Divergence (1991) is a science fiction novel by American writer Charles Sheffield, part of his Heritage Universe series.

[1] The book, the sequel to Summertide, takes place millennia in the future when most of the Orion Arm of the galaxy has been colonized by humans and other races.

Among the various star systems of this arm of the galaxy, a number of million-year-old artifacts have been discovered, remnants of a mysterious race called the Builders.

The characters work together to discover a new theory about the origins and current condition of the Builders.

During this process, they discover that an old menace to the universe, thought to be extinct, has been unleashed upon the Orion Arm of the Milky Way once again.