapped. There was a horizon, blurred by the mist. The cavern roof came down behind the horizon. She thought she saw something move in the sea. A great back surfacing, like a whale, submerging again. She dug her fingers into the ground on which she sat. Gritty sand. Further up the beach, the sand was heaped up in a line of hummocky dunes." (Quote from OBELISK - Stephen Baxter p28)
There is such a range of stories available here and there is definitely something for everyone. From a student being stranded on Mars during a school trip. A journey through cybernetic infinity. An ambitious building project on Mars. A duo gambling their future for a quick adventure. An autocar race where the stakes are higher than usual. A team figuring out how a member of royalty was assassinated. The first human to walk on Mars. Time travelling vermin. Communication with extra terrestrials. A space super hero called Vacuum Lad, and many more.
Genre/Writing Style: Stephen Baxter shows a range of both technicality and attention to detail with these stories (in terms of both history and science). Flipping (not so effortlessly) between deep space/science and historical events and figures. The difference of writing styles between each story can be disorientating, like when SB switches from a futuristic Mars setting to 19th century Victorian England. So just take each story with a fresh mind, this is not a book you sit down and devour quickly.
Setting: The settings for these stories, like the storylines themselves, have an impressive range. Mars is definitely a key location in this book, as well as England. Though we do travel to other rich and mysterious settings along the way. There are some settings that guide the characters actions and some that are redundant when you are too focused on what is going on inside the plot. For example, when the stories are set on Mars, the characters are limited to the opportunities or limitations that the red planet offers them. And when the characters are figuring out ancient booby traps or figuring out how rats are able to time travel, the setting provides very little.
Characters: As with the other sections to this review, there is just too much going on to go into serious detail about any of the characters here. I enjoyed my time with each set of characters, ranging from scientists, to super heroes, to distant relatives of famous historical figures and beyond. Not all them caught my attention, but that is a common problem with short stories, they offer different perspectives and styles to fit many different readers and I respect that.
Themes: The imagery in this piece is phenomenal, from skies fill with suns, to harsh martian wastelands. The main theme that connects each story is science, with humanity being a close second. Humans are constantly trying to secure their future and this book takes that notion to new levels, by colonising Mars, contacting aliens and other adventures that aim to cement our presence in this universe.
Likes/Dislikes: This is a good looking book! I almost bought the whole set of books just because they please my brain. Fortunately there is wonder and amazement inside too! I said I was displeased with the choppy feel to the story placements and that is true, though once you take into account that each short story is trying to achieve its own aims, it is forgivable. Science Fiction lovers will consume this with ease, as will those who like to adventure outside of everyday thinking. Those who want a chilled read with very little mental involvement, need not apply. It takes some work to understand and appreciate where SB is coming from in a few of these stories and it is not for everyone, I barely kept up myself...
Overall Opinion: A humongous, mind bending and gratifying 9/10 for this book. It deserves a place on every SF lovers shelf and if you can take some time out to really understand these stories then you will have a great time reading this book.
Summed up in one word: Vast
Author Bio: Stephen Baxter is the pre-eminent science fiction writer of his generation. Published around the world he has also won major awards in the U.K. Us, Germany and Japan. Born in 1957 he has degrees from Cambridge and Southampton. He lives in Northumberland with his wife. (Bio from Gollancz)
First Impression: Stephen Baxter is an ambitious and talented author. I was mesmerised by his work and blown away by the scale of his writing ability. OBELISK is a collection of short stories, several based on work he has already published (Ultima and Proxima) and the rest are a compilation of alternative yesterdays, todays and tomorrows, all centred around one core element, Science.
Summary/Intro: Contained within are stories set in the worlds of the best selling duology Ultima and Proxima, which expand on the characters and worlds of that series, including two brand new short stories.
Also included are a selection of alternate histories and possible futures, building on Baxter's work with Terry Pratchett on the Long Earth series.
This collection confirms Stephen Baxter's place as one of the greatest practitioners of the SF short story.
(Synopsis from OBELISK - Stephen Baxter)
Review
Story/Plot/Narration: There is A LOT of content to cover here (I have 5 pages of notes front and back...). 17 short stories in total, so first off, you definitely get your money's with this book. Stephen Baxter is seen as a science fiction icon and I completely agree
with this idea as the writing in this book is impressive, creative and detailed.
"The whole place glowed with sourceless light; she cast no shadows. Before her, most astonishingly of all, a sea lapped. There was a horizon, blurred by the mist. The cavern roof came down behind the horizon. She thought she saw something move in the sea. A great back surfacing, like a whale, submerging again. She dug her fingers into the ground on which she sat. Gritty sand. Further up the beach, the sand was heaped up in a line of hummocky dunes." (Quote from OBELISK - Stephen Baxter p28)
There is such a range of stories available here and there is definitely something for everyone. From a student being stranded on Mars during a school trip. A journey through cybernetic infinity. An ambitious building project on Mars. A duo gambling their future for a quick adventure. An autocar race where the stakes are higher than usual. A team figuring out how a member of royalty was assassinated. The first human to walk on Mars. Time travelling vermin. Communication with extra terrestrials. A space super hero called Vacuum Lad, and many more.
