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    Flashforward
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    Flashforward
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    Flashforward
    Ebook369 pages5 hours

    Flashforward

    By Robert J. Sawyer

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Robert J. Sawyer's award-winning science fiction has garnered both popular and critical acclaim. The New York Times Book Review called Frameshift "filled to bursting with ideas, characters and incidents."

    His novels are fixtures on the Hugo and Nebula ballots. Sawyer now brings us Flashforward, the story of a world-shattering discovery. In pursuit of an elusive nuclear particle, an experiment goes incredibly awry, and, for a few moments, the consciousness of the entire human race is thrown ahead by about twenty years. As the implications truly hit home, the pressure to repeat the experiment builds. Everyone wants a glimpse of their future, a chance to flashforward and see their successes ... or learn how to avoid their failures.

    Winner of the Aurora Award and the basis for the hit ABC television series.

    At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateMay 6, 2014
    ISBN9781429914581
    Unavailable
    Flashforward
    Author

    Robert J. Sawyer

    Robert J. Sawyer is the author of Flashforward, winner of the Aurora Award and the basis for the hit ABC television series. He is also the author of the WWW series—Wake, Watch and Wonder—Hominids, Calculating God, Mindscan, and many other books. He has won the Hugo, Nebula and John W. Campbell Memorial awards—making him one of only seven writers in history to win all three of science-fiction’s top awards for best novel. He was born in Ottawa and lives in Mississauga, Ontario.

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    Reviews for Flashforward

