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Archform: Beauty #2
Flash
Twenty-fourth century Earth has been ravaged by ecological catastrophe and recovered. The survivors enjoy a world of plenty. Even the poorest live in abundance, and the upper class - the ascendant - command technological marvels.
Ten years ago, Jonat deVrai quit the Marines after witnessing atrocity and hypocrisy. Starting his life over, he established himself as the world's expert on the effectiveness of "prod" - product placement - the only advertising that can get through viewers' sophisticated filters. Reinforced with sublims and the "res" - resonant frequencies, a form of sonic branding - prod can be very effective. Jonat's doing well when the Centre for Social Research asks him to study the effects of res and prod on political campaigns.
After a res-heavy political rally, Jonat is jumped by armed thugs. A day later, he barely escapes a sniper ambush. After he foils a remote-controlled cydroid political assassination, more cydroids - clones based on his stolen DNA - start turning uip dead throughout NorAm.
With his life on the line, Jonat must sort flash from fact before it's too late.
Ten years ago, Jonat deVrai quit the Marines after witnessing atrocity and hypocrisy. Starting his life over, he established himself as the world's expert on the effectiveness of "prod" - product placement - the only advertising that can get through viewers' sophisticated filters. Reinforced with sublims and the "res" - resonant frequencies, a form of sonic branding - prod can be very effective. Jonat's doing well when the Centre for Social Research asks him to study the effects of res and prod on political campaigns.
After a res-heavy political rally, Jonat is jumped by armed thugs. A day later, he barely escapes a sniper ambush. After he foils a remote-controlled cydroid political assassination, more cydroids - clones based on his stolen DNA - start turning uip dead throughout NorAm.
With his life on the line, Jonat must sort flash from fact before it's too late.
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2004
19 people are currently reading
357 people want to read
About the author
L.E. Modesitt Jr.
191 books2,597 followersL. E. (Leland Exton) Modesitt, Jr. is an author of science fiction and fantasy novels. He is best known for the fantasy series The Saga of Recluce. He graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts, lived in Washington, D.C. for 20 years, then moved to New Hampshire in 1989 where he met his wife. They relocated to Cedar City, Utah in 1993.
He has worked as a Navy pilot, lifeguard, delivery boy, unpaid radio disc jockey, real estate agent, market research analyst, director of research for a political campaign, legislative assistant for a Congressman, Director of Legislation and Congressional Relations for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a consultant on environmental, regulatory, and communications issues, and a college lecturer and writer in residence.
In addition to his novels, Mr. Modesitt has published technical studies and articles, columns, poetry, and a number of science fiction stories. His first short story, "The Great American Economy", was published in 1973 in Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact.
-Wikipedia
He has worked as a Navy pilot, lifeguard, delivery boy, unpaid radio disc jockey, real estate agent, market research analyst, director of research for a political campaign, legislative assistant for a Congressman, Director of Legislation and Congressional Relations for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a consultant on environmental, regulatory, and communications issues, and a college lecturer and writer in residence.
In addition to his novels, Mr. Modesitt has published technical studies and articles, columns, poetry, and a number of science fiction stories. His first short story, "The Great American Economy", was published in 1973 in Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
March 30, 2012
I've previously only read fantasy novels from much earlier in Modessitt's career. This later science fiction novel shows that he has improved a bit over the years; his strengths still remain and some of his rough edges have been smoothed out. But too much of this novel is still given over to what happens in between things actually happening, which would be great if Modessitt had the prose chops and psychological depth to pull off something like that. Instead, we have here another rather workmanlike novel with some clever ideas and halfway interesting characters, and a bit too much sprawl for its own good. Modessitt plays his usual on-the-fence game with ideologies, but imagines a fairly detailed near future with corporate shenanigans, social injustices and emergent AI that might be worth visiting again.
May 13, 2018
Most of Modesitt's work consists of elaborate world-building to justify a regretful hyper-competent guy getting to assassinate a bunch of people while still being morally justified. Since his targets of choice are usually abusive corporations or warmongering would-be conquerors, I'm mostly ok with it. As expected, this protagonist, who's ostensibly a marketing consultant, spends most of the book earnestly wishing he didn't have to kill as many people as he ends up killing (with great creativity). Bonus points for dumping him with plot moppets that actually do impact his worldview. He does a lot of juggling babysitters to make sure someone's watching the kids while he's setting ambushes.
September 7, 2012
The next book from the Tor mailing list to follow after Battlestar Galactica, this followed the story of an independent business consultant in an advanced future as he receives a string of jobs that lead him to mystery and danger, and pull him into a conspiracy he would sooner have no part of.