Genre/Writing Style: Stephen Baxter shows a range of both technicality and attention to detail with these stories (in terms of both history and science). Flipping (not so effortlessly) between deep space/science and historical events and figures. The difference of writing styles between each story can be disorientating, like when SB switches from a futuristic Mars setting to 19th century Victorian England. So just take each story with a fresh mind, this is not a book you sit down and devour quickly.
Setting: The settings for these stories, like the storylines themselves, have an impressive range. Mars is definitely a key location in this book, as well as England. Though we do travel to other rich and mysterious settings along the way. There are some settings that guide the characters actions and some that are redundant when you are too focused on what is going on inside the plot. For example, when the stories are set on Mars, the characters are limited to the opportunities or limitations that the red planet offers them. And when the characters are figuring out ancient booby traps or figuring out how rats are able to time travel, the setting provides very little.
Characters: As with the other sections to this review, there is just too much going on to go into serious detail about any of the characters here. I enjoyed my time with each set of characters, ranging from scientists, to super heroes, to distant relatives of famous historical figures and beyond. Not all them caught my attention, but that is a common problem with short stories, they offer different perspectives and styles to fit many different readers and I respect that.
Themes: The imagery in this piece is phenomenal, from skies fill with suns, to harsh martian wastelands. The main theme that connects each story is science, with humanity being a close second. Humans are constantly trying to secure their future and this book takes that notion to new levels, by colonising Mars, contacting aliens and other adventures that aim to cement our presence in this universe.
Likes/Dislikes: This is a good looking book! I almost bought the whole set of books just because they please my brain. Fortunately there is wonder and amazement inside too! I said I was displeased with the choppy feel to the story placements and that is true, though once you take into account that each short story is trying to achieve its own aims, it is forgivable. Science Fiction lovers will consume this with ease, as will those who like to adventure outside of everyday thinking. Those who want a chilled read with very little mental involvement, need not apply. It takes some work to understand and appreciate where SB is coming from in a few of these stories and it is not for everyone, I barely kept up myself...
Overall Opinion: A humongous, mind bending and gratifying 9/10 for this book. It deserves a place on every SF lovers shelf and if you can take some time out to really understand these stories then you will have a great time reading this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2017
7. Usually I am a bigger fan of Baxters short stories, but with this collection it took a while for me to get enthousiastic about it. The first couple of stories even felt like a bit of a slog to get through for me, which I found interesting as usually I'm engaged by Baxters short fiction. Truth be told, these stories are not in his usual mien. The first couple of stories take place in his Proxima and Ultima universe, so they did not contain universe spanning idea's, just filling in some back stories. They were a bit anecdotal and inconsequential. I kept waiting for a large, shocking idea to hit, and was disappointed. Then there were a couple of alternate history stories. The first three stories did not interest me that much, but then more scientific ideas came creeping in, some large notions of the impact of astronomy, how the space race would have developed if we had noticed life on Mars, or a signal from a different star. These stories, and those in the next segments, I noticed, did contain quite a bit references to Charles Darwin, and to religion and the seemingly inescapable war between science and religion. Maybe Baxter was preoccupied with this theme after writing his books with Terry Pratchett, in which there was a sympathetic priest and discussions about this theme as well. 'Mars abides' is the best story of this section, with the most powerful conclusion, based on an interesting idea about life on Mars. After the 'Other Yesterdays' section the quality of the stories rose. A story about time traveling rats was entertaining but little more, but 'The invasion of Venus' left a gut punch, very powerful, 'Turing's Apples' was another take on Baxters favorite subject of deep time, I think the story 'Artefacts' was interesting, but a bit too abstract maybe. A larger idea than this is hard to find however! The idea was so large it is hard to write good stories about it, though. 'Vacuum Lad' is Baxters version of a super hero story, but I think hard SF and super hero fiction do not mix all that well. The final two stories were okay, but not really outstanding. So, all in all, as ever I enjoyed reading Baxters SF, but there were too little big ideas in here to make this a classic.
August 18, 2020
Obelisk is a collection of short stories, some of which are set in Baxter's Proxima / Ultima universe. So, to get the full effect on some of the stories it would benefit one to read the previous two novels, but I still think a person who enjoys hard science fiction would enjoy most of the content in this collection as they stand on their own.
Standout stories for me were, "Obelisk", "Darwin Anathema", "Eagle Song", "Rock Day", and "StarCall".
"Obelisk" is set on a future Mars and is the story behind a monument on that planet which is featured in Baxter's related novels.
"Darwin Anathema" is an alternate universe story about Charles Darwin being put on trial for blasphemy in a theocratic Europe over 100 years after his death. Forced to represent him at the trial is one of his many times great-grandnieces. The portrayal of this inquisition was horrifying and frankly hard to read for this atheist but for an evangelical theologian this would be a utopian story.
