Rating: 
Summary: Great book: thought-provoking, believably flawed characters
Review: It looks like some science fiction fans here are looking for books with straightforward heroes and villains ... I suppose they acquired their taste for SF from TV and movies. Sawyer writes the kind of SF that ADULTS can enjoy, with complex characters who are neither all good nore all bad, who are at war with themselves as much as any external antagonist. FLASHFORWARD (why does the cover say FLASH FORWARD when the title page says FLASHFORWARD?) is a perfect expample. Lloyd Simcoe is warring with his belief that the future is immutable; Theo P. (can't remember how to spell the Greek last name) is warring with his contrasting belief that the future can be changed. Yes there is conflict between the characters, but the real conflict is internal and for my money, it is drawn very convincingly, in mature, adult terms. If you're looking for white hats and black hats, try someone other than Sawyer. If you're looking for SF as serious literature, Sawyer, Russell, Robinson and a few others are the ones to try --- and FLASHFORWARD is an excellent book to start with.
Rating: 
Summary: Overreaching
Review: The one thing that made this novel a somewhat mixed pleasure is the authors need to explain all. Not only the question why and how a flash forward is possible, if we live in a predetermined universe or if we can change our fate, but to top it with his vision about the fate of humanity. That last piece was a) totally unnecessary for the rest of the story, but b) left a very stale taste in the mind. In other words: it diminished an excellent book to (just) very good. I observed the same thing in "Calculating God". If Sawyer just knew when to stop, it would IMHO make his novels so much better. A similar story is told by James Hogan in "Thrice upon a Time" and since it is much more focused, it is a better novel. In this one the potential is there for so much more, but the author overreaches. In a way he was on flash forward too...
Rating:
Summary: re: Make Time to Read This Book
Review: I found "Flash Forward" to be one of the best time travel books I've ever read. Some of the technology was over my head but the premise of the book is great. Due to an experiment, everyone on earth flashes forward to their life in the future. Based on that glimpse, many try to change the way their future is going to pan out. This book really makes you think. I've read 3 books by Sawyer and I'm going to continue because so far, they are mind-blowingly fun!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant idea, excellent execution
Review: I am shocked and amazed at some of the reviews I have read below! I don't understand how some people are able to question the science used in science FICTION. Is Sawyer's science correct for finding a way to push our consciousness 20 years into the future? No, I guess, but it sounds decent and since it is fiction that works for me. Why do people get hung up on stuff that I really doubt they understand anyway? Probably because it makes them(and their ego) feel smart. As for Sawyer's style, again I am confused by people. I found the characters interesting and I was genuinely concerned as to what would happen to them. I think that's all I can ask for. This book did exactly what a good sci-fi book should do- it made me WONDER! Wow, how cool would it be if something like this happened! And every time I started to have questions about whether the plot would unravel, Sawyer answered them for me. This is a well-thought out and enjoyable novel, one that shouldn't be missed!
Rating: 
Summary: It Could Have Been Better
Review: I was writing my review for this book and realized, after writing it, that my initial review and grade was too high. While enjoyable and with beautiful writing, there are several annoying details with this book that detract from it. Note that this review will give you a somewhat biased view because I'm focusing on the negative; it's very well written. But the negatives can be very annoying, and I found myself putting the book down for a minute or two (very rare for me, I usually read books straight through without pausing). The first and greatest irritation is the ending, which suddenly veers off into Weirdland for no discernable storytelling reason. The book would have been far better served by leaving the second 'flash forward' completely in the imaginations of the readers, instead of the bizzare trip forward that Sawyer gives us. The second is spottiness in pursuing the various threads about the future. It would have been interesting to know what the CERN administrator and his wife planned to change about Marc's upbringing, or any of a number of other things briefly revealed during the book. A related problem is that we know that the future can be changed, and yet Sawyer seems to semi-forget this and writes strange twists that nearly bring about the 'fated' occurrences anyways. It's an inconsistency. Third off, most minor, and endemic to Robert Swayer's works is a general misunderstanding of human cultures and politics. There's a pervasive, if quiet, set of assumptions that he has which crop up in his works and annoy the hell out of me. I refer to it as 'Carl Sagan Syndrome' because, while I find his books interesting and thoughtful, he had the same problem. It's easier to point out specific instances than to define the whole here, but I owe it to you to try: Sawyer has the apparent view that there is a cultural inevitability, inexorable and unstoppable, pushing all Western nations along the same track, and views nations which seem to be wandering off this track as in some way retarded. This is most specifically seen regarding the United States in his works, presumably because the US is farthest off his imagined track. I won't start an essay here, but it's highly unlikely that the US would adopt the metric system, for starters, as he posits the 'flash forward' reveals. The line about "the Second Amendment or whatever it was that made Americans think they could go around armed" is an excellent example of this mode of thinking he indulges in. The unspoken thought is "No one has the right to go around armed!". The problem is that, at least in the US, they do, because they enacted laws to that effect and have retained them. Sawyer's thoughts on the matter are irrelevant and he should try to not let them color his thinking so.
Rating:
Summary: re: Make Time to Read This Book
Review: I found "Flash Forward" to be one of the best time travel books I've ever read. Some of the technology was over my head but the premise of the book is great. Due to an experiment, everyone on earth flashes forward to their life in the future. Based on that glimpse, many try to change the way their future is going to pan out. This book really makes you think. I've read 3 books by Sawyer and I'm going to continue because so far, they are mind-blowingly fun!
Rating:
Summary: Highly original and engaging story
Review: What if everyone in the world was given a 2 minute glimpse into their lives 21 years in the future? How would they deal with that knowledge? And is the future fixed or does mankind have freewill? Mr. Sawyer deals with all of these questions in this fascinating story. And he manages to add in a little murder mystery as well. He also weaves the jargon of physics into the story in a manner that seemed very convincing to me.
Rating: 
Summary: Just so-so
Review: It's an interesting concept, although Sawyer does not present the science in a way that makes it believable and his ability to draw characters is limited. But if you're not too picky and you're willing to read a book just for the unusual ideas, then give it a try.
Rating:
Summary: Mediocre for a Sawyer Book
Review: Sawyer is able to write in a manner that is captivating and intereting. There is rarely a dull moment in this book; moreover, the idea of viewingt he future for a brief amount of time and the issue of future immutability is one that certainly has interesting philosophical implications.
With that said, it is hard to take this book a seriously as perhaps Sawyer would wish. There is little explanation for the phenomenon of the "flahsforward" event. Futhermore, world reaction tot he event reveals Sawyers excessively bright view of human behaviour. There would be much more than the brief anger and confusion that resulted from many people dying - there would be wars, more death and horror, not logical acceptance!
In essence, this is a mystery novel; a man tries to find out who his future murderer will be, and on that level the book succeeds. It would seems that Sawyer is trying to do too much with this book and is not able to come through.
Rating:
Summary: Great Idea but..........
Review: Coming up with original and interesting storylines in science fiction is always difficult. So as an avid sci-fi reader I found the basic idea very fascinating. That is where it ends. The scientific theories etc. in the book are well thought out and presented very well but the characters are extremely one dimensional and for intelligent people, their quests for the truth are nonsensical. Why read chapters in a book when it adds nothing new to the story and does not move the plotline along? The ending of a book is obviously very important. No matter how intriguing the rest of the book has been, you have to get it right. Robert J. Sawyer's attempt to be profound fails miserably and it just ends up being corny. Buy this one at a garage sale.
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