The third (and presumably final) chapter in the Spin saga, by Robert Charles Wilson takes the form of Vortex. A worthy successor to the award-winning Spin, and equally fascinating Axis, Vortex wraps up the story of the Hypotheticals, and Earth's fate from these seemingly unintelligible beings.

Unfortunately, Vortex doesn't quite capture the same level of intrigue as the previous novels in the series. Though the ending is far-spanning, and reveals the ultimate answers, fans may not find them particularly rewarding. In fact, much of the back story feels grudgingly provided, as if the author only added it as an afterthought. This is not only unusual for Wilson, but disappointing.

Vortex takes place in many different locations, and follows three primary characters throughout the book (another huge change from the previous novels in the series). Turk Findley makes a return, and is most certainly the primary character. After being introduced in Axis, he's become the central character to the series, or at least the final two-thirds. Axis also follows two other characters, of varying interest. Confusing is that the timeframes take place in two very different settings, jumping back and forth. Credit must be given to Wilson, however, for choosing the exact right moments to cut from one timeframe to the other; they are often done just at a moment of high suspense.

The story takes a slow and meandering path toward the end, and it's only the last few pages that actually reveal the end-game of the saga. It's really as though Wilson ran out of steam, and the series finishes with more of a whimper than a bang. The ultimate story is still fascinating, but doesn't lead up to much of a climax, and may leave some readers disappointed.

Still, as a novel, Vortex is a fascinating read, and actually stands very well on its own, with readers not necessarily having to have read the previous entries in the series--quite an accomplishment on its own. Events in the novel keep the pages turning, and the characters are deep enough to be truly cared about, especially up until the very end.

Fans of the Spin saga should most certainly read this book to close out the series, and any fan of science fiction should not only read this book, but any of the works by Robert Charles Wilson. ( )

“Vortex” is book three of Robert Charles Wilson’s “Spin” trilogy. Book one, titled “Spin,” won the Hugo for Best Novel in 2006. It was an epic tale filled with huge sci-fi ideas mixed with large dollops of human drama. Book two was named “Axis,” and carried on the large mysteries laid out in book one.

The beginning of “Vortex” is sizzling, hooking me quickly. Two storylines are intertwined. We follow a character named Turk from book two, who has been thrust ten thousand years into the future. Turk encounters human descendants in a futuristic mobile city named “Vox.” Meanwhile, back on near modern-day Earth, somehow a man named Orrin is writing the account of Turk in the distant future. Once the excitement of these two unlikely scenarios wears off and we settle into the story, the trilogy slows down again. Wilson delays the reveal of these mysteries until the final ten percent of the book. Of course, there is drama throughout, shadowy figures are attempting to falsely incarcerate Orrin, and Vox is not the paradise it originally appears to be. However, there is far too much explaining and frankly the characters and action weren't interesting enough to pull me through to the conclusion.

The ending is better and attempts to spin the trilogy off its axis and into a vortex of transcendence resolutions (see what I did there). It’s ambitious and grandiose, but in my opinion, falls short in living up to the expectations set in the excellent book “Spin." Three stars for this conclusion of the mind-stretching sci-soap-opera trilogy. ( )

This third volume in the Spin Trilogy features Turk Findlay of the second volume. The story takes place over two widely separated time lines. In one of the narratives, it is 10,000 years in the future after the events in Axis, the second volume. Turk, who had been transported by the Hypotheticals, is returned to Earth/Equatoria. He is picked up by the Vox, a civilization living on a group of wandering islands who believe that those who are returned from the Hypotheticals are deities or messiahs of a sort. The Vox are maneuvering their islands to a place they think the Hypotheticals are waiting for them. On meeting up with the Hypotheticals, they expect to experience something akin to the Rapture. Turk is not too sure the Hypotheticals are benevolent, however.

In the alternating storyline, set in a time somewhat contemporaneous with the time Turk was taken up by the Hypotheticals. Orrin Mather, a young vagrant is taken into custody by the authorities in a future dystopian Houston. Orrin keeps dreaming the story of a man named Turk, and he keeps writing the story down. We read Turk's story, as Orrin dreams it and writes it down.

I liked this novel the least of the three in the trilogy. I ended up not reading it that closely, just reading to get through it and see what happened and how it all ended. ( )

After the strong opening in Spin and the someone meh followup with Axis, I wasn't expecting particularly much from Vortex. Consider me pleasantly surprised.

Getting back to the huge events and big timespans of Spin, Vortex takes place ten thousand years after Axis, after the Temporal Arch discovered towards the end of that book ends its next cycle. Two of Axis' main characters (Turn and Isaac) are dumped out / recreated and picked up by a island sized ship that has been floating through arch after arch through the Eight Worlds (apparently the arches connecting Earth to Equatoria connect through several other worlds and finally end at Mars, which is a neat concept).

The far future society is interesting, as is the ruined Earth (global warming is bad). In the far future, societies seem to resolve around linked communities, either linking the thoughts of emotions of a community. The island they end up on is one of the latter, which has both its strengths but also a fair number of complexities, both of which I thought Vortex did an interesting job of exploring.

On the other hand, there is actually a second story line interwoven into Vortex, revealing the ten thousand year future as a story written by a possible mental health patient. Honestly, I'm not sure why this storyline is here; I thought those parts weren't nearly as interesting (we've already seen that part of the timeline after the Spin) and could have been left out. They did set up an interesting possibility for the very conclusion, but that could have done without as well.

We also do learn more about the Hypotheticals (not so hypothetical any more...), which remains a neat concept, even if one that doesn't always make terribly much sense (how do they communicate?).

Overall, my previous point from Axis remains: If you read Axis, read all three. Vortex is a solid conclusion and an interesting book on its own merits. If you're more pressed for time, you can read only Spin and be well off. ( )

The last of the series that began with Spin and continued with Axis. It was short, like Axis. I was expecting something deeper, longer.

I liked having Turk Findley reappear. I thought he might reappear, but I wasn't sure. There were some unfinished issues with his life in Axis.

I enjoyed going back and forth between the present in Houston (the present as it is in this book) and the future on Vox. I liked the story of Vox Core better. I became interested in Vox and it's history and I wanted a lot more. The story that took place on "modern-day" Earth wasn't as dramatic as it could have been; I expected a lot more chases and running and hiding like in the first two books.

I felt like the story of the Farmers on Vox was terribly unfinished. They could have used their own book. It was far too simplified in my opinion.

So, overall, I felt like it was a good story that needed fleshed out and expanded. I did like the discussion about the Hypotheticals, though. ( )