"Eagle Song" is about a short, repeating, extraterrestrial light signal seen from from Earth in regular intervals on five occasions starting in 7,510 BCE and going through 2,210 CE. The reactions of the humans who witness this event varies greatly as you can imagine.
My favorite two stories were the last two:
"Rock Day" is about a boy and his dog at the end of the world (Ironically, I just read the novel A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World). Things aren't what they seem as we try to figure out what is going on in its post apocalyptic setting, and the ending put a lump in my throat. Any story with a lovable dog and good humans in it is going to be a winner for me. I don't have a list of my favorite short stories but if I did this would be near the top of the list.
The final story in the collection, "StarCall" is about a long distance relationship between a boy and an AI robotic space probe on its way to Alpha Centuri. Paul Freeman's dad buys Paul a StarCall package which allows Paul to make a short call and receive a response from the robotic space probe Sannah every ten years. Paul's first call and response is when he is five. In each subsequent call they get to know each other better and the story unwinds in a very personal and human fashion. It's just a fantastic story.
Standout stories for me were, "Obelisk", "Darwin Anathema", "Eagle Song", "Rock Day", and "StarCall".
"Obelisk" is set on a future Mars and is the story behind a monument on that planet which is featured in Baxter's related novels.
"Darwin Anathema" is an alternate universe story about Charles Darwin being put on trial for blasphemy in a theocratic Europe over 100 years after his death. Forced to represent him at the trial is one of his many times great-grandnieces. The portrayal of this inquisition was horrifying and frankly hard to read for this atheist but for an evangelical theologian this would be a utopian story.
"Eagle Song" is about a short, repeating, extraterrestrial light signal seen from from Earth in regular intervals on five occasions starting in 7,510 BCE and going through 2,210 CE. The reactions of the humans who witness this event varies greatly as you can imagine.
My favorite two stories were the last two:
"Rock Day" is about a boy and his dog at the end of the world (Ironically, I just read the novel A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World). Things aren't what they seem as we try to figure out what is going on in its post apocalyptic setting, and the ending put a lump in my throat. Any story with a lovable dog and good humans in it is going to be a winner for me. I don't have a list of my favorite short stories but if I did this would be near the top of the list.
The final story in the collection, "StarCall" is about a long distance relationship between a boy and an AI robotic space probe on its way to Alpha Centuri. Paul Freeman's dad buys Paul a StarCall package which allows Paul to make a short call and receive a response from the robotic space probe Sannah every ten years. Paul's first call and response is when he is five. In each subsequent call they get to know each other better and the story unwinds in a very personal and human fashion. It's just a fantastic story.
July 21, 2024
Stephen Baxter is a prolific SF-author, but I've only read two books of his: Proxima (2013) and Ultima (2014), as most of his works are series, which creates a higher threshold if you haven't read anything by author x or y. A duology is therefore much better. I liked 'Proxima' a lot, 'Ultima' was also quite good, but a bit below 'Proxima'. Baxter's style, however, did make up for it.
And Mr Baxter does have an accessible style, as shown once more in this short-story collection, 'Obelisk' (2016), referring to the obelisk in the 'Proxima' duology. This collection contains 17 short stories: 4 set in the 'Proxima' universe - and I highly recommend you first read the two novels before reading these short stories -, the others being older and imagining alternative pasts, presents, and tomorrows. Fifteen stories first published elsewhere, and two new ones especially for this collection.
I won't go into detail, as circumstances currently don't allow it; other readers here did provide a more detailed description of the contents. It suffices to mention that, while a collection like this is mostly not 100% super, Mr Baxter did provide the goods. 'Obelisk' is a worthwhile book that offers a highly interesting voyage back in time - what if? -, an alternative look on today with all the technology and digital age, and finally how the future (space, AI, human body, ...) could unfold, though the timeline may be a bit off.
As I read elsewhere, there is indeed quite a bit of info-dumping, but I don't mind at all, as it completes the stories. Furthermore, in his afterword, Mr Baxter explained the scientific background of those respective stories, which studies he took to create a fictional story.
The blurb also mentioned the series he wrote with the late Terry Pratchett: 'The Long Earth'. As I have now read three works (more if you count the short-stories separately) by Stephen Baxter, and a good handful of Pratchett's works, my curiosity to read 'The Long Earth' has been sparked.
----------
Table of contents:
Proxima-Ultima
On Chryse Plain (2011)
A Journey to Amasia (2012)
Obelisk (2012)
Escape from Eden (2016)
Other Yesterdays
The Jubilee Plot (2008)
Fate and the Fire-lance (2008)
The Unblinking Eye (2009)
Darwin Anathema (2010)
Mars Abides (2016)
Eagle Song (2008)
Other Todays
The Pevatron Rats (2009)
The Invasion of Venus (2011)
Other Tomorrows
Turing's Apples (2008)
Artefacts (2009)
Vacuum Lad (2010)
Rock Day (2011)
StarCall (2013)
Afterword
And Mr Baxter does have an accessible style, as shown once more in this short-story collection, 'Obelisk' (2016), referring to the obelisk in the 'Proxima' duology. This collection contains 17 short stories: 4 set in the 'Proxima' universe - and I highly recommend you first read the two novels before reading these short stories -, the others being older and imagining alternative pasts, presents, and tomorrows. Fifteen stories first published elsewhere, and two new ones especially for this collection.
