Vortex

This is sort of a review of the entire Spin trilogy. I strongly recommend reading Axis and Vortex if you enjoyed Spin. I liked Spin so much, I was worried about reading the sequels because I thought they might be a let-down. I thought Axis was okay - it wasn't as good as SPin, but was still better than what most writers could pull off. Really, the problem with Axis was that it moved along at such a clip, there wasn't much time to get invested in some of the characters, which made thier subplots a little less compelling. However, Axis is still enjoyable and serves as an important bridge between Spin and Vortex.

I ended up liking Vortex almost as much as Spin, which was a pleasant surprise. It helped that it involves the continuing adventures of Turk Findlay, argualby the most likeable character from Axis. It also helped that the novel presents a very clever device to present multiple engaging subplots. The frame story is a mystery about how an inpatient at a psychiatric ward is able to write what, at first glance, appears to be a science fiction novel (which we get to read in full) set in the distant future; however, signs suggest that at least part of the story may be true. I thought the frame mystery was really engrossing, and involved several new characters (the patient, a psychiatrist and a police officer) who I felt to be more believable than some of the characters from Axis. And the purported "science fiction story" embedded within the novel gave RCW a chance to showcase what he does well - which is to extrapolate human societies built in response to different stresses in a way that seems completely organic and plausible. i also felt like the ideas highlighted in Vortex - particularly that of people having dual or multifaceted novels - resulted in the ripening of themes that were present in Spin and Axis, but which I hadn't noticed much. Looking back, however, I realized that there is a strong through line between all three books (beyond a simple continuation of some plot points.) Ultimately, reading all three books in this triology was really satisfying.