Exultant

About “Exultant”

Stephen Baxter's Exultant is a science fiction novel set in a distant future where humanity is locked in a long war against the Xeelee, an advanced alien race. The war involves technology so advanced it seems godlike, and time itself becomes a battlefield. After a young pilot, Pirius, uses a time-travel maneuver to capture a Xeelee fighter, he is punished and sent to a bleak asteroid. His actions also trap his younger self in the same fate. A high-ranking official, Commissary Nilis, takes the younger Pirius to Earth, where he uncovers unsettling truths about the war and humanity. Meanwhile, the older Pirius faces harsh revelations. The story builds toward a shocking discovery at Chandra, a supermassive black hole that holds great significance for the Xeelee. The novel explores themes of time, justice, and the nature of humanity.