I won't go into detail, as circumstances currently don't allow it; other readers here did provide a more detailed description of the contents. It suffices to mention that, while a collection like this is mostly not 100% super, Mr Baxter did provide the goods. 'Obelisk' is a worthwhile book that offers a highly interesting voyage back in time - what if? -, an alternative look on today with all the technology and digital age, and finally how the future (space, AI, human body, ...) could unfold, though the timeline may be a bit off.
As I read elsewhere, there is indeed quite a bit of info-dumping, but I don't mind at all, as it completes the stories. Furthermore, in his afterword, Mr Baxter explained the scientific background of those respective stories, which studies he took to create a fictional story.
The blurb also mentioned the series he wrote with the late Terry Pratchett: 'The Long Earth'. As I have now read three works (more if you count the short-stories separately) by Stephen Baxter, and a good handful of Pratchett's works, my curiosity to read 'The Long Earth' has been sparked.
----------
Table of contents:
Proxima-Ultima
On Chryse Plain (2011)
A Journey to Amasia (2012)
Obelisk (2012)
Escape from Eden (2016)
Other Yesterdays
The Jubilee Plot (2008)
Fate and the Fire-lance (2008)
The Unblinking Eye (2009)
Darwin Anathema (2010)
Mars Abides (2016)
Eagle Song (2008)
Other Todays
The Pevatron Rats (2009)
The Invasion of Venus (2011)
Other Tomorrows
Turing's Apples (2008)
Artefacts (2009)
Vacuum Lad (2010)
Rock Day (2011)
StarCall (2013)
Afterword
September 3, 2016
This is Baxter's latest collection of short stories and like his last few collections is broadly considered a tie-in to his latest series (Proxima/Ultima). However, only four of the 17 stories are actually set in that universe.
The first section, titled Proxima-Ultimata are the four stories set in the same universe as the books. I would say this is probably the weakest section of the book actually with stories that feel like deleted scenes from the two books. Only Escape from Eden features any characters from the books.
Next up is Other Yesterday's which contains six stories imagine alternate histories, in a similar way to the Proxima/Ultima books do. Baxter tends to come up with a pivotal point in history and imagines if it turned out differently. What if the railway revolution had never happened in Victorian Britain? What if the late Roman empire had gunpowder? What if the Incas had become a truly global empire? What if the Catholic church has been powerful enough to suppress Darwin's theories? What if the space race had put humans on Mars? What if an alien signal was spotted throughout human history? The thing I especially like about these stories is that though they use a grand focus the story itself focuses on a few minor characters in the grand scheme of things- indeed in several of these stories the alternate history aspect is fairly superficial to the story itself.
In Other Today's we get two decent present day sci-fi stories. The Pevatron Rats imagines rats evolving at a particle accelerator which can travel in time- it's a wonderfully clever story which is my favorite of the collection. Then there's The Invasion of Venus which sees humanity watch an alien war and realise we're not part of it.
Finally, there's Other Tomorrows which has stories set in the future. The first, Turing's Apples I thought was the worst story of the collection, mainly because it tried to be too clever. The rest are great though featuring ideas like a human who can survive in a vacuum, a lifetime's conversation with a spaceship and a sort of futuristic ghost story.
All in all, I thought it was a really strong collection. In these stories Baxter does a great job at creating original science-fiction scenarios and telling great stories within them, something which only the best sci-fi authors can manage.
The first section, titled Proxima-Ultimata are the four stories set in the same universe as the books. I would say this is probably the weakest section of the book actually with stories that feel like deleted scenes from the two books. Only Escape from Eden features any characters from the books.
Next up is Other Yesterday's which contains six stories imagine alternate histories, in a similar way to the Proxima/Ultima books do. Baxter tends to come up with a pivotal point in history and imagines if it turned out differently. What if the railway revolution had never happened in Victorian Britain? What if the late Roman empire had gunpowder? What if the Incas had become a truly global empire? What if the Catholic church has been powerful enough to suppress Darwin's theories? What if the space race had put humans on Mars? What if an alien signal was spotted throughout human history? The thing I especially like about these stories is that though they use a grand focus the story itself focuses on a few minor characters in the grand scheme of things- indeed in several of these stories the alternate history aspect is fairly superficial to the story itself.
In Other Today's we get two decent present day sci-fi stories. The Pevatron Rats imagines rats evolving at a particle accelerator which can travel in time- it's a wonderfully clever story which is my favorite of the collection. Then there's The Invasion of Venus which sees humanity watch an alien war and realise we're not part of it.