This was a heavy read. Right from the beginning, original scifi concepts, company/organization/person names, and detailed politics of this futuristic world are thrown at the reader a mile a minute and it’s a struggle to keep up. Most of the original concepts can be understood in context, but none of them are really explained, so even at the end of the book, one has an idea of what those things do, but defining them is challenging, and some of them, such as the ever-present “rez” and the book’s namesake “flash,” I never did quite follow. There are a lot of acronyms for company/organization names and there’s a lot of the lead character’s work described through the book which is not really relevant to the actual story, serving only to bog down the reader further. It provides some believable depth to the lead character’s work and world, but it does make for some heavy reading.
Add to this the nature of the lead character’s work, independent consulting on the effectiveness of product placement as an advertising tool, which involves more than a few complicated economics lectures, and you have a book which is not something I would recommend to a casual reader. I ended up reading this probably a little quicker than I would have liked, simply because I was afraid that if I let it sit too much, I would have forgotten a lot of the foreign concepts described and been completely lost when I resumed later.
As for the story, it’s alright. I had a hard time getting any sense of urgency about it early in, as the first indication of conspiracy occurred so far down the corporate ladder that it hardly seemed of any importance. It got somewhat more interesting later on in the book, but it didn’t exactly become enthralling.
In the first half of the book, the characters are of little interest, and it takes a long time for even the narrator to develop any sort of personality. When he does, it doesn’t become one I particularly like. I didn’t dislike the character, but I found his stated beliefs clashed quite a bit with his actions – in essence, what the author showed and what he told didn’t really match up, and I really didn’t agree with the character’s actions.
I can respect all the work that went into the story to develop the future world with its intrigues, politics, and advanced technology, and those readers who appreciate that more may enjoy this book more than I did. Personally, though, when I read a book, I’m looking for a good story first and foremost, and the story in this novel was a little dry, and the characters didn’t add a lot to it. In short, I don’t think I’d put this novel in the recommended list, but again, for those who are more captivated by a detailed world than I am, it might be right up your alley.
This was a heavy read. Right from the beginning, original scifi concepts, company/organization/person names, and detailed politics of this futuristic world are thrown at the reader a mile a minute and it’s a struggle to keep up. Most of the original concepts can be understood in context, but none of them are really explained, so even at the end of the book, one has an idea of what those things do, but defining them is challenging, and some of them, such as the ever-present “rez” and the book’s namesake “flash,” I never did quite follow. There are a lot of acronyms for company/organization names and there’s a lot of the lead character’s work described through the book which is not really relevant to the actual story, serving only to bog down the reader further. It provides some believable depth to the lead character’s work and world, but it does make for some heavy reading.
Add to this the nature of the lead character’s work, independent consulting on the effectiveness of product placement as an advertising tool, which involves more than a few complicated economics lectures, and you have a book which is not something I would recommend to a casual reader. I ended up reading this probably a little quicker than I would have liked, simply because I was afraid that if I let it sit too much, I would have forgotten a lot of the foreign concepts described and been completely lost when I resumed later.
As for the story, it’s alright. I had a hard time getting any sense of urgency about it early in, as the first indication of conspiracy occurred so far down the corporate ladder that it hardly seemed of any importance. It got somewhat more interesting later on in the book, but it didn’t exactly become enthralling.
In the first half of the book, the characters are of little interest, and it takes a long time for even the narrator to develop any sort of personality. When he does, it doesn’t become one I particularly like. I didn’t dislike the character, but I found his stated beliefs clashed quite a bit with his actions – in essence, what the author showed and what he told didn’t really match up, and I really didn’t agree with the character’s actions.
I can respect all the work that went into the story to develop the future world with its intrigues, politics, and advanced technology, and those readers who appreciate that more may enjoy this book more than I did. Personally, though, when I read a book, I’m looking for a good story first and foremost, and the story in this novel was a little dry, and the characters didn’t add a lot to it. In short, I don’t think I’d put this novel in the recommended list, but again, for those who are more captivated by a detailed world than I am, it might be right up your alley.
August 31, 2009
This book started out slow for me, but got better and better so that I was glad that I stuck it out. The first half of the book is mainly full of the main character's work projects and working on them and talking to clients. It was interesting for a few pages, but I didn't see where it was going. Of course, looking back, I can see the need for some of it and it gives deeper meaning to the tasks.
