History Literature / Vortex

The novel sold well and recieved good reviews. It was followed by ''Literature/{{Cauldron}}'', Bond's third novel with Larkin.

* ConfirmationBias: The author seems to portray the Cuban's and the socialist bloc as evil war mongering people who saw nothing but to spread their ideals and the lives of civilians were a mere after thought, in real life however it was Cuba that came to the Angolan socialist government's aid when South Africa began its military campaign against Angola which was supported by the U.S (who are seen as the "good guys" in the book).

* ConformationBias: The author seems to portray the Cuban's and the socialist bloc as evil war mongering people who saw nothing but to spread their ideals and the lives of civilians were a mere after thought, in real life however it was Cuba that came to the Angolan socialist government's aid when South Africa began its military campaign against Angola which was supported by the U.S (who are seen as the "good guys" in the book).

* Irony: The author seems to portray the Cuban's and the socialist bloc as evil war mongering people who saw nothing but to spread their ideals and the lives of civilians were a mere after thought, in real life however it was Cuba that came to the Angolan socialist government's aid when South Africa began its military campaign against Angola which was supported by the U.S (who are seen as the "good guys" in the book).

* DirtyCommunists: Bond portrays Vega and the rest of the Cubans this way, though they are also portrayed as {{MagnificentBastard Magnificent Bastards}}

* TheChessmaster: Antonio Vega whose perfectly timed and multipronged invasion of South Africa brings Vorster's government to the brink of collapse.

* ConfirmationBias: The author seems to portray the Cuban's and socialists as evil war mongering people who saw nothing but spreading their ideals and never cared for the lives of civilians, probably due to him being sore about the fact that Cuba came to the Angolan socialists aid when no one else really did. In reality, Fidel Castro himself oversaw the war without the Soviets being directly involved, and wished to see the black South African's free from Afrikaner rule and Angola an independent country. When Mandela and Castro met each other in 1998, the crowd reflected their views on him in cheers and chants.

* DirtyCommunists: Bond tries to portray Vega and the rest of the Cubans this way. Unfortunately, he's far too reliant on their simply being Communists to make them seem evil, and the end result is a group of antivillains who rarely KickTheDog.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Vega is a ruthless commander with only a limited regard for civilian casualties (and a Communist, which in Bond's mind makes him absolute scum). The South African regime absolutely disgusts him, however, and he finds their racism not only vile, but baffling. He honestly can't understand where they're coming from.

* KickTheDog: Vega's use of gas is meant to remind us that the Cubans are not the good guys. In context it doesn't necessarily come off that way.

* TheStrategist: Vega, who's probably the smartest character in the book when it comes to conventional warfare. He's only defeated by the Americans because he lacks their superior firepower.

The novel has LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters. Some of the more important ones include:

* FailedFutureForecast: The Soviet Union is shown as still existing in the book's future 1990s (circa 1993/1994), when it collapsed in 1991, though it is shown as weak and crumbling apart.The Soviet Union is still shown as being Communist, when the Communist Party was actually banned shortly after the book came out.

* TheGreatPoliticsMessUp: The Soviet Union is shown as still existing in the book's future 1990s (circa 1993/1994), when it collapsed in 1991, though it is shown as weak and crumbling apart.
** The Soviet Union is still shown as being Communist, when the Communist Party was actually banned shortly after the book came out.

* CollateralDamage: When the U.S. Army Rangers airdrop into the nuclear plant to take it from the SADF, many of the paratroopers are killed by hard landings and other accidental mishaps before they can even fight the enemy proper.
** When a U.S. Navy battleship faces off against SADF artillery hidden in a mountainside, the cannon-fire weakens the mountain enough that it crumbles down onto the artillerymen, killing them.
* ColonelBadass: Henrik Kruger and Robert O'Connell

* ConfirmationBias: The author seems to portray the Cuban's and socialists as evil war mongering people who saw nothing but spreading their ideals and never cared for the lives of civilians, probably due to him being sore about the fact that Cuba came to the Angolan socialists aid when no one else really did, in reality Fidel Castro himself oversaw the war without the soviet's being directly involved, and wished to see the black South African's free from Afrikaner rule and Angola an independent country. When Mandela and Castro met each other in 1998 the crowd reflected their views on him in cheers and chants.

