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{{Infobox Book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
| name         = Ark
| title_orig   = 
| translator   = 
| image        = 
| image_caption = 
| author       = [[Stephen Baxter]]
| cover_artist = 
| country      = [[United Kingdom]]
| language     = [[English language|English]]
| series       = 
| genre        = [[Hard science fiction]] [[novel]]
| publisher    = [[Gollancz]]
| release_date = 20 August 2009
| media_type   = Print ([[Hardback]])
| pages        = 512 pp
| isbn         = 0-575-08057-4
| oclc= 320406261
| preceded_by  = [[Flood (Baxter novel)|Flood]]
| followed_by  = 
}}

'''''Ark''''' is a [[hard science fiction]] novel<ref>Stephen Baxter: ''Ark'': London: Gollancz: 2009: ISBN 9780575080577</ref> by UK author [[Stephen Baxter]]. It comes as the sequel to Baxter's acclaimed 2008 novel ''[[Flood (Baxter novel)|Flood]]''. Ark deals with the journey of ''Ark One'', which Baxter has revealed to be a long-range spaceship, and the continuing human struggle for survival on Earth after the catastrophic events of ''Flood''. It was published [[August 20]], [[2009]] by [[Gollancz]].

==Plot Summary==

Readers are initially introduced to the principal characters in a flashback to 2031. At this time, the rising sea levels have inundated most of the Pacific and Atlantic coastal states of the United States and the flood waters have risen as far north as [[Kentucky]], causing a considerable influx of internally displaced persons ("eye-dees" is a derogatory term used to describe them). For the moment, [[Denver]] and most of [[Colorado]] are safe from harm, although civil war is brewing with separatist [[Utah]] over control of untainted [[fresh water]] supplies and former [[Interstate Highway System]] roads. Affluent inhabitants of the United States have funded a get-away plan, however. Their children and descendants will travel to a neighbouring earth-like [[exosolar planet]], given that shortly before the onset of the Flood, [[SETI]] technology had advanced to the point where it could detect potentially habitable worlds in other planetary systems.

Holle Groundwater is the daughter of one affluent man, Patrick. Zane Glemp is the son of Jerzy Glemp, a former [[Poles|Polish]] millionaire. Kelly Kenzie becomes the designated mission leader. Wilson Argent is her sometime partner who succeeds her as mission commander. Venus Jenning is the Ark's navigator. As noted above, there is some overlap between the earlier novel in this trilogy and its successor - aging astronaut Gordo Alonzo and Thandie Jones, the bisexual oceanographer from ''Flood'' appear as influential characters. Grace Gray is also a pivotal character, as is her daughter Helen, who is born on the Ark en route to its initial interstellar destination.

During the 2030s, President Linda Vasquez serves four terms of office under the crisis conditions and the remnants of the federal government and armed forces take over control of the Nimrod Project. During that time, experimental use of [[antimatter]] results in several tragedies and during this time, the flood waters rise inexorably. In 2041, the Ark is ready to be launched, although a relentless winnowing process has reduced the number of potential candidates to eighty in number. A coup attempt results in attempted storming of the launch facility, resulting in  hurried evacuation of the candidates to the starship in question. The chaotic launch results in fatal irradiation of the surrounding area, due to the incorporation of abandoned 1960s [[Project Orion (nuclear propulsion)]] launch vehicle plans. 

Once they have embarked, the crew find that they have inadvertently left some prior designated Candidates behind, and some security personnel mutinied to find a new life shipboard. In addition, some of the female candidates are pregnant and give birth to children who become a shipboard generation. By 2042, they have harvested enough antimatter to propel their [[warp drive]] starship to [[82 Eridani]]'s planetary system, twenty-one [[light-years]] from Earth's planetary system, which is reached nine years later. By that time, most of Earth now lies underwater and [[Mount Everest]] is scheduled to fall to the flood waters in 2052. 

However, problems arise, due to the nature of the targeted planet, designated "Earth II." Although 82 Eridani is a yellow G5 star, it turns out that the 'earthlike' world in question is on the fringe of its planetary system [[ecosphere]] and the prospects of prolonged extremes of temperature are further worsened by an [[axial tilt]] comparable to that of [[Uranus]] in their planetary system of origin. There is debate over what to do next and three factions decide to split up. One colonises Earth II, while another travels back to Earth, making planetfall in 2059. A third factor takes one of the tripartite vessel's launch boosters and takes a further twenty years to travel outward to an (unnamed) M6 [[red dwarf]] star and its [[super-earth]] terrestrial world, designated "Earth III"  and situated 111 [[light years]] from Earth, within [[Lepus (constellation)]]. Unfortunately, generational tensions and Zane's [[dissociative identity disorder]] lead to mutiny, loss of life and the destruction of one of the onboard shuttle craft. 