Setting: Futuristic earth. Interesting ideas on what the world would be like and why. Felt like a fully realized world. We only get to see small parts of it, but those trips are fun and interesting.
Plot: The plot is that an ex-military guy who is just trying to make a living gets caught up in some events that threaten his life and the lives of his family. He has to figure out how to stop his pursuers before they stop him, all while trying to save a sentient computer. So, this is your basic action plot. Lots of intrigue and some romantic subplots, as well as subplots involving his niece and nephew.
Conflict: Once it gets going, we see lots of conflict and conflict that was even created as part of the slower, early parts of the book.
Character: The main protagonist is interesting and sort of complex.. His field of work was not so interesting, but the author did a good job of making it a bit more interesting than I would have expected. Some of his moral dilemmas felt a bit weak and unclear, but overall and nice round character. The interactions with the computer and "robots" was also intriguing. I lost track of who most of the other characters were because there were so many names and projects and such.
Text: Nothing really stood out, good or bad, but that is still a good thing.
Setting: Futuristic earth. Interesting ideas on what the world would be like and why. Felt like a fully realized world. We only get to see small parts of it, but those trips are fun and interesting.
Plot: The plot is that an ex-military guy who is just trying to make a living gets caught up in some events that threaten his life and the lives of his family. He has to figure out how to stop his pursuers before they stop him, all while trying to save a sentient computer. So, this is your basic action plot. Lots of intrigue and some romantic subplots, as well as subplots involving his niece and nephew.
Conflict: Once it gets going, we see lots of conflict and conflict that was even created as part of the slower, early parts of the book.
Character: The main protagonist is interesting and sort of complex.. His field of work was not so interesting, but the author did a good job of making it a bit more interesting than I would have expected. Some of his moral dilemmas felt a bit weak and unclear, but overall and nice round character. The interactions with the computer and "robots" was also intriguing. I lost track of who most of the other characters were because there were so many names and projects and such.
Text: Nothing really stood out, good or bad, but that is still a good thing.
September 18, 2023
While this claims to be book #2, you can read them in any order, there is very little overlap between the two and no spoilers.
There's only one main viewpoint character in this volume as opposed to the 5 in the previous volume. A former Marine hero who gets tangled up in corporate power struggles and is rescued and befriended by a law enforcement computer AI. Jonat is pretty bad ass, but unlike some of the author's previous superheros of this mold, not a psychopath.
Plenty of action as well as thoughtful intrigue and interesting characters make this an excellent read.
There's only one main viewpoint character in this volume as opposed to the 5 in the previous volume. A former Marine hero who gets tangled up in corporate power struggles and is rescued and befriended by a law enforcement computer AI. Jonat is pretty bad ass, but unlike some of the author's previous superheros of this mold, not a psychopath.
Plenty of action as well as thoughtful intrigue and interesting characters make this an excellent read.
Want to read
July 5, 2020Return to the future of Archform: Beauty. In the twenty-fourth century, Earth is vastly changed. Ecological and biological catastrophe have raged across the planet, but for the survivors, it is a world of plenty. Even the poorest live in abundance, and the upper class -- the ascendant -- command technological marvels.Ten years ago, Jonat deVrai was a rising star in the Marines. But he shocked his superiors by walking away from the Corps after witnessing atrocity and hypocrisy during the Reclamation of Guyana. Starting his life over, he established himself as the world's expert on the effectiveness of "prod"-- product placement, the only advertising which viewers will allow through the sophisticated filters they all use against unwanted intrusions on their electronic link networks. Prod, reinforced with sublims and the "res" -- resonant frequencies, a form of sonic branding -- is the wave of the future.Jonat now advises multinational corporations on their prod campaigns, his busy life only occasionally disturbed by vivid flashbacks to his military years. Then his comfortable world is upset when the Centre for Societal Research approaches him to study the effects of res and prod on political campaigns.After a res-heavy political rally for Laborite Republican Senatorial candidate Juan Carlismo, armed thugs jump deVrai in a parking garage. A day later, a sniper ambushes him. What looked like a safe, lucrative contract has suddenly turned dangerous. The stakes raise further when deVrai foils a remote-controlled cydroid assassination attempt on a Popular Democrat candidate. Cydroids built from deVrai's stolen DNA are turning up dead throughout NorAm.Suspicion and conspiracy race around Jonat. Who wants him dead? Candidate Juan Carlismo's use of prod is skirting the limits of legality. The Centre has its own obscure agenda and may want deVrai as a martyr. The terrorist group PAMD is targeting ascendents in deVrai's family. And one of his clients is known for holding legendary grudges - could he have gone over the edge?With his life on the line, deVrai must sort flash from fact before it's too late.Flash is a blend of all-out thriller and thoughtful social, political, and technological exploration that that gets into your mind in a way even res and prod could never match."A marvelous thriller that plausibly extrapolates from current possibilities in IT, AI, media, and crime, it also constitutes the way for newcomers to get acquainted with Modesitt--at his best."--Booklist Other Series by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.The Saga of RecluceThe Imager PortfolioThe Corean ChroniclesThe Spellsong CycleThe Ghost BooksThe Ecolitan MatterThe Forever HeroTimegod's WorldOther BooksThe Green ProgressionHammer of DarknessThe Parafaith WarAdiamanteGravity DreamsThe Octagonal RavenArchform: BeautyThe Ethos EffectFlashThe Eternity ArtifactThe Elysium CommissionViewpoints CriticalHazeEmpress of EternityThe One-Eyed ManSolar ExpressAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
November 23, 2019
I enjoyed this novel more than the first in this series (Archform: Beauty). I think that this was because there was a more solid love story here, whereas in the first one it seemed to be just tacked on at the end.