* RealityEnsues: When the U.S. Army Rangers airdrop into the nuclear plant to take it from the SADF, many of the paratroopers are killed by hard landings and other accidental mishaps before they can even fight the enemy proper.
** When a U.S. Navy battleship faces off against SADF artillery hidden in a mountainside, the cannon-fire weakens the mountain enough that it crumbles down onto the artillerymen, killing them.

* ConfirmationBias: The author seems to portray the Cuban's and socialists as evil war mongering people who see nothing but spreading their ideals and never cared for the lives of civilians, probably due to him being sore about the fact that Cuba came to the Angolan socialists aid when no one else really did, in reality Fidel Castro himself oversaw the war without the soviet's being directly involved, and wished to see the black South African's free from Afrikaner rule and Angola an independent country. When Mandela and Castro met each other in 1998 the crowd reflected their views on him in cheers and chants.

* Bias: The author seems to portray the Cuban's and socialists as evil war mongering people who see nothing but spreading their ideals and never cared for the lives of civilians, probably due to him being sore about the fact that Cuba came to the Angolan socialists aid when no one else really did, in reality Fidel Castro himself oversaw the war without the soviet's being directly involved, and wished to see the black South African's free from Afrikaner rule and Angola an independent country. When Mandela and Castro met each other in 1998 the crowd reflected their views on him in cheers and chants.

* UnreliableNarrator: The author seems to portray the Cuban's and socialists as evil war mongering people who see nothing but spreading their ideals and never cared for the lives of civilians, probably due to him being sore about the fact that Cuba came to the Angolan socialists aid when no one else really did, in reality Fidel Castro himself oversaw the war without the soviet's being directly involved, and wished to see the black South African's free from Afrikaner rule and Angola an independent country. When Mandela and Castro met each other in 1998 the crowd reflected their views on him in cheers and chants.

* Unreliable Narrator: The author seems to portray the Cuban's and socialists as evil war mongering people who see nothing but spreading their ideals and never cared for the lives of civilians, probably due to him being sore about the fact that Cuba came to the Angolan socialists aid when no one else really did, in reality Fidel Castro himself oversaw the war without the soviet's being directly involved, and wished to see the black South African's free from Afrikaner rule and Angola an independent country. When Mandela and Castro met each other in 1998 the crowd reflected their views on him in cheers and chants.

* Biased Author: The author seems to portray the Cuban's and socialists as evil war mongering people who see nothing but spreading their ideals and never cared for the lives of civilians, probably due to him being sore about the fact that Cuba came to the Angolan socialists aid when no one else really did, in reality Fidel Castro himself oversaw the war without the soviet's being directly involved, and wished to see the black South African's free from Afrikaner rule and Angola an independent country. When Mandela and Castro met each other in 1998 the crowd reflected their views on him in cheers and chants.

* Biased Literature: The author seems to protray the Cuban's and socialists as evil people who see nothing but spreading their ideals and never cared for the civillians, probably due to him being sore about the fact that Cuba came to the Angolan socialists aid when no one else really did, in reality Fidel Castro himself oversaw the war without the soviet's being directly involved, and wished to see the black south african's free from afrikaner rule and Angola a independent country, when Mandela and castro met each other in 1998 the crowd reflected their views on him in cheers and chants.

* NukeEm: The South Africans nuke Cuba's Third Brigade Tactical Group when they realise conventional forces will not be enough. The American invasion is concerned chiefly with shutting down the South African nuclear weapons. Later, Vortster threatens to contaminate South Africa's mines with radioactive dust.

* TheColdWar: The novel is set near the end of it, as the Soviet Union crumbles from internal pressure, the American defence budget drops for the first time in decades, and Cuba withdraws from Angola.

* {{Expy}}: Haymans is either an F. W. de Klerk expy or his successor in a retroactive alternate history.

* Expy: Haymans is either an F. W. de Klerk expy or his successor in a retroactive alternate history.

* [[Main/Expy]]: Haymans is either an F. W. de Klerk expy or his successor in a retroactive alternate history.

* [[Expy]]: Haymans is either an F. W. de Klerk expy or his successor in a retroactive alternate history.

* Expy: Haymans is either an F. W. de Klerk expy or his successor in a retroactive alternate history.