Manifold: Origin (Manifold Series #3)

Space is one of my favorite science fiction novels and led me to

Space is one of my favorite science fiction novels and led me to explore the other books in Baxter's Manifold series. The books are individual stories and they can be read in any order though i feel Space has the edge over the others. While Time is an equally epic story, i found the enormous distances covered in Space easier to comprehend than the vast eons outlined in Time.

Baxter's characters, both human and robotic, are engaging. His story telling is compelling. On top of this Baxter has the ability to describe the complexities of science in a way that makes it both comprehensible and fascinating. 5 stars.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

mind blowing ending!

This story is one of the most vivid books I have read this year. It takes sci-fi to a whole new level, with Baxter's great imagination and writing skills.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

MANIFOLD: TIME

The end of the world, or, merely, the end of life as we know it, has been one of man's greatest fears. Author Stephen Baxter's MANIFOLD: TIME does not exploit nor hide behind such dire threats. Rather, Baxter uses this most human concern as a catalyst for his action-based novel, demonstrating that man's survival instinct is so great that it bears the potential to transcend time. Told in the near-distant future and centering around a diverse group of characters (the rogue space hero; the independent, yet dutiful ex-wife; the politician with a conscience; the seemingly mad mathematician; the genius child; and the brain-enhanced squid), MANIFOLD: TIME is a story spanning so many levels, you'll be thinking about it long after you've turned the last page!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

What happens to the squid?!

Right up until the end, I felt like I'd read this story before (A.C. Clarke, Rbt Heinlen), but then Baxter walloped me with the plot twist. I will probably read the rest of the series but mostly it's to find out what happens to the squid.

Great book.

This series is definitely worth reading.

Good Book, Great Ideas, Okay writing.

'Manifold: Time' exposes its audience to an abundance of popular neo-science ideas such as space&time travel, genetics, and black holes. The story is original in it's exploration of these ideas but the plot has some similarities to Sir Clark's '...2001' saga that took away from my enjoyment of reading the book. Mr. Baxter is a mathematician and scientist first; his ideas are exciting, clear and manages to be very convincing for a fiction novel. However, Mr. Baxter as a writer is not a captivating storyteller and his book suffers from it. In between the fast paced, fun bits are a few slow moving trivial sub plots (that go NOWHERE). I'm also very concerned by the way 'Manifold: Time' concludes and what the other two Manifold books promise; The questions keep coming, without much answers. Overall; Recommended only to those who enjoy neo-science and expect to good spend time learning a few new things. 'Manifold: Time' is a good book that should be better, however Mr. Baxter still has two more Manifolds to get it perfect!

fascinating complex science fiction

Reid Malenfant has wanted to be an astronaut since he was a little boy. When NASA accepted him into the space program as a pilot, he was ecstatic. He flew a few missions and was a great spokesperson for the agency until he was scrubbed from his latest assignment.

While flying with his wife Emma over Africa in a T-38, he saw a new red moon appear in the sky. Emma and Reid eject from the plane but while he floats back to Earth, Emma floats through a blue wheel that suddenly appears and lands her on the new moon. Not expecting help to arrive anytime soon Emma does her best to survive, learning many shocking facts about the human race along the way. Reid, in the meantime, mounts a public outcry to allow him to visit the red moon and get his wife back.

This final installment in the Manifold series is a fascinating tale that delves into multiple dimensions, the evolution of mankind and the true reality of the Red Moon. The emphasis in this science fiction novel is the science and Stephen Baxter does a fabulous job of keeping this work realistic within the framework of modern technologies and astrophysics.

Harriet Klausner

A romp through space and time

Manifold:Time is a well paced, well thought out adventure through some of the more esoteric conceptions found in the outskirts of modern physics. The characters, and in particular the main character, who is a entrepeneur in the best sense of the word, for such an idea driven plot, are well developed. The author extrapolates a near term future in which NASA is a strangled bureacracy and the world is beginning to collapse, and without space based material, the world will not be able to continue to expand. Then an artifact is discovered, and perceptions about the world change. In order not to give too much of the plot away, I won't mention each of the different technical devices used, but I particularly like the concept of (I think it was called) Feynman transfer, where messages from the future might be beamed to the present, if only we were able to detect them. I found less persuasive the use of, essentially, Bayesian statistics with relation to extrapolations of population growth and human survival, since such ad hoc assumptions are approximately as accurate as the 7 day outlook on the weather for the seventh day. As a final point, I liked the symetry, similiar to that found in 'The weapon shops of Isher', where events set in motion in the present can affect other parts of time and space, perhaps even in creative and wonderful ways.

Earns the accolade of 'the next Clarke.'

While the main character, Reid Malenfant, seems at time to be nothing more than a foil for other characters, the plot and ideas more than make up for this slight detraction. A facinating look that combines various ideas from as far back as twenty years ago. Very reminisicent of '2001' in its sense of wonder. But since it is a substantially larger book, the ideas are bigger and more numerous. Baxter's predictions of the future are disquieting because of how logical he has extrapolated his ideas. A near flawless science fiction novel.

WHAT AN ENDING!

Stephen Baxter's intriguing book provides a new view to predicting Earth's end. His style of writing, although a bit slow at times, allows the characters to develop to bring the story to its irreversible end, and what an ending it is. I am impressed by Baxter's creativity. For an author with such an extensive technical background he goes beyond that call to incorporate simplicity to the scientific material and to explore the depth and interaction of his characters leading to earth's outcome without being humdrum! A most enjoyable book, well written and would recommend it to all sci-fi buffs who really want food for thought. Ceridwen 'C.J.' Johnson Toronto, Canada

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.