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Moonseed Hardcover – 3 Aug. 1998

by Stephen Baxter (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 372 ratings
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In the 1970s astronauts brought rock samples back from the Moon. Many remained locked away for decades … including one unique piece of bedrock, the Moonseed. At last exposed to daylight, it proves to be deadly, though not to people. It kills the Earth.

In his new novel, Stephen Baxter, ‘the best SF author in Britain’ (SFX), contemplates rock – living rock. Transported to Earth by Apollo astronaut Jays Malone in 1972, a single shard of bedrock from the Moon contains within its innocuous-looking shell the power to destroy worlds.

Geologist Henry Meacher – his career at JPL in ruins, his marriage over – is given a sample of the Moon bedrock to analyse. He goes with it to Edinburgh University, the only place that will have him. There the deadly Moon rock accidentally comes into contact with the Earth’s core in the form of lava from Edinburgh’s famous extinct volcanoes. It turns solid rock to seething Moonseed dust. Soon perhaps the whole world will be infected.

Inspired, terrified, Henry Meacher is a changed man. If the worst happens, his plan is to take Earth’s displaced peoples from the Earth to the Moon. Baxter’s stunning story is one of disaster, desperate measures and damage limitation, forcing humanity to an excess of ingenuity and courage. Ironically, it is a newly terraformed Moon that holds the key to our survival…

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  1. Book 3 of 3
    NASA Trilogy
  2. Print length
    544 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Voyager
  5. Publication date
    3 Aug. 1998
  6. Dimensions
    15.9 x 5.8 x 24 cm
  7. ISBN-10
    0002254263
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0002254267
  9. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
372 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They praise the narrative as wonderful and believable. The concept is interesting, with roots in known ideas and concepts that are well-researched and explained.

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ReadabilityStory qualityConceptEnjoyment
11 customers mention ‘Readability’11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it enjoyable, believable, and hard to put down. Some say it's one of their favorite books of all time.

"...A real page turner, it was difficult to put it down -- and then impossible not to pick it straight up again a moment later...." Read more

"...However, a good read and a page-turner up to that point. The description fo the science was well-written: accessible without being condescending...." Read more

"...Arguably Baxter's best novel of the 90s although The Time Ships pushes it all the way for that accolade. Ray Smillie" Read more

"...A good book, but not without some surprising faults." Read more

10 customers mention ‘Story quality’7 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the story's narrative. They find it engaging and believable, with a clever twist that ends on an upbeat note.

"...flow smoothly and logically and, although exhaustive accounts are told at the points of drama, it never once seems indulgent or high-brow..." Read more

"...I found myself instantly engrossed in a story which rapidly spirals to encompass the whole planet, and show how different people deal with different..." Read more

"The end seemed rushed; we suddenly started skipping five, ten years at a time...." Read more

"Just suspend belief, and enjoy a good story. The “Scottish” passages were most enjoyable for me. I’m glad you killed Edinburgh first. 😂..." Read more

9 customers mention ‘Concept’9 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the concept of this book. They find the science interesting and well-researched. The events flow logically, with a clever twist at the end.

"...Events flow smoothly and logically and, although exhaustive accounts are told at the points of drama, it never once seems indulgent or high-brow..." Read more

"...The description fo the science was well-written: accessible without being condescending. Worth reading." Read more

"...Much more entertaining whilst still with a hard sci-fi element. Large scope as well with the destruction of Venus starting it all off...." Read more

"...The science is explained well and concepts are grand...." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Enjoyment’3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it an easy, fun read with engaging science fiction elements.

"...All in all I enjoyed this book and as per usual, it was a fun and easy read. The science is explained well and concepts are grand...." Read more

"An enjoyable Sci-fi yarn! Very apocalyptic in it's scale but if you're a Baxter fan you'll likely enjoy this novel." Read more

