Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

This is one of those rare science fiction books that lets you wonder and imagine and forget that it's science fiction at all. Many sci-fi authors lean too heavily on the science and speculation and not enough on the fiction, creating interesting premises but characters that are two dimensional. Wilson does not have that problem here. His characters are fully fleshed, flawed and realistic and it is these characters that move Spin along so well.

This is not to say that this book lacks in science and its implications. Spin starts with the main characters star-gazing as they whitness the night sky and all of it's stars vanish, due to a planet encompasing barrier that slows down time on the earth as eons pass outside. So much time passes outside the barrier that the sun itself grows old. This opens all kinds of possibilities and you wonder at first how Wilson will be able to reasonably explain a phenomenon on such a grand scope. Smartly, Wilson deals with the global implications of this as much as the science. He paints an eerie picture of the planet as it would be shrouded under something so large and unknown. Religions are formed around this phenomenon as well as economic disaster. Tyler, our main POV and the two other main characters live through these events and Wilson does a good job of making you feel as if you were actually there. These are characters you care about, which makes their ordeals feel all too real.

This is why I would recommend this book to anyone, to fans of sci-fi or not. There is plenty here for the sci-fi junky as well as fans of character fiction. In the end, Wilson does a good job of wrapping up loose ends and doesn't leave you unfulfilled. His explanations are smart and make sense, though they may leave some dissapointed that were hoping for something more conventional. Take from it what you will, this is great science fiction reminiscent of Arthur C. Clarke and I'll count it among my favtorite sci-fi along with Dune and Hyperion.