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andreaaamary's review against another edition
4.0
This is my nerdiest guilty pleasure ever. I love love love imagining what it’s like to live in a different time period and to be able to do that from multiple non-human perspectives was something I was not expecting to be done well.
holomew151's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
unvaluedcrown's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of short stories chronicling the evolution of man from the earliest primates to 100 million years into the future. This one was a roller coaster. Some stories were gripping and oddly emotional, others were disturbing and heavy. One story was just downright boring (I'm looking at you, Romans). This book evoked a lot of strong emotions from me.
I often found myself skimming past the abundant sex scenes in abject horror. There were at least 30 in this 575-page book, and while I understand it's a natural part of life and necessary to evolution, I reeeeeally did not need so many graphic descriptions of genitals.
I often found myself skimming past the abundant sex scenes in abject horror. There were at least 30 in this 575-page book, and while I understand it's a natural part of life and necessary to evolution, I reeeeeally did not need so many graphic descriptions of genitals.
dotted's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
sirlancelot2021's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
vonnegutian's review against another edition
4.0
Bearing in mind I have recently finished ‘The Silk Roads’ by Peter Frankopan, juxtaposing that against ‘Evolution’ by Stephen Baxter is both interesting and apt – two histories of humanity, one real, one fictional, both incredibly plausible (if plausibility is indeed an applicable consideration) and both great, great books in different ways.
What Baxter has done here is incredibly impressive: using thoroughly researched scientific theory, he has crafted a narrative of humanity’s development through the far reaches of time until Baxter’s imagined end in the distant future.
Initially, the writing jars a little as the early protagonists are invariably ‘early humans/animals’, but once you become accustomed, the qualities of the story simmer to the surface and you realise both the mammoth task he has undertaken and how well he does it.
‘Evolution’ is a series of short stories from chronological points upon humanity’s timeline (till the very end no less) spanning an ample 565 million years. Each cleverly illustrates a momentous part of our development whilst all coming together to illustrate our mark on Earth. Be it rodent-like mammals seeing the end of the dinosaurs, ape ancestors floating across continents on raft-like mangrove forests or a Homo Saipan killing the last Neanderthal, at each juncture Baxter leads us to reflect on where we’ve come from and appreciate the immensity and incomprehensibility of the journey. And despite its fictional stature, this work is a exemplary exponent of Science and evolutionary theory to which I wholeheartedly prescribe.
On this evidence, Baxter is a fitting heir to his occasional co-collaborator Arthur C Clarke. Not Science Fiction as we know it but very much a true nonetheless. It is an awe-inspiring work and well worth a read if you are of a scientific persuasion.
What Baxter has done here is incredibly impressive: using thoroughly researched scientific theory, he has crafted a narrative of humanity’s development through the far reaches of time until Baxter’s imagined end in the distant future.
Initially, the writing jars a little as the early protagonists are invariably ‘early humans/animals’, but once you become accustomed, the qualities of the story simmer to the surface and you realise both the mammoth task he has undertaken and how well he does it.
‘Evolution’ is a series of short stories from chronological points upon humanity’s timeline (till the very end no less) spanning an ample 565 million years. Each cleverly illustrates a momentous part of our development whilst all coming together to illustrate our mark on Earth. Be it rodent-like mammals seeing the end of the dinosaurs, ape ancestors floating across continents on raft-like mangrove forests or a Homo Saipan killing the last Neanderthal, at each juncture Baxter leads us to reflect on where we’ve come from and appreciate the immensity and incomprehensibility of the journey. And despite its fictional stature, this work is a exemplary exponent of Science and evolutionary theory to which I wholeheartedly prescribe.
On this evidence, Baxter is a fitting heir to his occasional co-collaborator Arthur C Clarke. Not Science Fiction as we know it but very much a true nonetheless. It is an awe-inspiring work and well worth a read if you are of a scientific persuasion.
mrfreshness007's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely love this book. 2nd book I ever read of Baxter's. His LONG scope of time so very much remind me of Arthur C. Clarke's stuff. This is what keeps me reading his books...that feeling that man is a gnat on a fly's ass ;0
thebigbluebox's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
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