Manifold Trilogy
Three alternate universes confront the Fermi paradox.
The Manifold Trilogy is a series of science fiction books by British author Stephen Baxter, published from 1999 to 2003. It consists of three novels and an anthology of short stories, with the novels thematically linked across alternate universes rather than ordered chronologically. The trilogy is notable for its exploration of the Fermi paradox through contrasting cosmic scenarios.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Stephen Baxter
- Nationality
- British
- Publication years
- 1999 to 2003
- Novels
- Manifold: Time
- Manifold: Space
- Manifold: Origin
- Short story collection
- Phase Space
- Award nomination
- Manifold: Time was an Arthur C. Clarke Award nominee in 2000
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Each novel contains the same or mostly similar characters in wildly different circumstances.
- The protagonist in all three novels is Reid Malenfant, a brash, ambitious entrepreneur and former astronaut.
- Each novel starts on Earth in a relatively mundane near future but expands into the far future and deep space.
Fermi paradox
Each main novel proposes a different resolution to the Fermi paradox. Manifold: Time is set in a universe devoid of intelligent life beyond humanity and its creations, such as artificial intelligence and uplifted animals. Manifold: Space presents a cosmos teeming with intelligence, where life is continually wiped out by cosmic disasters before it can spread. Manifold: Origin offers a multiverse compromise: intelligent life exists only on Earth yet is everywhere, segregated into separate parallel universes.
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