The Endless Myth vs. the Xeelee Sequence: Myth-Bound Worlds and a Universe Ruled by Physics
The novel The Endless Myth and Stephen Baxter’s hard-SF masterpiece, the Xeelee Sequence, both depict stories on a cosmic scale, featuring humanity, transcendent beings, and narratives with no clear end. However, the worldviews and philosophies they present point in almost completely opposite directions.
This article compares The Endless Myth and the Xeelee Sequence, focusing on myth versus physical law, meaning versus reality, and the true nature of “endlessness.”
Worldbuilding Compared: A World Ruled by Meaning vs. a Universe Ruled by Laws
The world of The Endless Myth is a closed system in which myth and faith function as the very foundation of order. Myth is not just a story but a social institution. People understand reality through meaning, and their lives are shaped by it. The world exists because it is continually told.
In contrast, the Xeelee Sequence presents an open universe governed entirely by physical laws and cosmic history. There is no mythic explanation. The universe obeys causality with brutal consistency. Humanity is not the center of existence, but merely one intelligent species among many.
Why the Stories Never End
The Endless Myth cannot end because losing myth would mean losing meaning itself. Myth is constantly revised and retold to sustain the world. An ending would not bring salvation, but collapse.
The Xeelee Sequence has no true ending because it attempts to depict cosmic history itself. The rise and fall of humanity, galaxy-spanning wars, the death and rebirth of the universe. Individual stories conclude, but time continues forward.
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The Endless Myth: it cannot end because meaning must be preserved
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Xeelee Sequence: it does not end because time never stops
Protagonists in Contrast: Symbolic Humans vs. Insignificant Humanity
In The Endless Myth, the protagonist Messiah is a human consumed as a symbol. His individuality and will are overwritten by his mythic role. Humanity is placed at the center of the world, but at the cost of freedom.
In the Xeelee Sequence, there is no dominant protagonist. Humanity itself is portrayed as a negligible presence before the overwhelmingly superior Xeelee. Humans are not symbols, not chosen beings, but fleeting elements within an immense cosmic timeline.
Gods and Higher Beings
In The Endless Myth, gods exist through faith. They gain power by being believed in and bind the world through meaning. God is not outside reality, but embedded within its structure.
The Xeelee are not gods. They are entities pushed to the extreme limits of physical evolution. Their power is not miraculous but theoretical. There is no salvation, no intention, and no concern for humanity.
Different Forms of Infinity and Despair
The despair of The Endless Myth lies in being unable to escape meaning. Understanding the world is what traps humanity within it.
The despair of the Xeelee Sequence lies in understanding and still being powerless. The universe is too vast, humanity too weak, and the cosmos utterly indifferent.
Ideological Contrast
The Endless Myth asks inward-facing questions:
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Why do humans need myth?
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Is a life governed by meaning truly just?
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Is faith salvation, or is it a cage?
The Xeelee Sequence confronts outward-facing, merciless questions:
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Does the universe need humanity at all?
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Does intelligence have intrinsic value?
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Does survival itself possess meaning?
Conclusion: A Story Closed by Meaning vs. a Universe That Rejects Meaning
The Endless Myth and the Xeelee Sequence represent opposite narrative structures:
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A myth that cannot end because meaning must not be lost
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A cosmic history that never ends because meaning does not exist
One pushes human-centered storytelling to its limit. The other dismantles it completely. This contrast clearly reveals what myth and science fiction are each designed to explore, and why “endlessness” can signify entirely different things depending on the story that employs it.
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