Vortex
Ratings25
Average rating3.7
Après Spin et Axis, je viens de terminer Vortex, le troisième et dernier volume de cette saga de science-fiction. Le récit est différent de ceux des deux premiers volumes, aussi différent qu'Axis l'était de Spin. La construction, avec 2 lignes temporelles qui alternent, ménage le suspense, parfois de façon artificielle, mais cela donne finalement de lire le roman plus vite. J'ai apprécié, en tout cas, et je garderai un bon souvenir de cette trilogie intéressante et bien pensée.
I've been a fan of Robert Charles Wilson for a couple of decades now, since 1992's [b:A Hidden Place|116411|A Hidden Place|Robert Charles Wilson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312040367s/116411.jpg|112107]. I've enjoyed his generally understated, off-center and off-balance view of the world. So I picked up [b:Spin|910863|Spin|Robert Charles Wilson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1316636370s/910863.jpg|47562] soon after it came out. While I don't think Spin and its sequel [b:Axis|116410|Axis|Robert Charles Wilson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312044997s/116410.jpg|3364117] are his best work, they're good. Spin is better than Axis, so I felt some trepidation about Vortex. But once I get more than one book into a series, I tend to continue (unless, as with Robert Jordan, it's impossible to do so), so I bought it.
I'm happy to say that Vortex is better than the preceding two books. It picks up the stories of Turk Findley and Isaac Dvali, and winds in a few new and interesting characters. Across (as Wilson might say) a bridge of years, two intertwined stories unfold, one about a therapist, a policeman, and a troubled young man in post-Spin years, and another about Turk and a companion picked up by a ‘limbic democracy' intent on meeting the Hypotheticals.
It's a good story, told in Wilson's standard detached tone, with interesting characters, and intriguing backstory. While some of the plot mechanism (a key Hypothetical device) is underexplained, I was amazed at Wilson's ability to pull all the mechanical threads together in a convincing and generally satisfying way. There's even an interesting epilogue that, if it doesn't quite fit the story, is still interesting to read.
All in all, a satisfying read, and a surprisingly effective end to the trilogy.
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.