Finally, there's Other Tomorrows which has stories set in the future. The first, Turing's Apples I thought was the worst story of the collection, mainly because it tried to be too clever. The rest are great though featuring ideas like a human who can survive in a vacuum, a lifetime's conversation with a spaceship and a sort of futuristic ghost story.
All in all, I thought it was a really strong collection. In these stories Baxter does a great job at creating original science-fiction scenarios and telling great stories within them, something which only the best sci-fi authors can manage.
October 21, 2016
Stephen Baxter is an amazing writer.
So far I had only read novels of his, this is a collection of 17 stories grouped into four sections - Proxima/Ultima, Other Yesterdays, Other Todays, Other Tomorrows.
Unlike most readers I reserve 5 stars for really amazing books, otherwise this would have received that rating. Let's allocate it 4.8 stars.
So far I had only read novels of his, this is a collection of 17 stories grouped into four sections - Proxima/Ultima, Other Yesterdays, Other Todays, Other Tomorrows.
Unlike most readers I reserve 5 stars for really amazing books, otherwise this would have received that rating. Let's allocate it 4.8 stars.
December 26, 2016
Stephen Baxter is, quite simply, my favourite SF writer and this collection of some of his short stories does nothing to change my mind. He has a clever way of dealing with big concepts from the viewpoint of ordinary people.
July 25, 2017
For me Stephen Baxter is in a select group of my favorite short form writers, along with Robert Silverberg and Stephen King. It's not just that so many of their short works are among my favorites. It's the high quality of stories that I DIDN'T find to be extraordinary. They are somehow able to stay away from bad fiction and maintain high standards throughout their careers.
This particular collection is no exception, containing a few duds, several super cool stories, and a large number of very good stories. Two themes appear prevalent: the alternate history and communication with the aliens. Here's the breakdown of stories:
- On Chryse Plain: 4 stars
Three teenagers from two craft crash on Mars and must work together to survive.
Very addictive and cute.
- A Journey to Amasia: 2 stars
Priest is led underground to meet AI which rules the world.
Confusing, pointless.
- Obelisk: 3 stars
Efforts by early colonists on Mars at building a 'skyscraper'.
Interesting science stuff and nice details. Hated the ending.
- Escape from Eden: 2 stars
Background info on one of the characters from 'Proxima'.
Nothing of interest here. Move on.
- The Jubilee Plot: 5 stars
Kid foils attempt by conspirators of murdering queen Victoria in an alternate 19th century.
Beautifully written and full of interesting alternate world details.
- Fate and the Fire-Lance: 3 stars
Detective procedural about a murder at a diplomatic conference in alternate 20th century where the Roman Empire has survived.
Interesting alternate world, but neither the characters, nor the plot shine.
- The Unblinking Eye: 3 stars
The Incas are the most powerful nation on Earth, and one of their airships has reached Europe and makes diplomatic oeuvres.
This seems an exact replica of the previous story. Not enough is done to actually use the beautiful setup.
- Darwin Anathema: 3 stars
Posthumous trial of Charles Darwin in world where Protestantism never took off, and Catholic church has more power.
Again, interesting setup, but the plot itself kinda boring.
- Mars Abides: 3 stars
In a slightly alternate world USA and USSR each send expeditions to Mars, then annihilate each other, and the 'martians' must find way to work together.
This is almost the reverse of previous stories. The setup is not so interesting, but the plot and characters here are.
- Eagle Song: 5 stars
Aliens from Altair have been sending messages to Earth since the dawn of time. The reaction of people who are aware of them across history is beautifully rendered. In the end we manage to message back.
- The Pevatron Rats: 4 stars
Rats gain the ability to travel back into the past and take over Earth. Interesting way to conquer a planet.
- The Invasion of Venus: 4 stars
Cool idea I have not met before. There's a scare on Earth when an alien starship appears to enter center solar system, only to discover it actually heading for Venus to put up a fight with the Venusians.
- Turing's Apples: 3 stars
Pair of estranged brothers struggle to understand messages from remote star, which turn out to contain an AI designed to learn to communicate. Pretty bleak and not in the most convincing style, I really didn't like the ending of this one.
- Artefacts: 2 stars
Easily the poorest story in this collection. Not written in Baxter's clear style at all. Maybe he was trying to pay homage to one of his heroes... The confusing plot concerns the efforts of one scientist to talk to and explain parallel universes.
- Vacuum Lad: 3 stars
Due to genetic engineering, a group of humans becomes able to live for short periods of time in vacuum, and are hired to service various ships and colonies. Not the most terribly original idea, but still a good read.
- Rock Day: 3 stars
Here Baxter attempts a little Philip K. Dick, with mixed results. Boy wakes up in strange world which expects a meteor to hit Earth and lives the same day over and over again, only to discover that in fact he is an...
- Starcall: 5 stars
Mid 21st century a self-aware ship is launched for Alpha Centauri, and selected people get a chance to talk to it once every ten years. A new starship propulsion technology is shown here, which Baxter admits to have extrapolated from works of I. Crawford, G.D. Nordley & A.J. Crown. The story is superbly laid out, the journey of the starship, but also of the people on Earth are written in the best traditions of science fiction.
