Manifold 03 – Origin – Baxter, Stephen

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Manifold: Baxter, May 5, 2002

This is a third volume in the Manifold series; the same characters reappear in a different universe. Now, I agree with other reviewers. This book contained far too much violence and the Zealots (the “villains”) were disappointing. Baxter does best with antagonists who are never seen, such as his mysterious Xeelee Sequence. As mentioned, characterization is as weak here as for Baxter’s predecessor, Larry Niven.

The ending was very sad and left me thinking: in *Manifold:Time: Malenfant and the super-children collapse the universe and create a myriad of potential universes. At the end of *Origin* we’re told that the Red Moon (itself reminiscent of Baxter’s *Moonseed*) wanders between a series of parallel Earths. *Manifold:Space* presumably happens in a universe outside this circuit, as its galaxy contains myriad intelligent species.

These books had several interesting themes in common: Malenfant’s journey and ultimate death, love and faith as essential to human existence, the Neandertal toolmaking as a meditation, malfunctioning and meaningless supertechnology, and a vast, incredible view of all reality that dwarfs most sf writers’ abilities to make their readers *see*. (The black hole miners, mentioned in the first and third book, are an idea so amazing that they deserve a whole novel…) The extremely depressing tone of all Baxter’s writings is present here as well, and makes this less satisfying a read than it would have been if he let his heroes win for once. Overall, a strange series that reveals this writer’s weaknesses as much as his strengths. A writer who has to reuse so much material needs to slow down or stop until he has more to work with. –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.