![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I don't read that much sci-fi, but I picked this up because the idea was intriguing. I only heard about it because of the TV series it inspired. I wanted to see what the REAL idea presented in the book was about, not the Hollywood-ized version I caught on the TV show.
The idea was approximately the same: For a brief moment, the consciousness of everyone shifted forward to a future time (about 21 years in the book) and people got to see what, when, and where they would be then, for a span of about 2 minutes. Some people had no visions, and were presumed dead at the time. Others were asleep and only saw dreams. Others found themselves in unexpected places and situations, and still others found themselves exactly where they assumed they would be at that time. The real questions began once they returned. Was this future fixed? Could it be changed? Did this glimpse come about because of what people did/planned before the glimpse, or will the glimpse itself shape the future? All very interesting questions, and most of them are at least talked about in the book, if not answered.
Unlike the TV show, the book focuses on the lives of the scientists and how the glimpse affects them. It is presumed that the experiment they were doing at the time was the cause of what became called the Flashforward. We get to see them struggled with the same questions, and see how some of those affected react. The different perspectives and personalities were interesting, and it brought up even more questions, such as was it really their experiment that caused so much death and damage? (Planes crash, automobiles drove off the road, accidents occured practically everywhere while everyone was unconscious during the glimpse of the future.) The only way to prove it would be to duplicate the experiment, but should that even be attempted?
Again, all interesting questions. I don't want to say which ones were answered and how in the book, because that's part of the allure of the book, but the questions were interesting and made you think, which is what a good science fiction book is supposed to make you do--think. That said, I didn't really like the ending of the book. I thought it was a touch too far-fetched. Everything else in the book was so grounded, the ending just seemed . . . out there. I also had the same problem I have with most sci-fi books I read: the characters don't seem to be as real and solid as with fantasy. The books are usually more about the science and the ramifications of it on humanity, so the characters take a back seat to that exploration. There's nothing wrong with this at all, and there IS some characterization in this book, but it's not at the forefront.
But that taken into account, the book was good. The science fiction element was simple yet profound and brought up great questions that did, indeed, get me thinking.
The idea was approximately the same: For a brief moment, the consciousness of everyone shifted forward to a future time (about 21 years in the book) and people got to see what, when, and where they would be then, for a span of about 2 minutes. Some people had no visions, and were presumed dead at the time. Others were asleep and only saw dreams. Others found themselves in unexpected places and situations, and still others found themselves exactly where they assumed they would be at that time. The real questions began once they returned. Was this future fixed? Could it be changed? Did this glimpse come about because of what people did/planned before the glimpse, or will the glimpse itself shape the future? All very interesting questions, and most of them are at least talked about in the book, if not answered.
Unlike the TV show, the book focuses on the lives of the scientists and how the glimpse affects them. It is presumed that the experiment they were doing at the time was the cause of what became called the Flashforward. We get to see them struggled with the same questions, and see how some of those affected react. The different perspectives and personalities were interesting, and it brought up even more questions, such as was it really their experiment that caused so much death and damage? (Planes crash, automobiles drove off the road, accidents occured practically everywhere while everyone was unconscious during the glimpse of the future.) The only way to prove it would be to duplicate the experiment, but should that even be attempted?
Again, all interesting questions. I don't want to say which ones were answered and how in the book, because that's part of the allure of the book, but the questions were interesting and made you think, which is what a good science fiction book is supposed to make you do--think. That said, I didn't really like the ending of the book. I thought it was a touch too far-fetched. Everything else in the book was so grounded, the ending just seemed . . . out there. I also had the same problem I have with most sci-fi books I read: the characters don't seem to be as real and solid as with fantasy. The books are usually more about the science and the ramifications of it on humanity, so the characters take a back seat to that exploration. There's nothing wrong with this at all, and there IS some characterization in this book, but it's not at the forefront.
But that taken into account, the book was good. The science fiction element was simple yet profound and brought up great questions that did, indeed, get me thinking.
