Proxima
The story of how we colonise a new world, and the discovery of an ancient secret that will change our understanding of our place in the Universe for ever. Sequel is Ultima.
Stats for nerds
5recommend
7mentions
6people
2016–2026years
71% recommend29% neutral
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- I randomly stumbled on the Proxima & Ultima duology by Stephen Baxter and they shot up to the top echelon of my favorite books list. Near-future sci-fi, interstellar travel, alternate histories, alien cultures, non-human cognition. Just wonderful stuff to randomly pick off the library shelf because they had a cool sounding name. I actually read the 2nd book first by accident, and thought it worked pretty well in retrospect.
I also liked Eon by Greg Bear (RIP), for actually quite similar reasons.
- Stretching it a little bit, but: "Ultima" from Stephen Baxter. But you should read "Proxima" first to understand the context.
- Proxima and Ultima by Stephen Baxter hit along this theme and are a pretty good read.
- Check out Proxima by Stephen Baxter:
https://www.amazon.com/Proxima-Stephen-Baxter/dp/045146771X
It's a Sci-fi book about life on Proxima Centauri and includes the idea you mentioned.
(Also a really good read!)
- I just read a science fiction book where this kind of technology was used - Proxima by Stephen Baxter. Great book!
- Maybe?
Ultima (Proxima Book 2) by Stephen Baxter:
“Oh, come on. This is just great. An imperial Roman starship! . . . We know they lack sophisticated electronics, computers. I wonder how the hell they navigate that thing.” “The drive isn’t always on,” said Titus. Stef realized that a more precise translation of his words might have been, *The vulcans do not always vomit fire.* “Every month they shut it down, and turn the ship.” He mimed this with his one good hand, like aligning a cannon. “The surveyors take sightings from the stars. Then they swivel the ship to make sure we’re on the right track, and fire up the drive again. It’s like laying a road, on the march. You lay a stretch, and at the end of the day the surveyors take their sightings to make sure you’re heading straight and true where you’re supposed to go, and the next day off you go. Works like a dream. Why, I remember once on campaign—” “Navigation by dead reckoning,” said the ColU. “Taking sightings from the stars—simply pointing the craft at the destination. They have no computers here, Colonel Kalinski, nothing more complex than an abacus. And they have astrolabes, planispheres, orreries, sextants, and very fine clocks—all mechanical, mechanical, and remarkably sophisticated. But, Colonel, this starship is piloted using clockwork! However, if you have the brute energy of the kernels available, you don’t need subtlety, you don’t need fine control. You need only aim and fire.”
