Flashforward

By: Robert J. Sawyer

Narrated by: Mark Deakins

Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

A scientific experiment begins, and as the button is pressed, the unexpected occurs: everyone in the world goes to sleep for a few moments while everyone's consciousness is catapulted more than 20 years into the future. At the end of those moments, when the world reawakens, all human life is transformed by foreknowledge.

©1999 Robert J. Sawyer (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"This first-rate, philosophical journey, a terrific example of idea-driven SF, should have wide appeal." ( Publishers Weekly)

Nothing like the series, but good

I enjoyed the book. It was not like the TV Series but it was good.

Great topic and well written.

What made the experience of listening to Flashforward the most enjoyable?

I think the sense that there was something going on, and that it needed to be resolved is the main reason that had me finish the book in less than 30 hours. I wasn't on edge, but I just couldn't put it down.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Flashforward?

The ending is pretty neat.

Any additional comments?

The idea is really nice, and when I first read the book's description, I was afraid that the writer wouldn't be able to live up to the full potential of the premise of the book. I decided to give it a shot because of the good reviews, and it was definitely worth it!

An interesting thought

While Sawyer’s ideas of when certain things come to be are way off in our reality, it’s still a great read. Written in 1999 it both presages 2009 and 2030. I don’t think we’ll have hovering cars in 2030 but some of what he postulated has and can come to be.

Fun

The book is fun. I liked the premise of the show that only lasted one season, and some basics were there, but I missed the mystery the show had. The book is fun nonetheless.

Totally captivating

The concept is fascinating. I hope for a more successful long-running TV series based on this story.

Doesn't feel well thought through...

The idea for this story is intriguing and it starts off well and has some good suspense. Sawyer explores some interesting scenarios through the lives of the characters overall, yet toward the end, it just doesn't feel that well thought out. I feel like maybe the author was under a deadline or something and just put a generic component to the ending. This wouldn't be at the top of my recommendation list, but it is worth getting if you really love time travel fantasy. The best time travel stuff on Audible that I have read is definitely Replay by Ken Grimwood, The Schumann Frequency & The First Boxer by Chris Ride and 11-22-63 by Stephen King. Hope this helps. Later.

Interesting plot line but...

Flashforward is based upon an interesting plot line however the constant references to the Nobel Prize, especially at the end of the novel, worn on me since the Nobel has lost most of its credibility in the world.

It's obvious that the author is Canadian because of the many gratuitous references.

I also found the author's writing style a bit trite.

Pedantic, flat reading,

Little character development, flat one dimensional characters that live in their heads, with internal dialogues to deliver "the message"

More thoughtful than action-filled

Any additional comments?

A Hadron collider experiment causes the collective consciousness of humanity to get a glimpse of the future 21 years hence for about 2 minutes. The book is filled with the consequences, as well as interesting asides, scientific explanations, a little romance and a fair amount of action. It was an easy read and an enjoyable one. It was more thoughtful and reflective than one might expect with such a plot, and Sawyer is a romantic at heart, which slows down the ending. The narrator was good, almost invisible to the telling, so you could just concentrate on Sawyer's words.

Interesting concept and solid execution

Any additional comments?

Very diverting. Enough hard science to keep things interesting and at least partly grounded; balanced out by a good deal of character exploration. Premise of what would happen if all humans got a glimpse of their own future, 20 years hence, is nicely fleshed out with brief vignettes/headlines to sketch out world wide impact (Pepsi wins the cola wars; Microsoft collapses due to computer bug; newspapers stop printing horoscopes because they are misinformation). Good and quick read.