Vortex

By: Robert Charles Wilson

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Vortex tells the story of Turk Findley, the protagonist introduced in Axis, who is transported 10,000 years into the future by the mysterious entities called “the Hypotheticals”. In this future, humanity exists on a chain of planets connected by Hypothetical gateways; but Earth itself is a dying world, effectively quarantined. Turk and his young friend Isaac Dvali are taken up by a community of fanatics who use them to enable a passage to the dying Earth, where they believe a prophecy of human/Hypothetical contact will be fulfilled. The prophecy is only partly true, however, and Turk must unravel the truth about the nature and purpose of the Hypotheticals before they carry him on a journey through warped time to the end of the universe itself.

Vortex is thrilling and complex science-fiction novel from Hugo Award-winning author Robert Charles Wilson.

©2011 Robert Charles Wilson (P)2011 Macmillan Audio

Good ending to the Spin series

I'm actually pretty torn on whether or not to give this five stars. I think with every series, no matter the author, the progressive books never seem as good as the earlier ones. This is probably because the freahness of the idea behind the books tends to wears off. However, I would have to give the complete 3 book series five stars.
It's amazing the way this story comes together in the end, especially the last paragraph (I'm imagining it's the last paragraph since this is audio). I guarantee you won't see it coming.
The bottom line is: if you've read the first two books, you can't not read this one. If you haven't read the first two, what are you waiting for?

A pleasant conclusion to the Spin Trilogy.

this is not about specific characters from Spin. It concludes the story of the Hypotheticals.
It's an interesting perspective.

A decent closure

This review contains spoilers (plot details):




I really liked Spin, and I was more drawn in to it than most books I've read. Axis wasn't all that great to me. I figured I had to get Vortex to figure out what it was all about.

It's a well-done story with typical Wilsonian bouncing from time and character to time and character. He goes farther out than I'd expected, to the eventual breakdown of subatomic particles in the very distant future.

I liked the characters and ideas, and generally enjoyed it. Narration is the same as for the previous 2 books.

At times prescient, at times a little dark

The whole series draws you in with deep and complex character development. It predicts the demise of our planet by greed and desire. The eventual ending is satisfying but really too dark. I doubt that I will look for other books by Wilson.

Excellent story, ambitious scope, very nice!

A strong finish to a very good series. I'm not easily impressed, but this one had me thinking about their universe long after the book was finished 😄

well-written, well-narrated, but...

When I first listened to Spin, the first book in this trilogy, I thought I might very well be onto the best scifi experience of my life. A few years later, this concluding volume has left me a bit unsatisfied. The core mystery that underlies all three volumes, and is so captivating in Spin, gets "solved" in an almost off-handed way at the end of Vortex. And the solution won't exactly makes you shiver with delight. Or even interest.

But here's the thing: the books are so well-written that it almost doesn't matter. The stories themselves are engaging, the characters are generally worth investing in, the prose is weighty and never silly. (Silly is a concern for me when it comes to time-bending science fiction.) And the narration is, well, Scott Brick. You know exactly what you'll get before you start listening, and it'll be good.

So I'm giving it a decent rating and a big warning: if the middle book felt like a miss to you, this one probably will too. But if you enjoyed it anyway, this is worth a listen. Maybe you can make up a better ending for yourself after it's all done.

More than 42

The science in this book, at the end Is awareness expanding and fun. So glad the Spin was all wrapped up. I enjoyed the explanation immensely even if I really didn’t understand the details. What a ride!

Better than Axis more like Spin

If you were turned off by Axis don't worry this is better. Spend the credit and find out how it all ends.

a nice end to a wonderful story

This series of books was so quiet and understated, yet haunt you when you are not reading them. many people probably prefer a sci fi series with a lot of action, but I prefer this style. cerebral, thoughtful, and sentimental. I did, however, find most of the characters in this last book with the exception of Issac and Orrin a bit lacking the depth the characters in the previous books had. Even Turk felt a bit muted and I was expecting to get to know him more since he was a repeat character, but it was the opposite, he seemed distant and underdeveloped. the characters just didnt fill out like in the previous books which was dissapointing. All in all, a nice ending to the series, and will not spoil it, but a very unique way of ending the story. Hint, you get to find out the fate of the universe.

Beautiful ending to a well crafted series

I guess previous reviewers like their fiction tied up neatly with a bow while the protagonists ride off into the sunset. I do not. If you like explosions and space wars, look elsewhere. If you enjoy carefully crafted narratives featuring characters who display actual depth, this might be your jam. The ending was, I thought, beautiful without being overly sentimental, and took on a scope far beyond what most books dare. If it happened quickly, its because the plot here is secondary. What matters is the discovery of the self, the creation of meaning, the exploration of the universe both exterior and interior. Couldn't have ended better.