Stephen Baxter (born 13 November 1957) is an English hard science fiction author.

It encompasses the Xeelee Sequence, which consists of nine novels (including the Destiny's Children trilogy and Vengeance/Redemption duology that is set in alternate timeline), plus three volumes collecting the 52 short pieces (short stories and novellas) in the series, all of which fit into a single timeline stretching from the Big Bang singularity of the past to his Timelike Infinity (1993) singularity of the future.

[2] These stories begin in the present day and end when the Milky Way galaxy collides with Andromeda five billion years in the future.

[2] The central narrative is that of humanity rising and evolving to become the second most powerful race in the universe, next to the god-like Xeelee.

The novel Anti-Ice is an earlier example of Baxter's blending of alternate history with science fiction.

[5] Another category, outside of the main body of Baxter's independent work, is sequels and installments of science-fiction classics.

Baxter has written non-fiction essays and columns for such publications as Critical Wave and the British SF Association's Matrix.

Baxter was born 13 November 1957 in Liverpool, England, and studied at St Edward's College, a Catholic grammar school.