This particular collection is no exception, containing a few duds, several super cool stories, and a large number of very good stories. Two themes appear prevalent: the alternate history and communication with the aliens. Here's the breakdown of stories:
- On Chryse Plain: 4 stars
Three teenagers from two craft crash on Mars and must work together to survive.
Very addictive and cute.
- A Journey to Amasia: 2 stars
Priest is led underground to meet AI which rules the world.
Confusing, pointless.
- Obelisk: 3 stars
Efforts by early colonists on Mars at building a 'skyscraper'.
Interesting science stuff and nice details. Hated the ending.
- Escape from Eden: 2 stars
Background info on one of the characters from 'Proxima'.
Nothing of interest here. Move on.
- The Jubilee Plot: 5 stars
Kid foils attempt by conspirators of murdering queen Victoria in an alternate 19th century.
Beautifully written and full of interesting alternate world details.
- Fate and the Fire-Lance: 3 stars
Detective procedural about a murder at a diplomatic conference in alternate 20th century where the Roman Empire has survived.
Interesting alternate world, but neither the characters, nor the plot shine.
- The Unblinking Eye: 3 stars
The Incas are the most powerful nation on Earth, and one of their airships has reached Europe and makes diplomatic oeuvres.
This seems an exact replica of the previous story. Not enough is done to actually use the beautiful setup.
- Darwin Anathema: 3 stars
Posthumous trial of Charles Darwin in world where Protestantism never took off, and Catholic church has more power.
Again, interesting setup, but the plot itself kinda boring.
- Mars Abides: 3 stars
In a slightly alternate world USA and USSR each send expeditions to Mars, then annihilate each other, and the 'martians' must find way to work together.
This is almost the reverse of previous stories. The setup is not so interesting, but the plot and characters here are.
- Eagle Song: 5 stars
Aliens from Altair have been sending messages to Earth since the dawn of time. The reaction of people who are aware of them across history is beautifully rendered. In the end we manage to message back.
- The Pevatron Rats: 4 stars
Rats gain the ability to travel back into the past and take over Earth. Interesting way to conquer a planet.
- The Invasion of Venus: 4 stars
Cool idea I have not met before. There's a scare on Earth when an alien starship appears to enter center solar system, only to discover it actually heading for Venus to put up a fight with the Venusians.
- Turing's Apples: 3 stars
Pair of estranged brothers struggle to understand messages from remote star, which turn out to contain an AI designed to learn to communicate. Pretty bleak and not in the most convincing style, I really didn't like the ending of this one.
- Artefacts: 2 stars
Easily the poorest story in this collection. Not written in Baxter's clear style at all. Maybe he was trying to pay homage to one of his heroes... The confusing plot concerns the efforts of one scientist to talk to and explain parallel universes.
- Vacuum Lad: 3 stars
Due to genetic engineering, a group of humans becomes able to live for short periods of time in vacuum, and are hired to service various ships and colonies. Not the most terribly original idea, but still a good read.
- Rock Day: 3 stars
Here Baxter attempts a little Philip K. Dick, with mixed results. Boy wakes up in strange world which expects a meteor to hit Earth and lives the same day over and over again, only to discover that in fact he is an...
- Starcall: 5 stars
Mid 21st century a self-aware ship is launched for Alpha Centauri, and selected people get a chance to talk to it once every ten years. A new starship propulsion technology is shown here, which Baxter admits to have extrapolated from works of I. Crawford, G.D. Nordley & A.J. Crown. The story is superbly laid out, the journey of the starship, but also of the people on Earth are written in the best traditions of science fiction.
January 9, 2024
Stephen Baxter has been an innovative stalwart of the British SF scene since back in the day when he was publishing in small press magazines under the name SM Baxter. He has collaborated with Terry Pratchett and Arthur C Clarke, and written a sequel to HG Wells' "The Time Machine." As well as his hard-SF output - represented in this volume by stories set on a colonized Mars - he is also fascinated by evolution (here you will find a story, for example, that imagines the accelerated evolution of the rat. He's done this before, looked at what will survive mass extinction and how those survivors will diverge into future species) and by alternate history. Some of the most compelling stories in this volume for me were the alternate histories, where European or British development has been held back whether by religion or short-sightedness, and the world has developed very differently, whether it is one where the native civilisations of South America confront Europe, or one where the UK stuck with road transport leaving the European mainland to go ahead with the development of railways. Religion often comes in for a good thrashing, or at least the religious establishment which can only ever be conservative in its effects. In some stories, Rome doesn't fall, and there is the opportunity for some parallel-world fun at the expense of present day popular heroes.
Several options for the end of the world: without necessarily sounding pessimistic several of the stories provide world-ending scenarios, usually with an elegiac sense of loss, this is the way the world ends, now and in England.
Several options for the end of the world: without necessarily sounding pessimistic several of the stories provide world-ending scenarios, usually with an elegiac sense of loss, this is the way the world ends, now and in England.
