This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

1. 1. The Time Ships

   

   This novel is a sequel to H.G. Wells' classic "The Time Machine," expanding on the original story with a grand exploration of time and space. The protagonist, the Time Traveler, embarks on another journey, only to find his actions have altered the future. He navigates through a series of alternate realities and timelines, including a world dominated by Morlocks, a post-human solar system, and a universe at the brink of its end. Throughout his adventures, he confronts philosophical and moral dilemmas, including the nature of humanity, the concept of time, and the impact of his own interventions. This ambitious narrative combines hard science fiction with deep philosophical questions, offering a complex and thought-provoking continuation of the original tale.

   The 5956th Greatest Book of All Time

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2. 2. The Long Earth

   

   This novel explores the concept of an infinite series of parallel worlds, each differing slightly from our own Earth, which become accessible to humanity through a simple, homemade device. The story follows the adventures of Joshua Valienté, who is naturally able to step between these worlds without the need for technology, and Lobsang, an artificial intelligence claiming to be the reincarnation of a Tibetan motorcycle repairman. Together, they embark on an epic journey to explore the far reaches of the Long Earth, discovering new forms of life, human settlements that have adapted to these unique environments, and the profound implications of this endless frontier on human society and its future.

   The 14983rd Greatest Book of All Time

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3. 3. Evolution

   

   This science fiction novel explores the epic journey of life on Earth, tracing the path of evolution from the primordial past into the distant future. Through the eyes of various creatures, both real and imagined, the narrative delves into the struggles and triumphs of survival across millions of years. The story weaves together a tapestry of life's resilience and adaptability, highlighting the interconnectedness of all living beings and the relentless drive of evolution. As it spans vast epochs, the book offers a profound reflection on the nature of change, the challenges of existence, and the indomitable spirit of life on our planet.

   The 17114th Greatest Book of All Time

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4. 4. Vacuum Diagrams

   Stories of the Xeelee Sequence

   

   "Vacuum Diagrams" is a collection of interconnected short stories that explore the expansive narrative of the Xeelee Sequence, presenting a future history of the universe. The book spans billions of years, detailing the evolution of humanity as it struggles, survives, and ultimately interacts with other species across galaxies. Central to the narrative is the enigmatic and advanced alien race known as the Xeelee, who possess technology far surpassing human understanding. The stories weave together themes of time travel, cosmic warfare, and the philosophical implications of a universe teeming with life, all set against the backdrop of an ongoing conflict between the Xeelee and other cosmic entities.

   The 17114th Greatest Book of All Time

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5. 5. Proxima

   None

   

   In this science fiction novel, humanity is on the brink of a new era as it embarks on a journey to colonize Proxima Centauri, the closest star to Earth. The story follows a group of pioneers who face the harsh realities and challenges of settling on a new planet, where they encounter strange life forms and grapple with the ethical and moral dilemmas of their mission. As they strive to survive and adapt in an alien environment, the colonists uncover secrets that could alter the fate of humanity and the universe itself, blending elements of exploration, survival, and the unknown in a richly detailed narrative.

6. 6. Xeelee

   Vengeance

   

   In a universe where humanity's existence is threatened by the enigmatic and technologically advanced Xeelee, the story unfolds across vast stretches of space and time. The narrative explores the relentless human spirit as it grapples with the mysteries of the cosmos, the nature of time, and the limits of human understanding. As civilizations rise and fall, the quest for survival and knowledge drives humanity to confront the Xeelee, leading to profound revelations about the universe and humanity's place within it.

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7. 7. Ark

   

   In a gripping tale of survival and human resilience, the narrative unfolds in a world on the brink of environmental collapse, where rising sea levels threaten to engulf the planet. As humanity faces extinction, a group of scientists and engineers embark on an ambitious project to build a spacecraft capable of carrying a select few to a distant star system, in hopes of preserving the human race. The story delves into the complexities of human relationships, the ethical dilemmas of choosing who gets to survive, and the relentless pursuit of hope amidst despair, painting a vivid picture of a future where the fight for survival transcends the boundaries of Earth.

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8. 8. Stone Spring

   The Northland Trilogy Book 1

   

   Set in a prehistoric world on the brink of transformation, the story unfolds in a land threatened by rising sea levels. The narrative follows a diverse group of characters, including a visionary leader, a skilled engineer, and a determined young woman, as they unite to construct an ambitious barrier to protect their home from the encroaching waters. Amidst personal struggles and cultural clashes, the tale explores themes of resilience, innovation, and the enduring human spirit in the face of environmental upheaval.

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9. 9. Flood

   

   In a gripping tale of survival and human resilience, the story unfolds in a world where rising sea levels threaten to engulf the planet. As the waters relentlessly rise, a group of diverse characters, including scientists, military personnel, and ordinary citizens, must navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing environment. Their journey is fraught with danger, as they confront not only the physical perils of a drowning world but also the moral and ethical dilemmas that arise in the face of global catastrophe. Amidst the chaos, the characters' intertwined fates reveal the enduring spirit of humanity in the face of overwhelming odds.

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10. 10. World Engines

    Destroyer

    

    Set in a future where humanity has colonized the solar system, the narrative follows astronaut Reid Malenfant, who is unexpectedly awakened from cryogenic sleep to find himself in a drastically altered world. As he navigates this new reality, he discovers that Earth is on the brink of an existential crisis, with the planet's fate intertwined with mysterious alien artifacts and the enigmatic "World Engines." Malenfant must unravel the secrets of these powerful machines to save humanity, embarking on a journey that challenges his understanding of time, space, and the very nature of existence.

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11. 11. Raft

    

    Survivors find themselves stranded in an alternate cosmos where gravity and density are dramatically different, so space behaves like a crowded, fluid medium filled with filamentary structures and strange, immense lifeforms. Isolated on a tenuous sheet of matter, the human community must adapt, scavenge and engineer solutions to survive hostile predators, scarce resources and rival groups, while probing the alien physics and vast timescales that shape their environment.

12. 12. Transcendent

    

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13. 13. Exultant

    

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14. 14. Coalescent

    

    Coalescent is a science-fiction novel by Stephen Baxter. It is part one of the Destiny's Children series. The story is set in two main time periods: modern Britain, when George Poole finds that he has a previously unknown sister and follows a trail to a mysterious and ancient organisation in Rome (Puissant Order of Holy Mary Queen of Virgins); and the time of Regina, a girl growing up during the ending of Roman rule in Britain, around AD 400.

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15. 15. Ring

    

    A sprawling far-future epic that follows multiple generations of humans as they confront cosmic-scale threats and pursue a gargantuan alien megastructure — a ring of unimaginable size and purpose — created by a far older, godlike species; the novel weaves hard science, political maneuvering and personal stories across vast stretches of time as humans and their allies and enemies navigate relativistic travel, strange physics and the desperate quest to understand and, if possible, use the Ring to secure their species’ future.

16. 16. Flux

    

17. 17. Timelike Infinity

    

    Set in an expansive future where humanity lives under the domination of an alien power, the novel follows scientists, engineers and dissidents who pursue radical physics, relativistic engineering and time-manipulation gambits to undermine their overlords and reclaim agency. As plans to exploit timelike paradoxes and cosmic-scale technologies unfold, characters confront political betrayal, moral cost and the staggering implications of artifacts left by a vastly older, almost godlike civilization; the story blends hard science, large-scale space opera and intimate human drama as it probes freedom, survival and the nature of the universe.