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Baxter Stephen Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles

Stephen Baxter Trivia

Stephen Baxter Trivia Quizzes

Stephen Baxter is known as an author of "hard" science fiction, meaning that he emphasozes technical accuracy and scientific detail in his books. His undergraduate studies were in mathematics, and he earned a doctorate in engineering; before becoming a full-time author, he taught physics, maths and information technology.

3 Stephen Baxter quizzes and 35 Stephen Baxter trivia questions.

"The Time Ships" by Stephen Baxter

Multiple Choice

15 Qns

Stephen Baxter is one of my favourite authors. I would recommend that you read the book before doing the quiz, however. I did try not to give the ending away but a lot is revealed.

Tough, 15 Qns, red_stone, Nov 17 07

Tough
red_stone
198 plays

Raft

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

This is another great novel by Stephen Baxter, a British sci-fi author.

Tough, 10 Qns, red_stone, Nov 17 07

Tough
red_stone
193 plays

"Vacuum Diagrams" a novel by Stephen Baxter

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

This quiz is made a little differently, I randomly opened it to different sections for my questions. So the questions are in no particular order and they do give quite a bit away.

Tough, 10 Qns, red_stone, Nov 17 07

Tough
red_stone
175 plays

Quick Question

What is the artifact that Jones found in the XeeLee home?

From Quiz ""Vacuum Diagrams" a novel by Stephen Baxter"

Stephen Baxter Trivia Questions

1. Why did Rees leave the Miner's world?

From Quiz Raft

Answer: To discover why the Nebula was dying.

When the Tree landed on the Miner's world to trade Tree supplies for Miner's iron, Rees hid aboard the Tree. Rees was not discovered until the Tree had left and it was too late for the Tree pilot to return Rees to the Mine world.

2. The main part of this book is divided into seven sections. Each part is called an era; what is the title of the first era?

From Quiz "Vacuum Diagrams" a novel by Stephen Baxter

Answer: Era: Expansion

Each era covers a future time period for humans, telling us about the events of humans and alien species during that time. The first era is dated 3672 AD, the last era in the book begins in 4 101 214 AD.

3. In the prologue, the Traveller explains how he built a time-machine and tested it. Traveller used it to travel to the future and back to his own time. What year does the Traveller call his time period?

From Quiz "The Time Ships" by Stephen Baxter

Answer: 1891

The prologue is reminiscent of H. G. Wells' book "The Time Machine". The Traveller has built a time-machine, used it to travel forward to 802 701 AD, and then returned to 1981. We learn this while the Traveller is planning the next trip to the future in the time-machine.

4. What is the name of the scientist who agrees to keep Rees as an apprentice?

From Quiz Raft

Answer: Hollerbach

Hollerbach was impressed with Rees's mind and curiosity. Rather than allow Rees to be returned to the Mines, Hollerbach gave Rees a position as an apprentice scientist.

5. During the Squeem occupation over Earth, where did the refugees hide?

From Quiz "Vacuum Diagrams" a novel by Stephen Baxter

Answer: Chiron

Rather than return to a occupied Earth, to have their space ships dismantled, the refugees made their home on an "ice dwarf". The refugees worked together to colonize Chiron while working on a plan to escape the Squeem.

6. On the Traveller's first trip back to the future, how many days forward was the time-machine to go?

From Quiz "The Time Ships" by Stephen Baxter

Answer: 292 495 940

On the Traveller's first trip he travelled 292 495 934 days into the future, so the Traveller wanted to return six days later. Traveller programed it for the day that he feels "lost Weena and much of my self esteem." Instead of travelling that far into the future he stopped the time-machine after travelling only 239 354 634 days.

7. Boert obtained two tickets to the show aboard the Raft. Since the tickets were hard to come by and Boert did not wish to waste a ticket, he invited Rees to attend the show with him. Where did Boert and Rees attend the show?

From Quiz Raft

Answer: The Theatre of Light

The show consisted of jugglers, dancers, and acrobats to entertain the audience, which was mostly upper class members of the Raft. The show was interrupted and the audience was detained because a bomb was set off by the Rebellion.

