Customer Reviews

Flashforward

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My wife and I really got into the ABC TV series based upon this book, but it kind of leaves you hanging because it was cancelled after the first season. Thought book might give some closure to the subject. Book does give closure but is way different than the TV series. While TV series was very good, book is only okay.

I was looking for closure after the anticlimactic TV series and at least found some in the book.
Unfortunately, the author seemed more interested in selling Canada as opposed to delivering a satisfying finale.

The concept is one we've probably all thought of, and it's great that this book was written. Other than that, however, it was just another book. Far greater than that TV series that was based on it, but still. I'm not regretting having read it, but I'm not about to try to convince everyone to read it, either.

The main character had 2 main turning points in his life. One was done in summary. The last one -- the big one -- took place "on screen" but the author *would not tell us what happened*! I was so angry I wanted to throw the book out the window. I thought only beginning (unpublished) writers pulled that sort of trick on the reader.

It's an interesting concept, although Sawyer does not present the science in a way that makes it believable and his ability to draw characters is limited. But if you're not too picky and you're willing to read a book just for the unusual ideas, then give it a try.

Coming up with original and interesting storylines in science fiction is always difficult. So as an avid sci-fi reader I found the basic idea very fascinating.

That is where it ends. The scientific theories etc. in the book are well thought out and presented very well but the characters are extremely one dimensional and for intelligent people, their quests for the truth are nonsensical. Why read chapters in a book when it adds nothing new to the story and does not move the plotline along?

The ending of a book is obviously very important. No matter how intriguing the rest of the book has been, you have to get it right. Robert J. Sawyer's attempt to be profound fails miserably and it just ends up being corny.

Buy this one at a garage sale.

Flashforward by Robert J. Sawyer is overall a pretty interesting book, and it might have been great, except for a couple of flaws.

First off, there's way too much physics in this book. I had two physics classes in college and had no interest to take more, so after a while all of the physics and quantum mechanics, and whatever else, really got tiresome. It distracted me from the story, that classic story of whether a person's fate can be avoided.

Secondly, the ending was weird, it totally threw me. Out of nowhere the main character gets offered the immortality syrum, it just didn't make any sense with the rest of the story.

Other than those flaws, this book is good enough. Maybe not a "thriller", but it's interesting.

I found "Flash Forward" to be one of the best time travel books I've ever read. Some of the technology was over my head but the premise of the book is great. Due to an experiment, everyone on earth flashes forward to their life in the future. Based on that glimpse, many try to change the way their future is going to pan out. This book really makes you think. I've read 3 books by Sawyer and I'm going to continue because so far, they are mind-blowingly fun!

What if everyone in the world was given a 2 minute glimpse into their lives 21 years in the future? How would they deal with that knowledge? And is the future fixed or does mankind have freewill? Mr. Sawyer deals with all of these questions in this fascinating story. And he manages to add in a little murder mystery as well. He also weaves the jargon of physics into the story in a manner that seemed very convincing to me.

I could not put this book down. The gripping plot, combined with an easy narration that avoids complicated and awkward explanations of scientific details, kept me up until the book was finished in a single night. This book combines science fiction with some mystery, while touching on the future of mankind, and follows the success of some good, smart, hard-working characters. Great read that was highly entertaining.