    3.5/5

    700 ratings68 reviews

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    • 5/5
      The day to day story was very good to keep the story moving along. The characters were all humans in this story and they were interesting in themselves. The main plot and concept of the story was pretty mind-blowing to me. I was intrigued from start to finish. As usual Sawyer throws in philosophical and moral questions which I enjoy.
    • 3/5
      This science fiction novel was the basis for a short-lived tv series of the same name. During an experiment in a particle collider in Switzerland, everyone in the world "blacks out" for a few minutes and sees or lives their lives about 20 years in the future, and are able to discern how their lives have progressed. If they have died in the interim, they see only blackness.Along with the story of the scientists trying to figure out what caused this anomaly, the book concerns itself with characters who think about and try to decide if they liked what they saw of their futures. If they don't they want to investigate whether there is anything one can do to change the future--is it already fixed, or can an individual's actions alter what happens? Does free will exist?There's lots of action in this novel, and lots of characters. Some are realistic and some are not. I enjoyed this, but it's pretty typical science fiction which is sometimes short on character development. A quick, distracting read.2 1/2 stars
    • 4/5
      Techy books interest me to a certain extent, but my attraction to this book was to see how the author resolved the important questions raised.Almost immediately “Flashforward” opens with an unexplained disaster. Everyone in the world has blacked out and most people have had a realistic “dream.” Unfortunately, cars crashed, doctors blacked out in the middle of surgery, landing planes crashed, etc., and as a result many people died. After comparing “dreams,” it was discovered that everyone had a vision of their own life 21 years in the future. The visions are consistent in content, and life on earth two decades into the future are pieced together from the various accounts. These episodes are called flash forwards, and websites are created to help people share their flash forwards with others. Some people experienced nothing for the two minutes of the blackout and it is assumed that these people will die in the next 20 years.The people in “Flashforward” had mixed feelings about knowing their futures. The question they face is whether they can change the future they saw.I found the end of “Flashforward” disappointing from a Hollywood viewpoint. The book raises many philosophical and scientific questions, and if you are interested in considering those questions, then this is a great book. On the other hand, if you are looking for strong character development and plot resolution, the book lacks that. I don’t understand physics beyond simple mechanics and electricity, so I don’t know if the science discussed, and there is a lot of physics in this book, was well presented or not. So, I could see this book being used in a course that analyzes science in literature. The philosophical questions of knowing and changing the future would be interesting to discuss in a class also, maybe for first-year college students.(audible.com) I like to say something about the narration of books I listen to, and my first thought was that I had no thoughts about this reader. The reading by Mark Deakins was so natural that I was able to concentrate on the story with no distraction. I look forward to other books read by Mark Deakins.
    • 2/5
      No es el libro que tenía planeado leer, pero ya que lo tengo lo leeré antes de que empiecen a emitir la serie.
      =========================
      A pesar de que no ha colmado mis expectativas, se deja leer. La idea de base del libro es muy buena. En manos de alguien como Greg Egan hubiera dado lugar a una novela tremenda, pero Robert J. Sawyer no le saca suficiente partido. Mi impresión es que no sabe trabajar los personajes (aunque Theo es ok) ni el impacto emocional de las situaciones. Te da un poco igual lo que les pase, pero lo lees porque quieres saber cómo acaba y una vez acabado, el final se queda corto.
    • 4/5
      Very different to the Flashforward TV programme, in that the action all takes place at CERN, and we nothing of the worldwide effects of the event other than a few throwaway paragraphs at the start of each early chapter.I can see why this was adapted for TV as the "glimpse of the future" idea and how it effects a person's decision making is an interesting concept.Quite a short novel, so I would recommend if you enjoy reading predictions of the future and don't want to devote too much time to a book and/or series
    • 3/5
      Well, I enjoyed the novel very much - the writing style is regular, the chapters not too big or too short and when there is action, it is fast-paced. This is quite an interesting plot, with contemporary plot and some future-related scenes. Characters are well drawn and even the ones that we shouldn't like end up being likeable too. This novel is easy to read and makes us think about the future, life choices and what we would do in such situation. In fact, it is as much about the characters as the science behind it. I don't have a scientific background but I enjoyed learning a few things about the CERN and what it stands for at an international level. This is a great read and I recommend it without reservations.
    • 3/5
      Like many others, I picked up this book because I enjoyed the television show. Well, let me warn you right off the bat: this is nothing like the television show. In fact, I like the television show more (and I'm still very sad that they cancelled it!). But don't let that turn you away from the book. It was a fascinating concept and a quick read (but okay, I skimmed most of the heavy science parts).In April 2009, a physics experiment causes a worldwide temporal displacement: a "flashforward" during which the entire human race's consciousness shifts forward in time 21 years. The book deals mainly with the physicists Lloyd Simcoe and Theo Procopides and their responses to their visions (Simcoe finds he's married to someone other than his fiancee, and Theo finds out he's been murdered a few days before the day everyone saw), but Sawyer also jumps around and looks at the global effects of such an event as well as minor characters here and there.I read through this book in 4-5 sittings. During the first two, I covered nearly 2/3 of the book. Then it slowed down, and I started to get bored with all the science explanations and the blatant "telling" instead of "showing." It asks some amazing philosophical questions. Everyone wonders about what their future is like, and if they had a chance to see it, how they would react. There's a lot of debates about free will and time and how it all fits together.I found the characters a little flat. I was interested in their stories, but not past the point of, "Hmm, I wonder what's going to happen." Like 4 on a scale from 1 to 10. But it is what kept me reading, I wanted to know about Theo's killer and how Lloyd's marriage worked out. I also thought some of Sawyer's predictions about the future were a little contrived/far-fetched. Of course we have to have flying cars, but I don't think the institution of marriage will ever be reduced to merely living together for a certain amount of time. And in all three books I've read of Sawyer's, he has to say something about how his Canadian/European characters can enjoy socialized healthcare while Americans can't. Yes, we know. No need to rub it in.All in all, I'd recommend this book, but not before others.
    • 3/5
      Theo and Lloyd are two scientists working on the high energy, acclerated particle experiment at CERN. In the midst of the experiment something completely unexpected happens and everyone is given a glimpse into their own future, precisely two minutes 20 years into their future. When everyone comes back to the present the world is understandably in complete turmoil. Theo’s future is bleak indeed and he begins a journey to tempt the fates and change his own future while Lloyd begins to question the concept of free will.

