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Average rating: 5/5

Based on 5 ratings

Spin

by Robert Charles Wilson

Tor Books | March 15, 2005 | Hardcover

One night in October when he was ten years old, Tyler Dupree stood in his back yard and watched the stars go out. They all flared into brilliance at once, then disappeared, replaced by a flat, empty black barrier. He and his best friends, Jason and Diane Lawton, had seen what became known as the Big Blackout. It would shape their lives.

The effect is worldwide. The sun is now a featureless disk--a heat source, rather than an astronomical object. The moon is gone, but tides remain. Not only have the world''s artificial satellites fallen out of orbit, their recovered remains are pitted and aged, as though they''d been in space far longer than their known lifespans. As Tyler, Jason, and Diane grow up, space probe reveals a bizarre truth: The barrier is artificial, generated by huge alien artifacts. Time is passing faster outside the barrier than inside--more than a hundred million years per day on Earth. At this rate, the death throes of the sun are only about forty years in our future.

Jason, now a promising young scientist, devotes his life to working against this slow-moving apocalypse. Diane throws herself into hedonism, marrying a sinister cult leader who''s forged a new religion out of the fears of the masses.

Earth sends terraforming machines to Mars to let the onrush of time do its work, turning the planet green. Next they send humans...and immediately get back an emissary with thousands of years of stories to tell about the settling of Mars. Then Earth''s probes reveal that an identical barrier has appeared around Mars. Jason, desperate, seeds near space with self-replicating machines that will scatter copies of themselves outward from the sun--and report back on what they find.

Life on Earth is about to get much, much stranger.
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  • Community Reviews
    • Was this review
      helpful to you?
    Joseph Carione

    Rating: 4/5

    Wish I could read it again

    This review is from: Spin (Mass Market Paperbound)

    Joseph Carione

    10 months ago

    This book was great - very much about character development, with an alternate future that is explained in a way that makes it feel possible. A very real perspective of living through a time where society is legitimately afraid of their immediate future on this planet. Only issue with this book is that it ends with no definite ending as you are supposed to read the sequel "Axis".

    • Was this review
      helpful to you?

    Rating: 4/5

    Out of my Genre

    This review is from: Spin (Mass Market Paperbound)

    Monica

    • Top Book Reviewer

    3 years ago

    I don't often read science fiction type books...but this was a good one that kept me interested...a different concept about what the future might hold for the planet Earth.

    • Was this review
      helpful to you?

    Rating: 5/5

    Magnificent !!

    This review is from: Spin (Mass Market Paperbound)

    Kevin Montag

    4 years ago

    Quite simply, "Spin" by Robert Charles Wilson is a superbly well written book. Not only does Wilson capture the true elements of character creation but he weaves a story that encompasses both his characters and his brilliant imagination. I could not put this book down as I, through his characters, was able to connect to these characters through their experiences, emotions, and passion.
    I would HIGHLY recommend this book to ANYONE, whether they are a sci-fi fan or not. Again, simply magnificent.

    This reviewer also recommends:
    • Was this review
      helpful to you?
    Anonymous

    Rating: 5/5

    loved it

    This review is from: Spin (Mass Market Paperbound)

    Anonymous

    5 years ago

    Great book. Takes you far away from where you are at the moment. Read it, believe me you will not regret. I'll be reading more of Robert Wilson's books...

    • Was this review
      helpful to you?
    Anonymous

    Rating: 5/5

    out of control

    This review is from: Spin (Mass Market Paperbound)

    Anonymous

    6 years ago

    I have to say, i never thought myself a Robert Charles Wilson fan; even though i'd read Darwinia back in the day and loved it, read The Chronoliths last year and loved it--it was among the best novels nominated for a hugo last year--but it wasn't until Spin that i became a real fan.
    Spin encompasses everything i want and crave in a sci-fi novel. The technology is brain-teasing and the characters are well thought out and 3 dimensional. The premise is not only engaging and interesting, but it allows for the story to evolve on a purely untechnical level, relying on the full fleshed out characters to fill in the blanks. Technically, though, the premise also amazes without getting too science-y.
    Definitely one of my favorite reads this year.
    dcb

    • Was this review
      helpful to you?

    In Spin, the science fictional premise is that a mysterious barrier has been placed over the earth, destroying satellites, blocking out the natural moon and sun, and cushioning Earth in a state of near-suspended time. For every second on Earth, 3.7 years passes on the outside, which means that in a matter of days, weeks, and months, millions of years are destroying planets and birthing stars while Earth is left out of the loop. It also means that the eventual self-destruction of the sun is sped up to happen in about 40 years.

    However, "Spin" also has a human premise, and this is what allows the novel to have its' one-two literary punch. While all this is going on, three friends (twin brother and sister Jason and Diane, family friend Tyler) find themselves following different paths in regards to the way "Spin" is affecting Earth. Jason takes the scientific route, looking to find a natural, provable reason for the "Spin", in an attempt to disarm it in time to give humanity some hope. Diane takes the religious route, and finds herself immersed in several seedy cults all trying to figure out God's reason for this bizarre phenomenon. Tyler - a confidant of Jason and in love with Diane, become a doctor and finds himself torn between the two. Their adventures and interactions coincide with the progression of the "Spin" and humanity's reaction to impending doom, making this a well-rounded, intelligent, interesting, and original science fiction novel.

    • Was this review
      helpful to you?

    Rating: 5/5

    Absolutely Fantastic

    Andrew Peachment

    6 years ago

    As an avid Fantasy reader I was quite skepitcal about reading "Hard SCI-FI". However, this book was suprisingly brilliant. It is extremely well written and is very fast paced (which I happened to enjoy since most fantasy novels tend to drag). Anyone looking for a wicked story with unbelievable ideas and concepts should definately pick up this book and read it. This was the first Wilson novel I have read and I intend to indulge in more of his work. Highly Recommended.

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