Ring by Stephen Baxter

This lengthy text explores complex futuristic concepts through the eyes of several characters facing extraordinary circumstances. It follows the accelerated life cycle of Lieserl, a human construct designed for a mission inside the Sun, and the experiences of the crew of the GUTship Northern, a starship that embarks on a thousand-year journey through time and space. The narrative also introduces a post-human society living in isolated sections of the ship and encountering an old-fashioned geneticist named Uvarov. The story culminates in encounters with alien technology (the Xeelee nightfighter), the mysterious photino birds that cause stars to die, and the discovery of the Ring, a vast artificial structure at the edge of the universe. Ultimately, the survivors of the Northern enter a new universe through a singularity.