Most of this book is written from the point of view of one person: a marine-turned-advertising-consultant who manged to get embroiled in a political/corporate plot to make more money and grab more power. He's helped along the way by a conscient computer-system and a cyborg who is more human and attractive to him than any other woman he has met. It's actually quite sweet to see them both falling in love.
Many other reviews have mentioned that there are too many acronyms in this book and so I won't harp on about it except to say that a glossary would have greatly helped my understanding.
There's a lot of tech in the book, but that was to be expected, what with the story being set more than a hundred years in the future. I like tech, but tech alone does not make a sci-fi story. To some extent this is a tale of political and corporate corruption, but it becomes bearable, if not enjoyable, by the strong characters and the way they interact.
So, yeah - read this book if you like tech and the themes of self-preservation and blood-letting. Oh, and also if you like an off-beat love-story. Don't read it if you are looking for science-fiction.
Most of this book is written from the point of view of one person: a marine-turned-advertising-consultant who manged to get embroiled in a political/corporate plot to make more money and grab more power. He's helped along the way by a conscient computer-system and a cyborg who is more human and attractive to him than any other woman he has met. It's actually quite sweet to see them both falling in love.
Many other reviews have mentioned that there are too many acronyms in this book and so I won't harp on about it except to say that a glossary would have greatly helped my understanding.
There's a lot of tech in the book, but that was to be expected, what with the story being set more than a hundred years in the future. I like tech, but tech alone does not make a sci-fi story. To some extent this is a tale of political and corporate corruption, but it becomes bearable, if not enjoyable, by the strong characters and the way they interact.
So, yeah - read this book if you like tech and the themes of self-preservation and blood-letting. Oh, and also if you like an off-beat love-story. Don't read it if you are looking for science-fiction.
March 7, 2018
A main theme: ethics and survival (is it right to murder in self-defense (i.e. ahead of time knowing they are going to attack you)?) Another issue: can AI be self-aware and have emotions?
Initially I had difficulty with the terminology and lingo and it detracted from the lucidity of the plot. Still, they gave the book verisimilitude. Also, all the intricate details slowed the plot.
The main character does analysis of prodplacement and takes on projects from assorted clients becoming unwittingly involved in a conspiracy.
An unknown entity uses cydroid doubles to carry out violence (for example, using DNA of main character without permission).
Political, economic (e.g. The Multi-Corp) and social commentary is relevant to today (even though book is set in the 22nd century).
Initially I had difficulty with the terminology and lingo and it detracted from the lucidity of the plot. Still, they gave the book verisimilitude. Also, all the intricate details slowed the plot.
The main character does analysis of prodplacement and takes on projects from assorted clients becoming unwittingly involved in a conspiracy.
An unknown entity uses cydroid doubles to carry out violence (for example, using DNA of main character without permission).
Political, economic (e.g. The Multi-Corp) and social commentary is relevant to today (even though book is set in the 22nd century).
December 1, 2025
Ok. So, we briefly learn this guy gets a PhD in some hi-tech socio-economic field. Then he joins the marines. He rises to colonel and then quits the marines because he is forced to do something very nasty (details unknown).
We find that he now works alone and does some sophisticated type of consulting. His consulting reports make him some enemies and now he develops and executes a “Terminal List”
Long parts of the book a tedious. The society, politics and corruption of this future society are interesting as is the concept of AI (especially since the book was written before AI was as common term in our vocabulary)
I know it was mentioned early in the book, but what the heck is FLASH?
