Manifold: Time
Encyclopedia
Manifold: Time is a 1999 science fiction
novel
by Stephen Baxter
. It is the first of Baxter's Manifold trilogy (the others being Manifold: Space
and Manifold: Origin
), although the books can be read in any order because the series takes place in a multiverse
.
The book was nominated for the 2000 Arthur C. Clarke Award
.
and various other universes onwards from the 21st century. The novel covers a wide range of topics, including the Doomsday argument
, Fermi paradox
, genetic engineering
, and humanity's extinction.
The book begins at the end of space and time, when the last descendants of humanity face an infinite but pointless existence. Due to proton decay
the physical universe has collapsed, but some form of intelligence has survived by embedding itself into a lossless computing substrate where it can theoretically survive indefinitely. However, since there will never be new input, eventually all possible thoughts will be exhausted. Some portion of this intelligence decides that this should not have been the ultimate fate of the universe, and takes action to change the past, centering around the early 21st century. The changes come in several forms, including a message to Reid Malenfant, the appearance of super-intelligent children around the world, and the discovery of a mysterious gateway on asteroid 3753 Cruithne
.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Stephen Baxter
Stephen Baxter
Stephen Baxter is a prolific British hard science fiction author. He has degrees in mathematics and engineering.- Writing style :...
. It is the first of Baxter's Manifold trilogy (the others being Manifold: Space
Manifold: Space
Manifold: Space is a science fiction book by author Stephen Baxter, first published in the United Kingdom in 2000, then released in the United States in 2001. It is the second book of the Manifold series and examines another possible solution to the Fermi paradox...
and Manifold: Origin
Manifold: Origin
Manifold: Origin is a science fiction novel by author Stephen Baxter from the Manifold Trilogy.This is the third installment in Stephen Baxter's Manifold trilogy. It sees Manifold regular Reid Malenfant and others once again dealing with possibilities of primate evolution in all forms and...
), although the books can be read in any order because the series takes place in a multiverse
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
.
The book was nominated for the 2000 Arthur C. Clarke Award
Arthur C. Clarke Award
The Arthur C. Clarke Award is a British award given for the best science fiction novel first published in the United Kingdom during the previous year. The award was established with a grant from Arthur C. Clarke and the first prize was awarded in 1987...
.
Plot summary
Time is set on Earth, the inner part of the Solar SystemSolar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
and various other universes onwards from the 21st century. The novel covers a wide range of topics, including the Doomsday argument
Doomsday argument
The Doomsday argument is a probabilistic argument that claims to predict the number of future members of the human species given only an estimate of the total number of humans born so far...
, Fermi paradox
Fermi paradox
The Fermi paradox is the apparent contradiction between high estimates of the probability of the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations and the lack of evidence for, or contact with, such civilizations....
, genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
, and humanity's extinction.
The book begins at the end of space and time, when the last descendants of humanity face an infinite but pointless existence. Due to proton decay
Proton decay
In particle physics, proton decay is a hypothetical form of radioactive decay in which the proton decays into lighter subatomic particles, such as a neutral pion and a positron...
the physical universe has collapsed, but some form of intelligence has survived by embedding itself into a lossless computing substrate where it can theoretically survive indefinitely. However, since there will never be new input, eventually all possible thoughts will be exhausted. Some portion of this intelligence decides that this should not have been the ultimate fate of the universe, and takes action to change the past, centering around the early 21st century. The changes come in several forms, including a message to Reid Malenfant, the appearance of super-intelligent children around the world, and the discovery of a mysterious gateway on asteroid 3753 Cruithne
3753 Cruithne
3753 Cruithne is an asteroid in orbit around the Sun in approximate 1:1 orbital resonance with the Earth. It is a periodic inclusion planetoid orbiting the Sun in an apparent horseshoe orbit. It has been incorrectly called "Earth's second moon", but it is only a quasi-satellite. Cruithne never...
.
Characters
- Reid Malenfant – main protagonist
- Emma Stoney – Malenfant's ex-wife and employee
- Cornelius Taine – brilliant eschatologist mathematician
- Sheena – a genetically engineered squid
- Maura Della – concerned politician
- Michael – a "Blue" child savant and guide to Reid
- Dan Ystebo – marine scientist
- Anna – oldest of the "Blue" savant children
Style
Time is split into four parts and then into smaller sections that each focus on a different character.Release details
- 1999, UK, Voyager (HarperColins) ISBN 0-00-225768-8 , Pub date 2 August 1999, hardback
- 2000, UK, Voyager (HarperColins) ISBN 0-00-651182-1, Pub date 7 August 2000, paperback
- 2000, USA, Del Rey Books ISBN 0-345-43075-1, Pub date ? January 2000, hardback
- 2000, USA, Del Rey Books ISBN 0-345-43076-X, Pub date ? November 2000, paperback
External links
- Manifold Time at Worlds Without End