8. The mummy-cows sing legends and stories; what is the place that the cows sing about called?

From Quiz "Vacuum Diagrams" a novel by Stephen Baxter

Answer: Eight Rooms

In this era the mummy-cows provide nourishment, companionship and warmth for the humans. In the place of Eight Rooms, if the humans can figure out how to use the rooms, particularly the eighth, the last of humanity may be able to escape their dying world.

9. What is the being that the Traveler injured/killed with a poker stick?

From Quiz "The Time Ships" by Stephen Baxter

Answer: Morlocks

Traveller found them surrounding the time-machine so he attacked, hitting one before becoming incapacitated himself. Later the Traveller finds out that the Morlocks was only injured and that it was a child.

10. Who drove the Tree that took the scientists away from the Raft?

From Quiz Raft

Answer: Pallis

The people of the Rebellion felt that the scientists were useless and had them exiled from the Raft. Pallis steered the Tree that carried the scientists to the Mines.

11. In order to become a diplomat between humans and an alien race what did Jack Raoul allow the aliens to do to him?

From Quiz "Vacuum Diagrams" a novel by Stephen Baxter

Answer: Jack allowed the aliens to turn him into one of them, a Silver Ghost.

Jack's brain and spinal cord, along with a few other organs, were put into the mechanical body of a Silver Ghost. This allowed him to travel to their world.

12. The Traveller, during his first trip forward, was imprisoned in a cage. How is the cage described?

From Quiz "The Time Ships" by Stephen Baxter

Answer: A clear material that felt like warm leather.

In Traveller's cage he could see the darkness of space and the stars surrounding him. There was one spot of light and the rest was dark. In the light his captors placed a tray with food, water and a bucket for him to relieve himself. The Traveller's captors would replace the contents whenever he fell asleep. Traveller later discovers that he is no longer on earth but in a sphere.

13. Who discovered how to make a wormhole stable?

From Quiz "Vacuum Diagrams" a novel by Stephen Baxter

Answer: Mike Poole

Using the stable wormholes humans were able to travel great distances in space. The advances in space travel led to the discovery of new worlds and new species.

14. One of the captors, Nebogipfel, took the responsibility of the Traveller. Nebogipfel learns how to speak English and eventually allows the Traveller out of his cage. Where did Nebogipfel take him?

From Quiz "The Time Ships" by Stephen Baxter

Answer: Into the sphere, showing him where and how they lived.

Nebogipfel wanted the Traveller to explain how he time-machine worked. In return Nebogipfel agreed to show the Traveller the sphere and explain its history. Whenever the Traveller needed to rest, a small room would appear for him away from the other Morlocks.

15. Why were the Boneys singing?

From Quiz Raft

Answer: To lure a whale in towards their planet, so the whale could be hunted.

Every member of the Boneys was singing, a method they developed of "calling to the whales." Once the whale was lured towards the planet, the Boneys launched spears in hopes of getting the whale on the planet surface. If the Boneys get the whale on the surface there is enough meat and blubber to feed everyone.

16. What is Allel's mother's name?

From Quiz "Vacuum Diagrams" a novel by Stephen Baxter

Answer: Boyd

In 4 101 214 AD, Boyd is the leader of one of the small bands of humans left in the universe. The humans live in a world constructed by the XeeLee, which has started to fall apart.

17. The Traveller managed to re-claim the time-machine; using the time-machine he went back to his era (not the exact year). Who did the Traveller confront in this era?

From Quiz "The Time Ships" by Stephen Baxter

Answer: Himself at twenty-six

When the Traveller accessed the time-machine, Nebogipfel, at the last moment, threw himself on the machine. The Traveller with Nebogipfel returned to the year 1873, instead of 1891 the year the Traveller started from.

18. When Gover and Rees were reunited on the Raft, what did they do?

From Quiz Raft

Answer: Fought to the death.

Gover was Rees' enemy from before Rees was exiled from the Raft. Rees returned to the Raft because he had important news that would affect all of humanity in the Nebula. Before he could speak to the new leader he had to fight and win against Gover.

19. What monument did Darby show Rodi?

From Quiz "Vacuum Diagrams" a novel by Stephen Baxter

Answer: The Earth's moon.

The moon, in a long forgotten battle, had been used to assault the Ring. Eventually, after using the moon as a weapon it was abandoned and left to a few survivors. These survivors, millions of light years from Earth, either died or abandoned the moon making it an artifact for future generations.

20. The Traveller named the younger version of himself Moses, why did he call himself (the younger) that?

From Quiz "The Time Ships" by Stephen Baxter

Answer: It is their shared first name, which neither of them used.

As an adult, neither use the name Moses. In both time lines the Traveller and the younger version were teased as children over it.

21. Who did Rees wish to retrieve from the Boneys' world?

From Quiz Raft

Answer: The Miners' former engineer Gord.

Rees believed that Gord would be essential to their future plans. The Nebula they all lived in was dying, and Rees devised a way to escape.

22. What is the artifact that Jones found in the XeeLee home?

From Quiz "Vacuum Diagrams" a novel by Stephen Baxter

Answer: A flower

Jones was sent into the XeeLee city by the Squeem in hopes of finding something valuable to salvage. On the way back to the Squeem ship Jones figures out how to use the flower and he uses it to save his life, as well as a robot.

23. Who decided to stay on the Raft with Pallis?

From Quiz Raft

Answer: Sheen

Previously, before the war and the rebellion, the Tree pilot Pallis and the Miner Sheen had a relationship. Both Sheen and Pallis refused to leave the Nebula and stayed behind and renewed their relationship.

24. Lieserl was a engineered baby; how fast/slow was her growth rate?

From Quiz "Vacuum Diagrams" a novel by Stephen Baxter

Answer: Lieserl aged one year for every one day she lived.

When Lieserl was ninety days old she died an old woman of ninety. The scientists of that era engineered Lieserl using human DNA so that she could understand and sympathize with humanity. Just before Lieserl's body died her consciousness was placed into a program to monitor the sun, in attempt to monitor and control solar activity.

25. Nebogipfel and the Traveller took a prototype of a time-machine to escape the war torn world. Since the time-machine was a prototype, and not tested, when did these two end up?

From Quiz "The Time Ships" by Stephen Baxter

Answer: Paleocene Era

While trying to leave 1938 in a unknown time-machine, Moses was killed. The time-machine built by the British was uncompleted so Nebogipfel and Traveller were unable to set a destination. The Machine went backwards in time, instead of forward, stopping only when it ran out of the energy that powered it. When it stopped, it crashed, leaving the two of them temporarily stranded (we are only in the middle of the book). In a world of dinosaurs Nebogipfel almost became a meal for one.

26. Were the people aboard the new ship successful in the attempt to leave the Nebula?

From Quiz Raft

Answer: Yes.

They were successful in leaving the dying Nebula. The new home that they found in a neighbouring Nebula was very different than the Nebula they left behind.

27. What is the last era in the book?

From Quiz "Vacuum Diagrams" a novel by Stephen Baxter

Answer: Photino Victory

"Vacuum Diagrams" is divided into a prologue, seven eras, and a epilogue. The seven eras are; Expansion, Squeem Occupation, Qax Occupation, Assimilation, The War to End Wars, Flight and Photino Victory. Both the prologue and the epilogue are titled Eve.

28. In the time-machine seasons and civilizations pass in a blur; were the Traveller and Nebogipfel able to determine if the colony, New London, survived?

From Quiz "The Time Ships" by Stephen Baxter

Answer: The Traveller and Nebogipfel watched New London grow and thrive over millions of years. New London, by 1891, had already moved to the stars.

New London grew into cities. Eventually those cities were built on platforms in the Earth's atmosphere and eventually abandoned the Earth.

29. When the time-machine halts in the world left by New-London, what is wrong with the Earth?

From Quiz "The Time Ships" by Stephen Baxter

Answer: Nebogipfel calls it a "White Earth" because it has entered a permanent ice age.

New-London made new cities in the Earth's atmosphere, and then moved on. The descendants of New London altered the moon and the stars. The Earth's ecosystems were depleted and damaged sending Earth into a final ice-age. Nebogipfel refers to it as a "White Earth" because it is covered in ice and snow and will remain that way.

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