      I picked up this book for two reasons; it is the basis of the television program, which I have admittedly not seen and I was curious as to what I was missing and, I have been following the CERN experiments to some degree, have read a couple of the other books dealing with the topic and wanted to see what Mr. Sawyer would do with it. I do not read much sci-fi and this book is definitely heavy into the science but still a worthwhile read for anyone interested in time travel, physics, philosophy or the CERN experiment.
    • 2/5
      Title: Flashforward

      Author: Robert Sawyer

      Publication Date: Apr 2000

      Genre: Sci-Fi

      Score: 2/5

      Two stars for the premise and this novel has a great premise: when the CERN supercollider initiates a new program, everyone in the world gets a glimpse of their future. This is the second time I’ve attempted this book and, once again, I had to DNF at around 25%. As soon as Theo starts trying to solve his future murder, the story bogs down. Not recommended.
    • 4/5
      The story of the book is focused on the implications of a strange result of a physics experiment (projecting the consciousness 20 years in the future for a period of two minutes). Without going in the details on how such thing might work, it presents several characters thoughts and actions in a compelling way. Philosophically it supports the idea that free will is possible, but shows that does not imply that things change significantly for everybody involved. The ending is nice as it leaves some open questions (what did Simcoe choose? What will happened with Theo and Miciko? etc.) which fits the general direction of the book to not force one solution or another.
    • 5/5
      I really could not put this book down. I'll write more later, but I have to say there are some very prescient parts of it that were downright eerie. I have one quibble with the ending, but overall, it was an amazing story.
    • 4/5
      This novel by the Canadian SF writer concerns a blackout where everyone in the whole world suddenly falls unconscious for two minutes, resulting in car and plane crashes, patients dying in hospital and lesser injuries for many. During this two minutes almost everyone experiences a vision of their future 21 years hence (in 2030, the novel being set in 2009, though written in 1999). As with Sawyer's other novels, there is lengthy and interesting exploration of ethical ideas, here the clash between free will and determinism to which the glimpse into the future gives rise. Again, as in some of his other novels, there is quite a lot of hard science, here about particle physics that seems overdone at points. The characters are generally weak, and the two leading male characters, Lloyd and Theo I found irritating and rather self-centred, though they mellowed in the last part of the novel when the real 2030 came about.Some of the 1999 predictions about technology in 2009 were off beam (everyone is still using VCRs, just more advanced ones), though the novel correctly predicts that Benedict XVI will be Pope!There is a US TV series based on the central idea from the novel, though the characters are different (I just watched the first episode after reading this and it looks good).
    • 3/5
      Interesting start, but got a bit off track.
    • 3/5
      The first half of this book was excellent, fast-paced and well-written science fiction. However, the last half was new age mumbo jumbo. I read it because the TV series was fairly interesting, but this is one of those few cases where the TV show/movie is actually better than the book.
    • 5/5
      Flash Forward by Robert J. Sawyer was the inspiration for ABC's series, Flashforward which ran for a season (2009-2010). While Drs. Simcoe and Procopides are trying to prove the existence of the Higgs Boson particle through their experiments at CERN, they and the rest of the world experience a blackout. During the blackout most people on earth report having glimpses into the future — all the way to a specific day and time in the not to distant future (or in the case of the TV series — six months into the future).Most of the book then is the aftermath of that worldwide vision. First there's the what the fuck just happened? Followed by, how widespread was the event? Followed by who or what caused it? Here, there is the aftermath of the event — minor and major accidents, even deaths. Here the focus is on the media and its influence (for good or bad) on science. Science should be something rational but funding is often driven by public opinion.Then comes the so now what? stage. When an experiment gives you something unexpected, the data needs to be analyzed. Maybe the method was wrong? Maybe the hypothesis was wrong. In this case, the data is the visions experienced by the vast majority of mankind.The final piece wraps up all the various strings into a mystery set in the days and minutes before the recorded vision way back when in 2009. In that regard, the book feels more like three interconnected novellas with the same cast of characters.For people coming to the book by way of the television show, be prepared for CERN oriented plot (rather than hot young agents in the United States). Be prepared for lengthy discussions on science and many glimpses into the day in the life of a scientists. Also, as the author is Canadian, the big DAMN HERO, (if there is one in this ensemble) is Canadian.That said, the book is was an excellent and entertaining read as an audio book. My son and I listened to it over the course of a week. I originally had started listening to it on my own but he overheard snatches of it and decided to listen in with me.
    • 4/5
      I'll admit my reading this book came from watching the TV series first. Netflix was oh-so-right in recommending the show to me, and after breezing through the one and only season, I knew I had to read the book.

      Other than the title, the premise and a few (one?) of the characters--the show and the book don't have much in common. Both were excellent--even though they are differnt. I realize that writing a book and writing a tv show are different genres, and so I accept the changes made.