I guess that I prefer Modesitt’s fantasy to his scienced fiction.
We find that he now works alone and does some sophisticated type of consulting. His consulting reports make him some enemies and now he develops and executes a “Terminal List”
Long parts of the book a tedious. The society, politics and corruption of this future society are interesting as is the concept of AI (especially since the book was written before AI was as common term in our vocabulary)
I know it was mentioned early in the book, but what the heck is FLASH?
I guess that I prefer Modesitt’s fantasy to his scienced fiction.
June 2, 2020
An entertaining novel that makes for a unique - albeit rather standard - fictional journey about an analyst. Nothing extortionately unique about it, but I mean it was a good and enjoyable read.
September 9, 2021
L.E. Modesitt's "Flash" is a fast reading thoughtful near future techno-thriller exploring
concepts that seem uncannily timely in today's world. Remember, just because they're trying to kill you doesn't mean that you shouldn't be paranoid. Well written and worth the read.
concepts that seem uncannily timely in today's world. Remember, just because they're trying to kill you doesn't mean that you shouldn't be paranoid. Well written and worth the read.
June 14, 2025
For a detailed review check out
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC82t...
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC82t...
June 22, 2013
I first found L.E. Modesitt, as I imagine many did, through his remarkable The Magic of Recluce. It's a terrific story, and if you haven't read it yet, go straight there now and buy it.
I stuck with Modesitt through at least nine books of the Recluce series, as it gradually went downhill - not really worse, but just retelling the same story over and over. I tried to follow him into several new series and standalone novels, but none of them stuck. Some were decent, some were pretty weak.
So why am I here now? Well, a few reasons.
I'm not sure that would have made a difference, but I deeply hope that first book does a terrific job of setting the stage. I found Flash to be nearly impenetrable, stuffed with so many neologisms and unexplained concepts that at page 20, and page 40, and page 50, and page 100, I found myself wondering how I could possibly read another 400 pages. Had the author been new to me, I would have quit, much as I dislike doing that with any book. Instead, I trudged painfully on, trying not to look at the worrying 'remaining pages' figure at the bottom of my Nook.
One example - 'cydroids' are central to the book, but they're never really explained. I originally thought they were more android than cyborg, but in fact they seem to be pretty much human, physically speaking.
While the story itself improves slightly (there's more action) by about page 300, other obstacles arise. For example, midway through the book there are suddenly also chapters from a new point of view, though the change is unannounced, and not immediately obvious.
The good points: as always with Modesitt, the protagonist is likeable, interesting, relatable, good to tag along with.
The bad points: Aside from the above points, Modesitt unfortunately inserts a fair amount of (what I assume to be) his own political views in the story. They don't agree with mine, but then Heinlein's didn't either. The problem here is that there's no real reason to include most of them - they don't add to the story (come to that, in later books, Heinlein's didn't either). In my view, it just got in the way.
The story is about Jonat de Vrai, an ex-marine product placement consultant. And we hear a lot about the life of a product placement consultant. Now, as it happens, I am a consultant, though not in product placement or anything like it. Parts of de Vrai's life were right on (feast or famine), but a lot of it didn't ring true. And, more to the point, it was deadly dull to read.
As often happens with Modesitt's characters, the protagonist is widely recognized as relentless moral and upright. He's forced my circumstance to do bad things to people, but when he causes collateral deaths, it's different than when the bad guys do it. Because it wasn't his fault. That line of thinking loses its effect when it's true for every protagonist we see.
Overall, I found this to be a painful read, and a big disappointment from an author I've liked before. I'd say it's a 1.5, and I'd probably lean towards 1. I'm giving 2 stars instead, to allow the benefit of the doubt because I didn't read the prequel. If you have any inclination toward this series start with that one. I will not be going out to get it.
Also, Grey tea is the drink of the future. I don't know what it is, but Jonat can't go more than a page without drinking it, so it must be really something.
I stuck with Modesitt through at least nine books of the Recluce series, as it gradually went downhill - not really worse, but just retelling the same story over and over. I tried to follow him into several new series and standalone novels, but none of them stuck. Some were decent, some were pretty weak.
So why am I here now? Well, a few reasons.
1) when I like an author, I stick with him as long as I can;
2) the book was free;
3) I made a mistake - I didn't realize this was the second in a series. Until recently, I'd never heard of, let alone read, the first, Archform: Beauty.