"enthralling!" Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • F. M. Havicon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful narrative, a hazelnut in every bite
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 September 2017
    Verified Purchase
    And this takes the new top spot on my list of favourite Stephen Baxter novels. Not only is the idea behind it a stroke of genius, the characters are well realised, each with her or her own motivations, and aren't just the usual cast of cut-outs you get in modern sci-fi. Ordinarily I'd be tempted to suggest a book of this length is over-long and could be improved by some judicious pruning...but for the very first time with a Baxter novel I find myself wishing it was actually longer. A real page turner, it was difficult to put it down -- and then impossible not to pick it straight up again a moment later. Events flow smoothly and logically and, although exhaustive accounts are told at the points of drama, it never once seems indulgent or high-brow (unlike a few other long-winded novelists who spring to mind...) Who said you can't write a good book about a bunch of old rocks?
    One person found this helpful
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  • meadow55
    4.0 out of 5 stars Should have been two books
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 November 2013
    Verified Purchase
    The end seemed rushed; we suddenly started skipping five, ten years at a time. Would have been better to have written a second book instead of summaring the end: there were a lot of stories that were missed. However, a good read and a page-turner up to that point. The description fo the science was well-written: accessible without being condescending. Worth reading.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kay Smillie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the trilogy
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 August 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Far and away the best of the NASA trilogy. Much more entertaining whilst still with a hard sci-fi element. Large scope as well with the destruction of Venus starting it all off. Arguably Baxter's best novel of the 90s although The Time Ships pushes it all the way for that accolade.

    Ray Smillie
    One person found this helpful
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  • James Fenn
    3.0 out of 5 stars A great concept, but unusually rushed for Baxter
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 September 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Stephen Baxter is without a doubt one of my favourite authors and I always enjoy most of his novels, particularly those focused on space science and space travel. Moonseed was a book which I actually stumbled upon by accident but immediately purchased.

    The opening few chapters are typical of Baxter, and the action/mystery starts very quickly with a big capturing event in the first few pages. I found myself instantly engrossed in a story which rapidly spirals to encompass the whole planet, and show how different people deal with different events. The scale of some of the events range from small families up to entire countries and even planets. I did however find that by the middle of the book it felt as though we were running out of steam. Random characters were introduced, to disappear or be killed a few pages later. Action sequences (no doubt designed to instill the sense of catastrophe) would often be short to a few paragraphs and I got the sense that we were rushing through the action.

    Whilst some of the characters are explored in depth and you get a real sense of who they are, and what they care about, others are seemingly introduced as fillers. To complete a narrative task which hints at a large back story, but sadly we never get to explore or fully understand.

    All in all I enjoyed this book and as per usual, it was a fun and easy read. The science is explained well and concepts are grand. It was let down by feeling rushed, particularly towards the end of the book to its epic conclusion. And after the climatic ending (I won't say what happens for spoilers) it felt as though it was approaching, came, and went in no time at all. A good book, but not without some surprising faults.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Thomarshall
    4.0 out of 5 stars A good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 October 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Just suspend belief, and enjoy a good story. The “Scottish” passages were most enjoyable for me. I’m glad you killed Edinburgh first. 😂
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  • jingsmonty
    5.0 out of 5 stars great read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 April 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting concept, I am fast becoming a big fan of Stephen Baxter, I enjoy the idea that his books, while being sf, have their roots in known ideas/concepts - they are obviously meticulously researched. I would have to say that I slightly preferred 'Voyage' to 'Moonseed', although this book is still a great read (hopefully it never happens, as I am a Scot!)
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 February 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Moonseed was recommended to me by a friend a few years ago and I am now on my third copy, I literally wore the first two copies out through reading and re-reading this brilliant book.
    The story flows really nicely and would appeal to non sci-fi readers. This is one of my favourite books of all time and I hope to have many more years reading it.
    One person found this helpful
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  • CJ Lake
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very apocalyptic in it's scale but if you're a Baxter fan you'll likely enjoy this novel
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 December 2016
    Verified Purchase
    An enjoyable Sci-fi yarn! Very apocalyptic in it's scale but if you're a Baxter fan you'll likely enjoy this novel.
    Helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another good read from Baxter
    Reviewed in the United States on 24 July 2016
    Verified Purchase
    A lot of people have given this book mixed reviews. I happened to like it. I really like Baxter's style and find his books to be real page turners. This one started out a bit slowly and it was hard to get interested in the characters at first, but as the book went on, it became more of a page turner. This is a very dark book about the destruction of the planet with a glimmer of hope at the end with humanity relocating to the moon. Baxter always seems to do a good job when he sets out to destroy the planet. Similar to his excellent book, Flood, this one relentlessly destroys the earth little by little. The basic idea of the story is that an alien substance carried back from the moon contaminates Earth and begins to eat the crust in order to transform the planet. There is an event in which the same substance destroys Venus at the start of the novel giving some clues to the whole story. In addition to what happens on Earth, there are some interesting events on the Moon, including an emergency trip there with cobbled-together shuttle technology which sets in motion some things that allow colonization of the Moon. Many people have commented on the characterization of society in the book as being anti-science, but in my mind, this isn't a huge distraction. This may not be Baxter's best book, but I found it to be worth reading and would recommend it if you have enjoyed some of his other novels.
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  • Harbhagat
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sehr guter Science Fiction Roman ohne Faser und Warpantrieb
    Reviewed in Germany on 3 September 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Sehr technisch und gut beschrieben. Das plötzliche Auftreten des Moonseeds mit seinen gravierenden Auswirkungen wirkt unplausibel. Was das Ziel des Moonseeds wirklich ist: höhere Intelligenz was auch immer bleibt völlig nebulös.
    Trotzdem sehr gutes Buch auch wenn der pessimistische Oberton im gesamten Buch belastend ist: es gibt keine Möglichkeit der Rettung...
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  • Christian Zacke
    4.0 out of 5 stars Gute Unterhaltung - nicht mehr, aber auch nicht weniger
    Reviewed in Germany on 26 September 2009
    Verified Purchase
    Stephen Baxter lässt die Welt mit Liebe zum Detail untergehen - und das ist nicht nur fesselnd, sondern Dank Baxters offensichtlicher Kenntnisse im Bereich Geologie insgesamt auch glaubwürdig und in sich schlüssig. Darüber hinaus gelingt es ihm recht gut, seinen Charakteren Tiefe zu verleihen und realistische Dialoge zu kreieren. Einen Stern Abzug gibt es aber zum einen, weil die Glaubwürdigkeit gegen Ende hin doch nachlässt, und zum anderen, weil Moonseed mitunter ein bisschen sehr amerikazentriert daher kommt. Das hat man sicher schon wesentlich schlimmer erlebt, auf die Dauer kann es aber nerven.

