Baxter, Stephen (1957- ) science fiction writer

Stephen Baxter was born on November 13, 1957, in Liverpool. He attended Cambridge University, where he studied mathematics; Southampton University, where he received a doctorate in engineering; and Henley Management College, where he earned a degree in business administration. He taught math and physics for some time, then worked in information technology before becoming a full-time writer in 1995.

His literary career began in 1987, when he published his first science fiction short story. Other stories followed, as well as his first novel, Raft (1991). In the following years, he became increasingly prolific, writing more than 40 books and winning numerous science fiction awards, including the Philip K. Dick Award (in 1996 for The Time Ships as well as in 1999 for Vacuum Diagrams'), the British Science Fiction Association Award (in 1996 for The Time Ships as well as in 2001 for a nonfiction book Omegatropic), and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award (in 1996, again for The Time Ships). He is currently vice president of both the British Science Fiction Association and the H. G. Wells Society, as well as a fellow of the British Interplanetary Society.

Baxter is a writer of hard science fiction, often focusing on highly technical or theoretical ideas. His strong background in math and engineering allows him to craft epic narratives grounded in current scientific understanding. His work is organized into a number of series.

The Manifold Trilogy, which consists of three novels (Time, 1999; Space, 2000; Origin, 2001) and a book of short stories related to the novels (Phase Space, 2002), offers resolutions to the Fermi Paradox, which is the contradiction between the fact that most scientists believe that there must be life on other planets and the lack of evidence for such life.

The Mammoth Trilogy (Silverhair, 1999; Long- tusk, 1999; and Icebones, 2001), written primarily for children, concerns ideas of evolution and focuses on groups of mammoths living in the distant past, present-day Siberia, and on Mars.

Baxter’s most popular and ambitious series, the Xeelee Sequence, includes more than 10 books and chronicles the ultimately futile million-year war humanity wages against the Xeelee, an alien species whose technology gives them godlike power.

Baxter’s most highly regarded book, The Time Ships, a best seller and multiple award winner, is a sequel to H. G. Wells’s classic The Time Machine.

In addition to his science fiction, Baxter has also written a number of nonfiction books, including Revolutions in the Earth: James Hutton and the True Age of the World (2003). He is also a science fiction critic and anthology editor.

Other Works by Stephen Baxter:
- Conqueror. London: Gollancz, 2007.
- Deep Future. London: Gollancz, 2001.
- Evolution. London: Gollancz, 2002.
- The Light of Other Days. (With Arthur C. Clarke). New York: TOR, 2000.
- Ring. New York: Harper Prism Books, 1996. Timelike Infinity. London: Harper Collins, 1992.

A Work about Stephen Baxter:
- “Stephen Baxter.” Contemporary Authors Online. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale, 2007. Available online. URL: http://galenet.galegroup. com. Accessed December 7, 2007.