Spin
by Robert Charles Wilson · first published 2005
92% recommend8% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Near-future hard sci-fi built around a big mysterious alien artifact, with fast pacing, lovable characters, and a physics puzzle that makes sense as it unfolds. Suits readers who like big ideas and plausible science.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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 age
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If you would like to read a highly entertaining science-fiction novel about the stars going out, I couldn't recommend http://www.amazon.com/Spin-Robert-Charles-Wilson/dp/07653482... enough.
on “The sky's gone dark” ↗A book that also uses this theme which I enjoyed a lot: Spin, by Robert Charles Wilson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/910863.Spin
on “Researchers have identified 100 mysteriously disappeared stars in the night sky” ↗<semi-spoiler>If "self-replicating alien probes" are your thing, I highly recommend Spin, by Robert Charles Wilson, an excellent SF classic that is currently on sale on https://www.humblebundle.com/ as part of the Humble eBook Bundle 2</semi-spoiler>
on “Self-replicating alien probes could already be here” ↗A great book that explores this topic (and is pretty funny) is "We are Legion, We are Bob" [1]. Well that and Spin [2], which probably addresses your point - maybe they're out there and they're already messing with us? Ultimately, whenever I think about Fermi's Paradox, I am reminded of xkcd [3]. Maybe we just can't…
on “Quick, How Might the Alien Spacecraft Work?” ↗…Other than Gibson's stuff, some of the truly spectacular sci fi I have read is the very-dense-and-not-at-all-thriller-ish Mars trilogy (Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars), and the fast-paced-and-awesome Spin by Robert Charles Wilson. That led me to read all of Wilson's books, many of which are also good. Also Haldeman is an author worth reading, though not all of his books hit their mark. Great sci fi is…
on “Ask HN: What literature do you read?” ↗…I rarely read a book more than once EDIT: Here's a visual representation: https://www.dropbox.com/s/om9xdox53rcl1g9/Screenshot%202015-... Some of the notably awesome books on that screen: The Son, Spin (and really, almost anything by Robert Charles Wilson, but especially Spin), The Dog Stars, Blindsight and Echopraxia, Station Eleven, Seveneves and REAMDE, Nightwoods. Bonus: gut-wrenchingly awful books…
on ““Tsundoku,” the Japanese Word for the New Books That Pile Up on Our Shelves” ↗My choice is Spin, a novel by Robert Charles Wilson (2005). This is IMO the very best kind of sci-fi: a plausible, scientifically grounded story about interesting people experiencing some fascinating shit. Wilson is…
on “Ask HN: Best book you read in 2011” ↗Forgot one that was pretty good: Robert Charles Wilson's Spin - http://www.amazon.com/Spin-Robert-Charles-Wilson/dp/07653482...
on “Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read” ↗On that subject, I recommend to read Spin by Robert Charles Wilson. It is not exactly a Kessler syndrome, but for some reason, one day a kind of dome/membrane encloses the Earth blocking communication with every satellite. (Physical objects can…
on “The sky's gone dark” ↗This reminds me of the book "Spin" by Robert Charles Wilson (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016IXMWI/ref=dp-kindle-re...). While I don't want to spoil too much for the HN crowd (more than I have already by posting it under this link)…
on “Can a Living Creature Be as Big as a Galaxy?” ↗…--> terrible, don't read this. It's Behind You - The Making of a Game by Bob Pape --> Interesting if you grew up in the 8bit era Jade City by Fonda Lee --> Basically Jedi street gangs, pretty great Spin by Robert Charles Wilson --> Near future hard sci-fi with a Big Dumb Object, excellent Making the Monster by Kathryn Harkup --> Non-fiction about Mary Shelley, disappointing Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗> As an SF writer, it's pretty interesting, though, to think of the weird shapes a society would take when your astronauts are outliving entire civilizations. Spin, a novel by Robert Charles Wilson, touches on this from a planetary perspective. Quite the interesting read, though I won't say more here for fear of spoilers.
on “Relativistic Spaceship” ↗The Spin by Robert Charles Wilson is magnificent. Set in a contemporary setting, the sun and stars are replaced by projection shield that simulates them, and as the topic suggests it’s because the sun has died,…
on “Science fiction and the death of the sun” ↗If you're interested in series, I recommend the one beginning with Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton. It's only two books, but it's a great space opera to dive into. Spin by Robert Charles Wilson is also good. I haven't read the sequel(s) but the first book can be treated as a standalone, and has some big ideas. Finally, the Algebraist by Iain M. Banks remains one of…
on “Liu Cixin's War of the Worlds (2019)” ↗…way, but better if you don't even read the back of the paperback). Then, a bit further afield but for me, at least, exercised what I liked in The Culture series, even though stylistically different: Spin by Robert Charles Wilson.
on “Accelerando (2005)” ↗