Rating: 
Summary: Clarkian nod
Review: Once again Stephen Baxter shows us he is one of the most important writers of Science Fiction today. His customery sweep of vast timescales dwarf the brief moment of human existance and at times is quite breathtaking. There is compassion on many fronts as we meet our distant ancestors, each an inexorable stumble to us. The research for this novel must have a huge task and each segment brings to life what is now but a fossil record, a stratum in geological time. I especially enjoyed the visit of the Baxter version of a TMA. I hope he is not tiring of the comparisson to Arthur C Clarke though I suspect he may be quite honoured. Who wouldnt be. Many images from this book will stay with me for a long time, I mean, it had never occured to me that I had ten million grandmothers......if that appears cryptic then I guess you will just have to read the book. Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Evolution is a warning set deep in the layers of a story...
Review: Stephen Baxter gives us a epic tale, to show mankind where it came from and where it might be going. Starting over 65 million years ago he paints us a picture of our evolution, making sure to detail each and ever major point along the pathway where earlier primates had to make a choice. As he follows our DNA, from tiny primates, to tree-climbing apes, to tool making hominids and finally to early man, he shows us what problems we faced, how we solved them and how that shaped our body and mind. By doing so he also shows, with no forgiveness or pity, just how dangerous and ruthless we could be, even before we invented atomic bombs and machine guns. Soon we're are in the year 2031 and people realize that we need to change. NOW, not in a couple years, not in a few decades, but RIGHT NOW.
After 2031 humans continue to evlove, along side fast breeding rats, jumping rabbits, flexible pigs, hungry goats, some developing new ways of life or returning to old designs that have tested true over the millions of years. But all the animals and plants are fighting for their rightful place on the aging Earth. The latter part of the book is in fact very much like a mixture of Dougal Dixon's two books, "Man After Man" and "After Man", where complex relationships form between the new animals and plants, sometimes more complex than just the simple predator and prey relationships. Even mankind splits up into different forms, some which work better than others.
The book is based on rock hard science, with fantastic ideas of the author's own mixed in. It is sometimes funny, sometimes tragic and always imaginative.
Yet it is also a warning. We might already be too late to change ANYTHING.
Rating:
Summary: Evolution is a warning set deep in the layers of a story...
Review: Stephen Baxter gives us a epic tale, to show mankind where it came from and where it might be going. Starting over 65 million years ago he paints us a picture of our evolution, making sure to detail each and ever major point along the pathway where earlier primates had to make a choice. As he follows our DNA, from tiny primates, to tree-climbing apes, to tool making hominids and finally to early man, he shows us what problems we faced, how we solved them and how that shaped our body and mind. By doing so he also shows, with no forgiveness or pity, just how dangerous and ruthless we could be, even before we invented atomic bombs and machine guns. Soon we're are in the year 2031 and people realize that we need to change. NOW, not in a couple years, not in a few decades, but RIGHT NOW.
After 2031 humans continue to evlove, along side fast breeding rats, jumping rabbits, flexible pigs, hungry goats, some developing new ways of life or returning to old designs that have tested true over the millions of years. But all the animals and plants are fighting for their rightful place on the aging Earth. The latter part of the book is in fact very much like a mixture of Dougal Dixon's two books, "Man After Man" and "After Man", where complex relationships form between the new animals and plants, sometimes more complex than just the simple predator and prey relationships. Even mankind splits up into different forms, some which work better than others.
The book is based on rock hard science, with fantastic ideas of the author's own mixed in. It is sometimes funny, sometimes tragic and always imaginative.
Yet it is also a warning. We might already be too late to change ANYTHING.
Rating:
Summary: gives meaning to the phrase "thought provoking"
Review: The book is not easy reading, a miriad of small novels: dramas lived out. One can perhaps think of other plausible endings for each of them, but that is, I think, the beauty of the book: it gets us thinking. The inevitable rise and fall of cycles at so many levels: life, species, families and individuals, a nested set of dramas. The more intimate one affects us on an immediate level. Yet if we step back and wonder at the greatest of all: the drama of life itself should strike a deeper chord. Life, since it began and until its inevitable end (at least on earth): this book gives us a setting in which to think about our future, and maybe plan for alternative endings. I found the book absorbing and think it should be shared with others.
Rating:
Summary: Infinity meets the here-and-now.
