Biographie :

Né à Liverpool en 1957, Stephen Baxter est diplômé en mathématiques de l’université de Cambridge. En 1991, il échoue aux examens de présélection pour devenir astronaute sur la station spatiale Mir. Les lecteurs de SF n’y perdront rien au change, bien au contraire, car la même année paraît Gravité, son premier roman, qui inaugure le plus célèbre de ses cycles, Les Xeelees. C’est là une gigantesque fresque spatiale, composée à ce jour de quatre romans et d’un recueil de nouvelles — l’ensemble étant en cours de parution aux éditions du Bélial’ —, sans omettre la trilogie des Enfants de la Destinée, rédigée une décennie plus tard et parue en France aux Presses de la Cité. L’ensemble de l’œuvre fait montre d’une amplitude vertigineuse, inégalée en science-fiction, n’embrassant rien de moins que le devenir de notre Univers au cours des éons. Considéré comme l’héritier littéraire de son compatriote Arthur C. Clarke, avec lequel il a collaboré à plusieurs occasions, Stephen Baxter a publié à ce jour une trentaine de romans et plus de cent cinquante nouvelles. Un corpus impressionnant qui lui a valu une kyrielle de prix, dont le prestigieux Philip K. Dick Award à deux reprises et le Campbell Award, ce dernier pour Les Vaisseaux du temps, la suite de La Machine à explorer le temps de H.G. Wells. Herbert George Wells was one of the most prolific and influential writers of the late 19th and early 20th century, producing during his lifetime some of the most revered and best-selling books of the science fiction genre earning himself the title of "The Father of Science Fiction." More than simply a spinner of futuristic tales, Wells was also a fierce and incisive social critic. His works reflect an astonishing foresight, as Wells predicted many of the century's greatest innovations, including space travel, the dominance of 20th century aircraft, tank warfare, satellite television, nuclear weapons and the Internet. His works often touched on the fantastical as well, dealing with such topics as time travel, alien invasion, invisibility and bioengineering. An outspoken socialist and pacifist, Wells later turned his attention to politics and his later works are more the work of a journalist and activist than that of a creator of fiction. His best known works remain his "Scientific Romances," which include The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, The Island of Doctor Moreau and perhaps the most famous work of science fiction ever created - The War of the Worlds. Wells' works have been adapted into radio dramas, stage productions and dozens of motion pictures. H.G. Wells died on August 13, 1946 at the age of 79. He had requested that his epitaph read: "I told you so. You damned fools." However, upon his death, his remains were cremated and scattered into the English Channel.