This collection of short stories is an unnecessary appendix to an unneeded series. The Xeelee universe has been the stage for some truly great and re-readable novels, and with Coalescent Baxter proved himself still capable of producing interesting new ideas and writing a good story to explore them - but tying Coalescent into the Xeelee arc was unnecessary and contrived. The rest of the Destiny's Children 'series' is plodding and poorly written (rather like Clarke in his later years), and this book in particular feels like the last dust of a mined-out seam. ( )

Baxter's 'Xeelee' Future History includes a lot of the future, with the timeline in the back of the book going from 2000 odd to the year 1,000,000. Therefore, a related series of stories seems to be a pretty good way to approach it. There are novels in this sequence, too, and he lists those, but I haven't read any. This seems to work pretty well, given an average of 3.68. Not a bad story to be found.

Each story has a small italicised after piece, narrated by an 'immortal' that is able to surreptitiously live through all these events, with a cunning plan for the finale.

A 4.25 kind of book.

Resplendent : Cadre Siblings - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : Conurbation 2473 - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : Reality Dust - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : All in a Blaze - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : Silver Ghost - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : The Cold Sink - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : On the Orion Line - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : Ghost Wars - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : The Ghost Pit - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : Lakes of Light - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : Breeding Ground - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : The Dreaming Mould - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : The Great Game - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : The Chop Line - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : In the Un-Black - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : Riding the Rock - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : Mayflower II - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : Between Worlds - Stephen Baxter
Resplendent : Siege of Earth - Stephen Baxter

Qax quisling longevity memory.

4 out of 5

Coalition collaboration issues.

4 out of 5

Who is scared of who, why?

3 out of 5

Immortality decision.

3.5 out of 5

Snowball joyride first contact.

3.5 out of 5

Pocket universe execution escape refusal.

4 out of 5

Human expansion is slowed by a race of aliens, causing economic problems when the advanced alien technology is able to monkey with the laws of physics.

A not too bright teenager makes it out of the wreckage of a ship and from inside an enemy fortress with the help of the rest of his crew, with some valuable intel.

4 out of 5

Black throwback time kill mission.

4 out of 5

Hunting party disagreement drop deal.

4 out of 5

Star wrapping investigation.

3.5 out of 5

Spline herd death takeover trip.

4 out of 5

Dirtball destruction decision.

3.5 out of 5

Muddy Star Wars.

3 out of 5

Future war info can hurt your brain :
"Me? Sir—" I took a breath. "You want me to prosecute myself. For a crime, an alleged crime anyhow, I won’t commit for twenty-four years? Is there any part of that I misunderstood?"

4.5 out of 5?

Drone cull decision.

3 out of 5

Interstellar trench warfare indoctrination.

4 out of 5

Long trip oversight.

4 out of 5

Black hole mum, won't you come. Especially given you will blow the crap out of us if we don't take you, bomb lady.

3.5 out of 5

Slowdown? Booth? Maybe virtually the same.

3 out of 5

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2008/03... ( )

Great collection of short stories from Baxters epic universe. Very enjoyable. ( )