April 6, 2022
Unendlich viele Möglichkeiten ...
Als bekennender Baxter-Fan musste ich das Buch natürlich sofort haben. Da es ein Sammelband für Kurzgeschichten ist, hatte ich anfangs die Erwartung, er würde hier einfach noch ein paar Lücken füllen, die beispielsweise in der Proxima-Ultima-Story geblieben sind. Überraschenderweise handelt es sich aber um völlig neuartige Geschichten, die zwar teilweise Bezug zu den bekannten Büchern herstellen, doch auch ohne Vorkenntnisse kommt hier sicher jeder auf den Geschmack.
Sogar schneller als bei seinen Romanen wurde ich in jede neue Story derart hineingezogen, dass ich das Buch nicht mehr aus der Hand legen konnte. Wirklich alle bekannten SciFi-Themen (Zeitreisen, Parallelwelten, Raumfahrt, KI, fremde Intelligenzen, ...) sind hier mit einbezogen und noch einmal weiterentwickelt bzw. neu interpretiert. Besonders faszinierend gestaltet sind auch in OBELISK wieder die vielen alternativen Möglichkeiten unserer Realität.
Was ich an Baxters Schreibstil immer am liebsten mag, ist seine "flotte" Erzählweise. Immer genau bevor eine Erzählung auch nur in Gefahr gerät, langatmig zu werden, springt die Handlung einfach ein paar Jahre weiter, sodass die Story stets schnell weiterkommt - ohne wichtige Elemente auszulassen. Diese sprunghafte Entwicklung wird bei Baxter oft kritisiert, hilft meiner Meinung nach jedoch enorm beim Spannungsaufbau und erweitert auch hier die Perspektive, anstatt sich an der realen Zeitempfindung eines Menschen aufzuhängen.
Jede Geschichte für sich hat absolutes Suchtpotenzial. Klare Leseempfehlung!!
Als bekennender Baxter-Fan musste ich das Buch natürlich sofort haben. Da es ein Sammelband für Kurzgeschichten ist, hatte ich anfangs die Erwartung, er würde hier einfach noch ein paar Lücken füllen, die beispielsweise in der Proxima-Ultima-Story geblieben sind. Überraschenderweise handelt es sich aber um völlig neuartige Geschichten, die zwar teilweise Bezug zu den bekannten Büchern herstellen, doch auch ohne Vorkenntnisse kommt hier sicher jeder auf den Geschmack.
Sogar schneller als bei seinen Romanen wurde ich in jede neue Story derart hineingezogen, dass ich das Buch nicht mehr aus der Hand legen konnte. Wirklich alle bekannten SciFi-Themen (Zeitreisen, Parallelwelten, Raumfahrt, KI, fremde Intelligenzen, ...) sind hier mit einbezogen und noch einmal weiterentwickelt bzw. neu interpretiert. Besonders faszinierend gestaltet sind auch in OBELISK wieder die vielen alternativen Möglichkeiten unserer Realität.
Was ich an Baxters Schreibstil immer am liebsten mag, ist seine "flotte" Erzählweise. Immer genau bevor eine Erzählung auch nur in Gefahr gerät, langatmig zu werden, springt die Handlung einfach ein paar Jahre weiter, sodass die Story stets schnell weiterkommt - ohne wichtige Elemente auszulassen. Diese sprunghafte Entwicklung wird bei Baxter oft kritisiert, hilft meiner Meinung nach jedoch enorm beim Spannungsaufbau und erweitert auch hier die Perspektive, anstatt sich an der realen Zeitempfindung eines Menschen aufzuhängen.
Jede Geschichte für sich hat absolutes Suchtpotenzial. Klare Leseempfehlung!!
November 25, 2018
I've only recently started reading Baxter's books, but this collection is a nice taster of his range. His academic background provides a sense of plausibility and the knowledge that he's going to have put plenty of thought into even the shortest story. Stories range from those set in the Proxima/Ultima universe, to alternate histories that ponder how the world would look if Europeans had never reached the Americas, or if technology had taken a different path. He ponders the form and structure of entire universes while keeping his language accessible and not getting bogged down in heaps of jargon.
It's a thought-provoking range of stories - and one that encourages me to explore his work further. Really enjoyed it.
It's a thought-provoking range of stories - and one that encourages me to explore his work further. Really enjoyed it.
December 2, 2024
It is always fun to see how you can change and evolve as a reader through the years - I’ve always been a book slayer, but have never cared much for novels and short stories …. Until this year. I don’t know why, they always frustrated me, and an entire collection within an omnibus was a bore to me. Now, I can’t get enough of them.
This one came as a surprise when I discovered it - I had no idea the Proxima-Ultima duo had a sequel, but it was intriguing. And to be fair, I think it’s my favourite of the bunch, mainly because it expands the universe and made it a bit more human, close to what I hold dear ? In any case, a quick, nice read, full of good ideas. As it is often the case with Baxter !
