Xeelee Sequence books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Xeelee Sequence series?"

"There are twenty books in the Xeelee Sequence series, published between 1991 and 2019."

Q: "What is the first book in the Xeelee Sequence series?"

"The first book in the Xeelee Sequence series is Raft, published in 1991."

Q: "Where should I start with the Xeelee Sequence?"

"Raft and Timelike Infinity are early and accessible entry points. The omnibus volumes Xeelee: An Omnibus and Xeelee: Endurance collect many of the novels and stories in internal chronological order, which some readers prefer."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	Raft	1991	Stephen Baxter	Buy
2	Infinito	1992	Stephen Baxter	N/A
3	Timelike Infinity	1992	Stephen Baxter	Buy
4	Flux	1993	Stephen Baxter	Buy
5	Ring	1994	Stephen Baxter	Buy
6	Vacuum Diagrams	1997	Stephen Baxter	Buy
7	Making History & Reality Dust	2000	Stephen Baxter	N/A
8	Riding the Rock	2002	Stephen Baxter	Buy
9	Mayflower II	2004	Stephen Baxter	Buy
10	Coalescent	2003	Stephen Baxter	N/A
11	Exultant	2004	Stephen Baxter	N/A
12	Transcendent	2005	Stephen Baxter	N/A
13	Vengeance	2017	Stephen Baxter	Buy
14	Resplendent	2006	Stephen Baxter	N/A
15	Redemption	2019	Stephen Baxter	Buy
16	Starfall	2009	Stephen Baxter	Buy
17	Gravity Dreams	2011	Stephen Baxter	Buy
18	Xeelee Endurance	2005	Stephen Baxter	Buy
19	Xeelee	2017	Stephen Baxter	N/A
20	Xeelee: Redemption	2018	Stephen Baxter	N/A

The Xeelee Sequence began with Raft in 1991 and has continued to expand ever since. The books are not all equally connected: some follow characters directly, others are set in the same universe thousands of years apart with no shared cast. What links them is the physics, the Xeelee themselves, and a consistent vision of a universe where intelligence is both precious and fragile.

The scale is extraordinary. The later books in the sequence, particularly Ring, operate near the end of the universe and deal with the physics of closed timelike curves and the ultimate fate of matter. Baxter does not simplify the science to make it palatable; readers who want to understand what is happening need to engage with the concepts.

Short story collections including Vacuum Diagrams and the later Xeelee: Redemption fill out the universe between the major novels, and Baxter has continued to add to the sequence well into the 2010s. For readers who want to commit to a single author’s vision of deep space and deep time, this is one of the most sustained achievements in British science fiction.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Xeelee Sequence series?

There are twenty books in the Xeelee Sequence series, published between 1991 and 2019.

What is the first book in the Xeelee Sequence series?

The first book in the Xeelee Sequence series is Raft, published in 1991.

Where should I start with the Xeelee Sequence?

Raft and Timelike Infinity are early and accessible entry points. The omnibus volumes Xeelee: An Omnibus and Xeelee: Endurance collect many of the novels and stories in internal chronological order, which some readers prefer.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order