Flash Forward

by Robert J. Sawyer

The Aurora Award-winning novel that started it all!
FLASH FORWARD
Two minutes and seventeen seconds that changed the world
Suddenly, without warning, all seven billion people on Earth black out for more than two minutes. Millions die as planes fall from the sky, people tumble down staircases, and cars plow into each other.
But that's the least of the survivors' challenges. During the blackout, everyone experienced a glimpse of what his or her future holds--and the interlocking mosaic of these visions threatens to unravel the present.

• ISBN10: 0606186417
• ISBN13: 9780606186414
• Publish Date: 11 January 2000
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 10 April 2021
• Imprint: Turtleback Books
• Edition: Turtleback School & Library ed.
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Language: English

Reviews

[matas]

Me likes it. It be good and nice.

[Michael @ Knowledge Lost]

I did enjoy this book, but I went into the book thinking it would be like the TV show; and hoped I would give me some closure. With this mentality it took me a while to get into this book. The book is nothing like the TV show. While the TV show was a fast paced, exciting show; the book was more a philosophical look at what life would be like if we knew our future mixed heavily with the scientific theories behind time travel. If you are going to read this book, you need to remember that it is nothing like the show. Only some character names and the flash forward concept are the same.

[SilverThistle]

Robert Sawyer always finds great stories to write about. His ideas always draw me in and I think I'm in for a fantastic tale. Then I reach the end and I feel like it could have been more.

Flashforward had a great pull - See your own life 20 years into the future for 2 minutes and try to work out how to get there.

It was a brilliant start and a real page turner. I loved reading about everyone's flashforward, I was riveted by all the connotations that flashforward threw up. Even the loss and devastation caused by the flashforward made for interesting reading...The first half is about the here and now. It's great.

When we reach the second half, it's all about edging towards the 20 year future that had been predicted. Getting there takes a lot of technical info that frankly I could have done without. The why's and how's don't really interest me. Also the two leads at this stage become a bit whiny. Lloyd Simcoe wants to be with his girl, then he's got doubts, then he's sure again, then he has doubts again....and Theo is so wrapped up in himself that he gets tedious really fast. It's all Me, Me, Me with Theo. THEN we get to the future and it's all wrapped up in a paragraph or 3. It was a bit of a let down.

The ending left me with a bit of a 'whaaat??' moment and I imagine for the hard-core sci-fi fans it was the best bit, but I just wasn't feeling it. The conclusion was over in a flash.

.....And it's nothing like the tv show...... just sayin'