      If you want to know about the show, Netflix has it. If you want to know about the book, keep reading.

      Within pages of the novel, the reader understands that scientists are undergoing a pretty major experiment in Geneva--the result of which is that every person on earth loses consciousness for about two minutes...this wasn't was the experiment was supposed to do, mind you, but it was a side effect. Most people had a vision--but not any vision--a vision of who and what they would be doing twenty-one years in the future. Those who didn't have visions are left with the haunting realization, perhaps they didn't see anything becaue indeed they were not alive in 21 years. Much debate goes on--is this the ONLY future? A possible future? Not even the future? Should the experiment be tried again?

      The plot, storyline, characters, everything was great! If you like sci-fi in its true form (an outrageous story with just enough science in it to make you think it could come true). You need to read this! :)
    • 2/5
      Just...bad. Mediocre writing, huge cop-out finish, and HOLY OVEREXPLAINING BATMAN.

      I'm a pretty intelligent person, really. I can follow a pretty detailed explanation of whatever general physics you throw at me. Why neutrinos from the sun reacted with a particle collision to create a time-warp? Yeah, throw it at me. But I don't need it to take up FIVE PAGES. I'll hang with you for the refresher course on valence electrons and nuclear energy. But after a certain point, I just don't care anymore, friend. It's not THAT relevant to the story, and I don't need to understand it to get what's happening to our characters. When I need to know the history of all teh phyziks ever according to a fiction author, I'll take a course, mmm-kay?
    • 3/5
      While I loved the concept, the book was a little too hard science-y for me. I liked the characters, but wasn't truly that invested in any of them.A group of scientists trying to discover the Higgs-Boson causes a world-wide unconsciousness where every sees what they are doing at that time twenty one years in the future.
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      An experiment at CERN designed to detect the Higgs Boson instead has the unanticipated effect of causing everyone on Earth to black out and experience one minute and forty-three seconds' worth of their lives twenty-one years in the future.If this premise sounds almost familiar, you may be remembering the short-lived TV series of the same name, which was based on this novel. I did watch that when it was on, but eventually found myself growing frustrated with it. It felt to me like it was trying way too hard to be the new Lost and not doing a terribly good job of it. So I finally gave up on it, a couple of episodes before the network did. But I still thought the concept was intriguing, so I figured I'd pick up the book and see if what the original did with it was any better.As it happens, the novel bears very little resemblance to the TV show, except for the basic idea of the blackout and future vision, and some cases of what people see in that future being broadly similar. (E.g. one man discovering that he's been murdered in the future, and another learning that he's no longer with the woman he thought he'd love forever.)But the premise is still fascinating, even on encountering it for the second time, and it opens up a lot of interesting discussion about the physics and philosophy of time. Is the future fixed, something that already exists out there somewhere, or is it malleable? Is there such a thing as free will? And if you could see the future, what would that do to your present? There's some nifty, thought-provoking stuff here. Unfortunately, I think it goes off the rails a bit by the end, getting into some rather nutty, or at the very least scientifically and philosophically dubious territory. Which maybe shouldn't be too surprising; this is the kind of story where it seems hard to imagine an ending that would be entirely satisfying.That's not the only thing that I found not quite satisfying, though. Sawyer does a really good job of setting up personal situations that make this time-jump idea and its human consequences feel very grounded and relatable, and that's good. But his characters are a little too flat to make it all quite as effective as it might have been. Most of the time, it feels more like we're being told how the characters feel, rather than shown their emotions and made to feel along with them. Also, this was written in 1999 and set (mostly) in 2009, and the fact that Sawyer inevitably failed to correctly predict the world ten years in his future means it takes a little too much effort to suspend my disbelief in the world he predicts twenty years beyond that.Still, it's a quick, interesting read, and may well be worth a look if you find time travel stories appealing and would like to see a somewhat different-than-usual take on the idea.
    • 4/5
      If you’re a science nerd and the thought of working at, or even just touring CERN, this is the book for you! I loved all the particle physics parts.It is far far different from the TV series, by the way. CERN attempts an experiment to produce the Higgs boson. Suddenly every person on earth loses complete consciousness and many have visions of a few minutes in the future, in the year 2030 to be precise. Was it the experiment? If so, why? How? Could they reproduce the phenomenon? Should they? How else to discover what was the cause? Nerdy scientists arise!
    • 4/5
      How would you change your life if you knew what awaited you twenty years in the future? Would you try to change your fate? Would it even be possible?