While this is occurring, the floodwaters inundate Denver and Kelly's ex-husband Don, Gordo and Mel, ex-Candidate and Holle's former lover make a last stand at [[Gunnison, Colorado]], which was the nearest habitable area near the former starship launch site and Mission Control for the Ark before it departed from Jupiter. In the ensuing melee, Don is killed.

In 2061, Lily Brooke (''Flood'''s principal protagonist) has been dead for the last three years. Thandie continues to survive and has links to Ark Two, which turns out to be a (new) seafloor settlement which taps the [[geothermal]] energy from the submerged former [[Yellowstone]] National Park. Kenzie meets her aged father and estranged son Dexter, whom she voluntarily abandoned for a place onboard. Mel has also survived, but Gordo Alonzo died defending Ark Two from ID interlopers before the rising floodwaters made further interference impossible. Human genetic engineering is postulated to assist the descendants of Ark Two to adapt to their new and arduous and environmental conditions. 

In 2081, Earth III's settlers disembark within the remaining shuttlecraft, halving the remaining crew. However, Holle is now commander of the starship and resolves to explore the star system's other planets using small warp-jumps. The ending is left open-ended, suggesting that the starship has effectively become that venerable SF trope, a [[generation ship]].

==Hard Science Background==
In an appendix, Baxter describes his "hard science" basis for what is depicted in ''Ark''. His grounding includes references to source articles for [[generation ship]]s, interstellar [[warp drive]] vessels, [[Project Orion]] and [[exosolar planets]]. The references can be found on pp.&nbsp;456-457.

==Critical reception==
Writing in the [[The Guardian|Guardian]], [[Eric Brown (writer)|Eric Brown]] gave the novel a very positive review, concluding that “Never has Baxter presented a more thrilling and moving glimpse of a possible future: Ark could well be his masterpiece.”<ref>Brown, Eric (1 August 2009), “[http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/aug/01/ark-stephen-baxter-review Ark by Stephen Baxter]”, The Guardian (London)</ref> In [[The Times]], [[Lisa Tuttle]] also wrote approvingly, calling Ark “a grim but exciting tale of the ultimate in pioneering adventure, in the most unforgiving environment of all.”<ref>Tuttle, Lisa (5 September 2009), “[http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/fiction/article6820386.ece Sci-fi / fantasy: New work by Kim Stanley Robinson, Stephen Baxter, Chris Beckett and Alexandra Sokoloff]”, The Times (London)</ref>

==Bibliography==
*George Dyson: ''Project Orion'': Holt: 2002.

*Casoli and Encranz: ''The New Worlds'': Springer-Praxis: 2007.

*Paul Glister: ''Centauri Dreams:'' Copernicus: 2004. 

*Extraterrestrial Life and Planetary System Ages:
''Icarus:'' 151: 307-313: 2001.

*Yuji Kondo: ''Interstellar Travel and Multi-Generation Starships'': Apogee: 2003.

'''Warp Drive and Field References:'''

*Miguel Alcubierre: ''Classical and Quantum Gravity'': Volume 11: L73-L77: 1994.

*C. Clark et al.: ''Classical and Quantum Gravity'': Volume 16: 3965-72 (1999).

*C.Van Broek: ''Classical and Quantum Gravity'': Volume 16: 3973-9 (1999).

*D.Weiskopf: ''Visualisation of Four Dimensional Spacetimes'': Dissertation, University of Tübingen: 2001.

*''Journal of the British Interplanetary Society'': 61:9: September 2008: Seminar on Interstellar Propulsion Systems.

==See also==
*[[Doomsday event]]
*[[Exosolar planets]]
*[[Flood (2008 novel)]]
*[[Red dwarf]]s
*[[Warp drive]]
*[[82 Eridani]]
*[[Lepus (constellation)]]

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://sfsite.emenace.com/arksummary.htm Very detailed plot summary]

{{Baxter}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ark (Baxter Novel)}}
[[Category:2009 novels]]
[[Category:Science fiction novels]]
[[Category:English-language novels]]
[[Category:Novels by Stephen Baxter]]
[[Category:Post-apocalyptic novels]]