Review: The impact that killed the dinosaurs, the first apes coming out of the trees, the invention of agriculture, the end of human civilization and even the end of the earth, you all witness it in less than 800 pages. It makes you aware how futile our lives are when looked upon from a cosmic perspective, but simultaneously shows how relevant little things are when seen through the eyes of an individual. You'd wish more people read Baxter instead of thousand year old books....
I found Evolution absolutely mind-blowing, the best book I've read from him. I'd give Baxter stars if I could.
Rating:
Summary: Engaging
Review: The subtle thing about this book is that it will make you think differently about widely held beliefs regarding our origins. In addition to being a great SF romp, it is also something that turns introspective at times and makes you reevaluate many long-accepted theories about where we came from and how we got there. Baxter is in top form in this one. It is occassionally uneven, but, then again, that is true of all of his books. It doesn't detract at all from the book as a whole. I especially loved the notion of tool-wielding dinosaurs. That was quite a hoot. There are numerous examples of similar creates in the book. The Ultimate was also a source of great introspection for me. Is this where we're going? Read the book and judge for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Engaging
Review: The subtle thing about this book is that it will make you think differently about widely held beliefs regarding our origins. In addition to being a great SF romp, it is also something that turns introspective at times and makes you reevaluate many long-accepted theories about where we came from and how we got there. Baxter is in top form in this one. It is occassionally uneven, but, then again, that is true of all of his books. It doesn't detract at all from the book as a whole. I especially loved the notion of tool-wielding dinosaurs. That was quite a hoot. There are numerous examples of similar creates in the book. The Ultimate was also a source of great introspection for me. Is this where we're going? Read the book and judge for yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: Only half there
Review: This book bothered me. It drew me into evaluating how this author projects the future history of man and civilization. So... what else would you want? An entertaining read that was thought provoking. I was ultimately disappointed with this work - which is really two books. The first is a combination of well researched material on what we know sprinkled with fictional characters that help provide focus for each of the periods visited. At times tedious and repetitive - this portion of the book is entertaining and informative. The second book is a projection of where we go from here. I was disapointed with this portion - it presents a scenerio that is limited and hard to credit - The human species is described at it's zenith today. From here we quickly devolve into the primates we once were and eventually die out. The story presumes that all the tremendous natural forces of mental and physical evolution hit a brick wall in 2031 and from there loses it's way. Evolution is measured only against individuals - not the societies we have created. some thought is given to gowing organization and civilization as the first half proceeds but the evolution of society is not treated at all after the near future. It is that societal evolution that will determine how or whether we survive or not. Today we have evolved a global society which could be considered a planetary organism with defects, deseases, strengths and weaknesses - with a clear ability and collective desire to evolve and be better than what it has been. None of this is considered in the second book. Baxter seems to have run out of gas after he wrote the portion during the late Roman period (480 A.D.)- which is about two thirds into the story. I hope Mr Baxter takes another crack at this, gets rid of invisible predators that have nothing to prey on and presents a future that is solidly based on the evolution of a global society... that may or may not survive.
Rating:
Summary: A story of Human evolution
Review: This book consists of 2 parts, not very well related to each other. The first part, covering 15 out of 19 chapters and about three quarters of the pages deals with human evolution, starting 65 million years ago and ending in the Rome of 482 A.D. Each stage presets characters of progressing intelligence, their struggle to survive and to adapt to an ever changing set of environmental characteristics. There is a similiar book by Bjorn Kurten „Dance of the Tiger". This one deals with the encounter between Homo Neandertalis and modern man. Both Baxter and Kurten are scientists and both have done their homework well to stay within the limts of what is scientifically possible. This is hard core science fiction at its best.
The second part of the book, set into the future, is a disappointment. This is another doomsday story comparable for example to Miller's "A Canticle for Leibowitz". It differs, because mankind never recovers from the nuclear winter. Mankind degenerates progressively to the intelligence level of australopithecus and then the apes. This is in itself a fascinating idea. Unfortunatly Baxter considers this as a given, and never bothers to explore the mechanisem behind the degeneration process. The remaining 4 chapters thus are pretty meaningless. They lack the scientific background, which make the first 15 chapters so enjoyable.
This is an important book and high on my recommentation list. I would suggest however to stop reading after chapter 15. This review is based on the Ballantine Paperback edition.
Rating:
Summary: Great book. Not for light readers.
Review: This book starts slowly and is a bit repetitive at first but it gets better and better. Baxter is a great writer and I look forward to reading more of his work. He really makes his readers think. If you enjoy this book read the Manifold series and Light Of Other Days.
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