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science fiction
Series · science fiction
Flood
The Flood series by Stephen Baxter has 2 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Flood (2008).
- Books
- 2 books
- First published
- 2008
- Status
- completed
- Last checked
Start here: Flood (2008) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
About the Flood series
A two-book near-future disaster duology built on a single, deliberately extreme premise: what if sea levels didn't just rise, but kept rising, without end. Flood (2008) opens as previously unknown reservoirs of water trapped deep in the Earth's crust begin releasing catastrophically, submerging coastlines and eventually Mount Everest itself over 36 relentless years (2016-2052), tracked through a small group of survivors as governments, corporations and ordinary people scramble to adapt to a shrinking, waterlogged world. Various "Ark" survival projects emerge across the novel -- ships, shelters, even a starship -- and the book ends on the tantalizing unresolved question of what "Ark Two" actually is.
Ark (2009) answers that question directly, following a different survival strategy entirely as humanity's remaining dry land runs out and the most audacious of the Ark projects -- an actual attempt to leave Earth -- becomes not a contingency plan but the only remaining option. Baxter's engineering rigor and unflinching commitment to following a premise to its logical, often bleak extreme are on full display across both books, making this one of his more purely apocalyptic projects.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Flood duology?
Two: Flood (2008) and Ark (2009).
What order should I read Flood and Ark in?
Flood first, then Ark. Flood ends on a direct unresolved question that Ark answers, so they should be read in sequence.
What is Flood about?
Catastrophic, unstoppable sea-level rise caused by previously unknown water reservoirs deep in the Earth's crust, tracked across 36 years as civilization is forced to retreat from a shrinking, drowning world.
Is Flood/Ark connected to Stephen Baxter's other series?
No -- it shares no characters or continuity with the Xeelee Sequence, the NASA Trilogy, the Manifold trilogy, Time's Odyssey or The Long Earth.
Is the Flood/Ark story finished?
Yes, it's a complete two-book story concluding with Ark (2009).
If you like the Flood series
Reading order last verified .