    Fazit: Trotz einiger Abstriche ein durchaus empfehlenswertes Buch, bei dem vor allem die Fans endzeitlicher Szenarien auf ihre Kosten kommen werden.
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  • Ritesh Laud
    4.0 out of 5 stars Solid and believable...well, most of it anyway
    Reviewed in the United States on 24 December 2002
    Verified Purchase
    Moonseed is a SF drama documenting the release on Earth of a planet-devouring nanovirus. The "Moonseed" infection starts in Scotland and induces an extremely ancient volcano to erupt again. Then the Moonseed continues spreading, apparently unstoppable as it heads down through the Earth's crust and towards the mantle where it would wreak complete havoc. So begins the desperate race to save humanity.
    The geology and space travel aspects of this novel are thoroughly grounded in research, allowing Baxter to achieve tenability on top of the entertainment, unlike other sci-fi authors who are merely entertaining. Or even worse, unbelievable AND unentertaining (*cough* The Millennial Project *cough)! It's a hefty novel at over 650 pages, but it seemed much shorter to me due to the quick and continuous plot development. Being an engineer and amateur astronomer, my attention didn't wander during the more technical passages. In fact, I was captivated during Baxter's description of the voyage to the Moon and the sojourn there. If you're not technically inclined, perhaps 5-10% of the book may be heavy going. Fortunately, the other 90-95% is easily understood and enjoyed by the layman.
    Thanks to the novel's level of science, I somewhat believe now that we could return to the Moon for under $2 billion if need be. I have a much better grasp now of the power of "Act of God" disasters like volcanoes and earthquakes. Areas that did not seem convincing to me: politics (funding without adequate explanations), speed of infrastructure failure (far too rapid), harenodynamics (wacky alternate method of landing on the Moon), Henry's solution (I won't spoil it here), and a few others. Also the Moonseed itself is not satisfactorily researched during the course of the book, although the ending implies that humanity is on its way to discovering its secrets.
    The overall tone of the novel is somewhat pessimistic. I think the gloominess adds to the prose and makes it more believable; previous reviewers have construed it as evidence of Baxter's nihilism. Whether you appreciate the dark mood or not, there certainly are quite a few morbid scenes in the novel that are more for dramatic effect than enriching the plot. Characterization of the main players is decent (I really got to like Henry!) but there seems to be a bit of unnecessary quarreling. Geena seems to be in perpetual PMS. Minor characters are generally flat and underdeveloped.
    Overall, recommended for sci-fi buffs and readers with an interest in end-of-the-world scenarios.
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  • Kindle Customersteve o
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great job
    Reviewed in the United States on 16 January 2024
    Verified Purchase
    That was fantastic!! I really got into this book. The world being eaten up by a space invader was fantastic. You told the story from the eyes of the characters. The ending was done great. Thanks for the great read.
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