Flashback

by Dan Simmons

Part nightmarish future and part mystery, Flashback takes readers and the novel's characters to places they'd rather not go.

Setting: The United States about 2 years in the future. Thanks to a certain president, the economy has collapsed, and things have changed drastically for this former superpower.

Plot: Former police detective Nick Bottom has been hired to find the killer of a top government advisor's son.

The Twist: The murder is five years old and has been investigated several times. Nick is no longer on the force and has become a drug addict. The drug, Flashback, is the key to everything. The drug allows users to "flash back" to any experience they're already had. Users choose the experience. The drug is useful to the investigation because Nick was assigned to the original investigation and can flash back to any key moments in that investigation.

Can Nick find the killer(s)? Can he keep his family safe amidst the chaos? Read and find out!

Though it is long, and some of the ideas expressed are controversial (or at least politically incorrect), the concept of a drug like Flashback is fascinating.

8/19/11