This one came as a surprise when I discovered it - I had no idea the Proxima-Ultima duo had a sequel, but it was intriguing. And to be fair, I think it’s my favourite of the bunch, mainly because it expands the universe and made it a bit more human, close to what I hold dear ? In any case, a quick, nice read, full of good ideas. As it is often the case with Baxter !
April 14, 2025
A pretty decent collection of short stories that I was under the impression were connected to the Proxima-Ultima books.
Well, the first 4 are, sort of, and the rest are not, but could have been.
Hightlights:
Fate and the Fire-Lance - a fun murder-mystery
The Invasion of Venus - didn't go the way I wanted it to, but a fun concept
The Pevatron Rats - an infestation of time-travelling rats, brilliant!
Rock Day - deeply impactful
StarCall - A long-term conversation between a drone heading out of the solar system and a young boy
Vacuum Lad - A sort-of super-hero story with a twist
Most of the rest were okay, with a couple of duff ones.
Well, the first 4 are, sort of, and the rest are not, but could have been.
Hightlights:
Fate and the Fire-Lance - a fun murder-mystery
The Invasion of Venus - didn't go the way I wanted it to, but a fun concept
The Pevatron Rats - an infestation of time-travelling rats, brilliant!
Rock Day - deeply impactful
StarCall - A long-term conversation between a drone heading out of the solar system and a young boy
Vacuum Lad - A sort-of super-hero story with a twist
Most of the rest were okay, with a couple of duff ones.
September 19, 2018
A decent collection of Baxter's short stories. As with his long-form works I can live without the alternative-past novels, and a couple of the 'what if' alternative histories were just clunky beyond belief. It's when he's thinking big thoughts that Baxter really comes into his own. Just read the concluding stories, "Rock Day" and "Starcall", tales that have an almost Wellsian sense of the human ability to wonder and to achieve greatness.
In the end, though,it's his grand-scale novels where Baxter lives his best life.
In the end, though,it's his grand-scale novels where Baxter lives his best life.
January 21, 2019
DNF @ 26%
I picked this up without reading the blurb. I didn’t know this was a collection of short stories (or kinda like extra content) about a universe from a series I haven’t read.
I didn’t know any characters and I felt like the reason the short stories didn’t come to a conclusion was because the outcome would be known if I had read the series or any of his other novels. My bad.
I’ll definitely pick it up once I’ve read his other works.
I picked this up without reading the blurb. I didn’t know this was a collection of short stories (or kinda like extra content) about a universe from a series I haven’t read.
I didn’t know any characters and I felt like the reason the short stories didn’t come to a conclusion was because the outcome would be known if I had read the series or any of his other novels. My bad.
I’ll definitely pick it up once I’ve read his other works.
December 16, 2017
A mixture of good, bad and indifferent in this short story collection. I prefer full length novels to short stories and feel that the best authors are better at novels. Just okay as a whole.
Ray Smillie
Ray Smillie
February 17, 2019
Interesting but I found the vignette style a bit confusing. the main story never felt fleshed out or finished. I had read one of the chapters as a short story before. I'm a fan so it was ok for me but not my dav of his work.
December 17, 2019
A series of intriguing short stories
On Crude Plain
A Journey to Amasia
Obelisk
Escape to Eden
The Jubilee Plot
Fate and the Fire
The Unblinking Eye
Darwin Anathema
Mars Abides
Eagle Song
The Pebatron Rats
The Invasion of Venus
Turing's Apple
Artifacts
Vacuum Lad
Rock Day
Starcall
On Crude Plain
A Journey to Amasia
Obelisk
Escape to Eden
The Jubilee Plot
Fate and the Fire
The Unblinking Eye
Darwin Anathema
Mars Abides
Eagle Song
The Pebatron Rats
The Invasion of Venus
Turing's Apple
Artifacts
Vacuum Lad
Rock Day
Starcall
June 5, 2023
Published in 2016, 'Obelisk' is a collection of 17 sf short stories first published over the years 2008-2016. All are of a high standard, with many signs of Clarke influences - which is not a bad thing.
January 21, 2024
I'm not the best fan of short stories and this book got me on surprise. Although most stories have an interesting storyline, there are also a few that feel too unfinished. With that, for it didn't reach the usual excellent standard of Stephen Baxter
February 26, 2017
Good stories, but disappointed that it wasn't a continuation of Proxima & Ultima.
September 5, 2017
Reminded me a bit of Stross's post-singularity stuff.
January 16, 2018
Pretty good stories. When they are this short you don't have to bother with small details and can just enjoy the greater picture, enjoyable book.
July 26, 2018
Ok, so I did not always understand the stories in this book, but I found them intriguing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the stories, and will look out for the other books.
July 17, 2019
Brilliant & depressing!
September 1, 2019
Great collection of short stories from Baxter. Loved the alternate histories and future tomorrows, a few mindbenders in there!
October 28, 2019
A great little collection of stories!
Read
January 24, 2020A good companion to Proxima and Ultima, plus a bonus of some excellent short stories not sit in that universe
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews