ABANDONED. Scfi: compilation of stories showing human progression and the heat death of the universe

[Ryan]

HI All,
I really need some help identifying this novel which I read about 10 years ago. I must warn you that the details are sketchy.

This book is a compilation/rearrangement of the author's stories, to show the first contact of Humans with an Alien species, the expansion of the human psyche, how humans started travelling through star systems and the eventual heat death of the universe.

The book was published sometime between the 1970s to 1980s.(a guess)

Some of the details I remembered:
>>in one of the stories, a human(a government official, I think) was introduced to alien concepts and technology by another alien. However as the human's mind/brain was too rigid in its thinking. Upon understanding the concept, he had a stroke/brain hemorrhage.

The last short story was about the heat death of the universe.
A new being was born in a new universe, he somehow managed to travel to the old universe. Due to the difference in energy levels between the new and old universe, he was essentially invincible when attacked by the old.
His aim in coming to the old universe was to warn the inhabitants that the old universe was coming to an end and the new one is taking over.
I vaguely remembered that the inhabitants of the old universe had used a spacecraft to shoot down the visitor. They missed and due to the weakened nature of the old universe, managed to tear a hole in the fabric of space. Said tear kept expanding, eventually bringing the demise the old universe.

I would really appreciate it if someone could help me identify this book.
Thanks a million!!

[Andy]

Sounds a little like Stephen Baxter's Vacuum Diagrams

A novel made up out of connected short stories is called a "Fix-Up" - here's a list of Fix-up novels http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fix-up#S... - if your book isn't the Baxter, then it might be one of these other ones.

[Justanotherbiblophile]

There's one in this theme, but it's only about humanity... so it ends when the Earth dries out (ie: humanity never makes it off this rock)

[Andy]

This also reminds me a bit of Star Maker as I think of it.

[Feliks]

Possibly

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Hey, the way the government is acting, we never WILL make it off this rock. And I want to be able to go see the Rings of Saturn BEFORE I turn 300.

[Justanotherbiblophile]

OFF-TOPIC
There's not much to see if you were to get close, just a slightly less dense vacuum. It might be nice to see the sun thru them, however...

EDIT:
Hmm, I guess it does make a nice picture:


In any case, not all the gov's fault, I mean we're the ones that tell it what to do...

The real question is, whether they're going to let the small people live to be 300 when the Singularity comes around.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Hey, I plan on seeing the Rings. And if I have to do it by dent of being the oldest human alive, then that's what I'll do. I've been space mad since I was a kid. But I'm too old to make it into the Space Program. When I was the right age, they weren't taking women. Now I'm too old. (When Sally Ride was accepted, I went out and celebrated.)

[Cheryl]

The Past Through Tomorrow, maybe?
Interestingly, I just now heard of this sequel (?) The Past Through Tomorrow: Vol. 2.

[Andy]

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "The Past Through Tomorrow, maybe?
Interestingly, I just now heard of this sequel (?) The Past Through Tomorrow: Vol. 2."

I don't think this is a sequel; it looks like a variant edition of TPTT was published in two parts.

[Cheryl]

Ah, I think you're right, Andy, thanks!

[Shanna_redwind]

This reminds me some of the book Terraforming Earth. I passed the thread by a few times because it's not really short stories, but I figured that I'd throw the suggestion out there.

[Rob]

Andy wrote: "Sounds a little like Stephen Baxter's Vacuum Diagrams

A novel made up out of connected short stories is called a "Fix-Up" - here's a list of Fix-up novels http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fix-up#S......"


I think you have it - it's got to be Baxter's XeeLee sequence...

[Cheryl]

Ryan, are you still looking for this book?