Riding the Rock
Encyclopedia
Riding the Rock is a 60-page Stephen Baxter
novella; it is the seventh novel/novella in the Xeelee Sequence
; it was published in 2002, and is a chronologically remote sequel to Reality Dust
The plot is set in the Third Expansion era, in which humanity has thrown off the successive yokes of the Squeem and the Qax, and has been so successful that it is second only to the Xeelee among baryon
ic races. However, humanity's jealousy has driven it to futilely and brutally dedicate their culture (sending soldiers off as young as 13) to warring for over 18,000 years upon the Xeelee. The characters engage in quasi-trench warfare
against the Xeelee in the galactic core
.
It is collected in the anthology Resplendent.
Stephen Baxter
Stephen Baxter is a prolific British hard science fiction author. He has degrees in mathematics and engineering.- Writing style :...
novella; it is the seventh novel/novella in the Xeelee Sequence
Xeelee Sequence
The Xeelee Sequence is a series of novels and short stories by British science fiction author Stephen Baxter. The novels span several billions of years, describing the future expansion of Mankind, its war with its arch-nemesis , and the Xeelee's own war with dark matter entities called photino birds...
; it was published in 2002, and is a chronologically remote sequel to Reality Dust
Reality Dust
Reality Dust is the 6th work in Stephen Baxter's Xeelee Sequence series. The novella was released in 2000 by PS Publishing.The plot begins not very long after the Third Expansion began Reality Dust is the 6th work in Stephen Baxter's Xeelee Sequence series. The novella was released in 2000 by PS...
The plot is set in the Third Expansion era, in which humanity has thrown off the successive yokes of the Squeem and the Qax, and has been so successful that it is second only to the Xeelee among baryon
Baryon
A baryon is a composite particle made up of three quarks . Baryons and mesons belong to the hadron family, which are the quark-based particles...
ic races. However, humanity's jealousy has driven it to futilely and brutally dedicate their culture (sending soldiers off as young as 13) to warring for over 18,000 years upon the Xeelee. The characters engage in quasi-trench warfare
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
against the Xeelee in the galactic core
Galactic Center
The Galactic Center is the rotational center of the Milky Way galaxy. It is located at a distance of 8.33±0.35 kpc from the Earth in the direction of the constellations Sagittarius, Ophiuchus, and Scorpius where the Milky Way appears brightest...
.
It is collected in the anthology Resplendent.