Author guide
Stephen Baxter Books in Order
Stephen Baxter was born in Liverpool in 1957 and lives in Northumberland. He studied mathematics at Cambridge, engineering at Southampton, and business administration at Henley Management College. After working as a mathematics and physics teacher and in information technology, he became a full-time author in 1995. His first novel was published in 1991, and his work includes novels, short-story collections, nonfiction, and collaborations with Arthur C. Clarke, Terry Pratchett, and other authors. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society, a former President of the British Science Fiction Association, and a Vice-President of the H. G. Wells Society.
hard science fictionspace operaalternate historyhistorical science fictionevolutionary fictionyoung adult science fictionscience nonfiction
Stephen Baxter's Newest Book
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Raft
The first Xeelee Sequence novel and a concise introduction to Baxter's hard science fiction.
The Time Ships
An acclaimed standalone time-travel novel and authorized sequel to H. G. Wells.
Evolution
A standalone saga spanning the history and speculative future of humanity.
Flood
A tense, accessible near-future catastrophe novel.
The Long Earth
The first book in Baxter's accessible collaboration with Terry Pratchett.
Read in order
Books by series
sequence · ongoing
Xeelee Sequence
A far-future history of humanity's struggle with the enigmatic Xeelee across cosmic time.
- 1 RaftAmazon ↗
Book 1 · novel · 1991
- 2
Timelike InfinityAmazon ↗Book 2 · novel · 1992
- 3
FluxAmazon ↗Book 3 · novel · 1993
- 4
RingAmazon ↗Book 4 · novel · 1994
- 5
Vacuum DiagramsAmazon ↗Book 5 · short-story-collection · 1997 Optional
- 6
CoalescentAmazon ↗Book 6 · novel · 2003
- 7
ExultantAmazon ↗Book 7 · novel · 2004
- 8
TranscendentAmazon ↗Book 8 · novel · 2005
- 9
ResplendentAmazon ↗Book 9 · short-story-collection · 2006 Optional
- 10
Xeelee: EnduranceAmazon ↗Book 10 · short-story-collection · 2015 Optional
- 11
Xeelee: VengeanceAmazon ↗Book 11 · novel · 2017
- 12 Xeelee: RedemptionAmazon ↗
Book 12 · novel · 2018
series · complete
Destiny's Children
A four-volume Xeelee Sequence future history following humanity across immense stretches of time.
duology · complete
Xeelee: Vengeance and Redemption
A two-volume Xeelee Sequence arc concerning Michael Poole's conflict with the Xeelee.
series · complete
Manifold
A series of novels and stories exploring different possible solutions to the Fermi paradox and the nature of the universe.
trilogy · complete
A Time Odyssey
A trilogy co-authored with Arthur C. Clarke involving humanity, time, and the mysterious Firstborn.
trilogy · complete
Mammoth
A trilogy following mammoths through prehistory, the modern world, and an imagined future on Mars.
trilogy · complete
NASA Trilogy
An alternate-history trilogy about humanity's expansion into the Solar System after Apollo.
series · complete
Time's Tapestry
A historical time-travel series about interventions shaping Britain's history.
sequence · complete
Flood and Ark
A near-future catastrophe sequence about a rising ocean and the evacuation of humanity.
trilogy · complete
Northland
An alternate-prehistory trilogy about societies defending themselves against rising seas and changing empires.
series · complete
The Long Earth
A five-volume collaboration with Terry Pratchett about parallel Earths and humanity's expansion across them.
duology · complete
Proxima
A two-volume sequence about exploration, colonization, and manipulated histories around Proxima Centauri.
duology · complete
World Engines
A two-volume far-future series about humanity's encounter with alternate worlds and cosmic-scale threats.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (16)
-
Anti-IceAmazon ↗novel · 1993
- The Time ShipsAmazon ↗
novel · 1995
-
The Light of Other DaysAmazon ↗novel · 2000
-
Deep FutureAmazon ↗nonfiction · 2001
- EvolutionAmazon ↗
novel · 2002
-
Revolutions in the Earth: James Hutton and the True Age of the WorldAmazon ↗nonfiction · 2003
-
The H-Bomb GirlAmazon ↗novel · 2007
-
The Science of AvatarAmazon ↗nonfiction · 2012
-
Doctor Who: The Wheel of IceAmazon ↗novel · 2012
-
The Medusa ChroniclesAmazon ↗novel · 2016
-
The Massacre of MankindAmazon ↗novel · 2017
-
GalaxiasAmazon ↗novel · 2021
-
The Thousand EarthsAmazon ↗novel · 2022
-
Creation NodeAmazon ↗novel · 2023
-
Fortress SolAmazon ↗novel · 2024
- HearthspaceAmazon ↗
novel · 2025
Short fiction (6)
-
TracesAmazon ↗short-story-collection · 1998
-
The Hunters of PangaeaAmazon ↗short-story-collection · 2004
-
Last and First ContactsAmazon ↗short-story-collection · 2012
-
UniversesAmazon ↗short-story-collection · 2013
-
ObeliskAmazon ↗short-story-collection · 2016
-
The Spacetime Pit Plus TwoAmazon ↗short-story-collection · 2018
Essays and speeches (1)
-
OmegatropicAmazon ↗essay-collection · 2001