      Flashforward explores the answers to these questions through a cast of characters whose consciousness is temporarily and accidentally displaced into their future selves for a few short minutes.

      This book presents a lot of food for thought about the permanence of our future, and the question of free will. The main question being: Is our future set in stone, or do we have the free will to change its outcome? Different theories are tossed around by the scientists, but no one really will know for certain any of the answers until they have lived through those twenty years.

      One of my favorite storylines involves a man who knows that he is going to be murdered just before the date in the future that everyone flashes forward. He searches for information about the murderer, but also questions if the actions that he takes while he is searching might actually be the cause of his murder.

      Anyone who has watched a lot of Star Trek is familiar with this debate (it seems to show up in a lot of episodes). If a person takes an action will it cause the problem in the future? Or will their inaction be the cause of the problem? Is there any way to possibly change the future?

      Around the middle of the book the plot gets a little bogged down with scientific arguments supporting the different theories of fate vs. free will, but it didn't make the book any less enjoyable for me. I think you could easily skim this small section and still get what's going on with the story if you are not into reading all of the nitty-gritty scientific debate.

      I thought that the ending was a little bit unrealistic and out there, but was still a fun twist to the story.

      If you like science fiction, stories about time travel, or discussions about free will vs. fate, you should enjoy reading Flashforward.
    • 3/5
      More like 3.5 stars. This was a quick and engaging read, and I loved the premise. However, the writing itself wasn't that great, and I thought that the conclusion was a bit lackluster. Even so, I enjoyed the ride and am looking forward to the television series this fall.
    • 4/5
      As with quite a few people my first introduction to this book came through the show based on it. Very loosely based on it. I liked the show but being TV it had to take a more exciting angle on it. Turn the flashforward into some big conspiracy, with heroes and villains and a much shorter time frame.

      The book though is much more peaceful. There's no conspiracy. It was an accident. And the vision was over 20 years later rather than 6 months. There is a lot of heavy science in this book but, for me, it didn't slow it down. Everything was explained, you don't need to be a Nobel laureate physicist to keep up, and whilst there was a little action it was only a sidepiece, not the main event. This book is about examining how people would react to the knowledge of what their future could possibly be. Whether everything in life is predetermined or do we truly have free will. I like to believe we do. I am an atheist. I do not believe in any god or fate and that we alone control our lives.

      I really enjoyed this book. More than the TV show but in a much different way. The show was action and thrills. The book is deep thoughts and philosophical discussions. And is well worth reading.
    • 4/5
      I really, really liked this. I've seen some of the television series, but the book is very different. The plot focuses around the people responsible for a world wide black out, during which everyone saw the future. It definitely portrays humanity in a very interesting light, and the book is a complete page turner. I wasn't very fond of the ending- mostly due to the sheer amount of physics explanations that went way over my head. Other than that, an excellent, unique and enjoyable book. I really look forward to reading more from Sawyer.
    • 4/5
      Wow. For a book with so much quantum physics in it, this was a pretty easy read. It was very different from the TV show (I like both) and quite compelling. I doubt I'll start reading sci-fi all the time, but I liked this.
    • 2/5
      The beginning and the end of this book were boring, yet the middle was fascinating and well written. I loved the plot, but think the author could have done much more with it and developed it much better.
    • 4/5
      Great plot twists. Excellent physics. Hard to put down. 8.5/10.
    • 4/5
      If you saw the TV show, forget it. Only the basic story's common (the mankind's collective 'flash forward' as the result of a quantumphysical experiment) but everything else is completely different. It's about the classic time travelling questions and paradoxes. Is the future changeable or everything is written? Is it good to foresee the future? Sawyer's book is not answering all of these questions but it's a good and scientifically correct story.
    • 5/5
      Another great book that left me pondering my own life. What would I do if I had a 2 minute glimpse into my own future? It's fun to see Sawyer's view of what the entire world did with that 2 minute glimpse.They made the TV show out of this, which is why I read it, and the book was far better (and I loved the TV show)Well done Robert J. Sawyer!