I'm not sure that would have made a difference, but I deeply hope that first book does a terrific job of setting the stage. I found Flash to be nearly impenetrable, stuffed with so many neologisms and unexplained concepts that at page 20, and page 40, and page 50, and page 100, I found myself wondering how I could possibly read another 400 pages. Had the author been new to me, I would have quit, much as I dislike doing that with any book. Instead, I trudged painfully on, trying not to look at the worrying 'remaining pages' figure at the bottom of my Nook.
One example - 'cydroids' are central to the book, but they're never really explained. I originally thought they were more android than cyborg, but in fact they seem to be pretty much human, physically speaking.
While the story itself improves slightly (there's more action) by about page 300, other obstacles arise. For example, midway through the book there are suddenly also chapters from a new point of view, though the change is unannounced, and not immediately obvious.
The good points: as always with Modesitt, the protagonist is likeable, interesting, relatable, good to tag along with.
The bad points: Aside from the above points, Modesitt unfortunately inserts a fair amount of (what I assume to be) his own political views in the story. They don't agree with mine, but then Heinlein's didn't either. The problem here is that there's no real reason to include most of them - they don't add to the story (come to that, in later books, Heinlein's didn't either). In my view, it just got in the way.
The story is about Jonat de Vrai, an ex-marine product placement consultant. And we hear a lot about the life of a product placement consultant. Now, as it happens, I am a consultant, though not in product placement or anything like it. Parts of de Vrai's life were right on (feast or famine), but a lot of it didn't ring true. And, more to the point, it was deadly dull to read.
As often happens with Modesitt's characters, the protagonist is widely recognized as relentless moral and upright. He's forced my circumstance to do bad things to people, but when he causes collateral deaths, it's different than when the bad guys do it. Because it wasn't his fault. That line of thinking loses its effect when it's true for every protagonist we see.
Overall, I found this to be a painful read, and a big disappointment from an author I've liked before. I'd say it's a 1.5, and I'd probably lean towards 1. I'm giving 2 stars instead, to allow the benefit of the doubt because I didn't read the prequel. If you have any inclination toward this series start with that one. I will not be going out to get it.
Also, Grey tea is the drink of the future. I don't know what it is, but Jonat can't go more than a page without drinking it, so it must be really something.
August 9, 2017
This is a thoughtful, well-done 25th century SF thriller, set in the same world as 2002's Archform Beauty -- but this one's better, I thought.
An ex-Marine commando, now an advertising consultant(!), gets caught up in a web of political intrigue when he accepts a seemingly-innocuous consulting assignment. In what is (in retrospect) a weak, ad-hoc auctorial plot-pusher, the ruthless Secret Masters of Earth and Mars decide to make a patsy of ex-Col. Dr. Jonat deVrai, then murder him. DeVrai turns out, unsurprisingly, to be both hard to kill and good at turning the tables on his attackers.
This is all pretty basic, plot-boiling stuff, but Modesitt makes the book more intriguing by going deeply into his protagonist's life, and makes 25th century ad-consulting sound pretty interesting. Really. Plus there's a heavy dose of quotidian details that I (mostly) liked, setting up some startlingly-effective juxtapositions. On an 'interesting' day, deVrai's 'To Do' list might read:
1) Get the kids fed and off to school.
2) Make sure Charis practices piano for an hour.
...
7) Blow up Mahmed Kemal, a local ganglord.
There are the customary Modesitt ruminations re what's a good guy to do if the system won't stop the bad guys? Answer: "Get them before they get you." DeVrai also gets involved with an unusual police AI and its attractive cydroid remote, Paula Athene(!), in a clear setup for a sequel or two. Jonat de Vrai's not quite up to Johan Eschbach, the very resourceful environmental-economist protagonist in Modesitt's excellent "Tangible Ghosts" trilogy, but he's cut from similar cloth.
Recommended for Modesitt and political-thriller fans. "A-"
My 2005 meta-review, with links:
http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/nonfict...
An ex-Marine commando, now an advertising consultant(!), gets caught up in a web of political intrigue when he accepts a seemingly-innocuous consulting assignment. In what is (in retrospect) a weak, ad-hoc auctorial plot-pusher, the ruthless Secret Masters of Earth and Mars decide to make a patsy of ex-Col. Dr. Jonat deVrai, then murder him. DeVrai turns out, unsurprisingly, to be both hard to kill and good at turning the tables on his attackers.
This is all pretty basic, plot-boiling stuff, but Modesitt makes the book more intriguing by going deeply into his protagonist's life, and makes 25th century ad-consulting sound pretty interesting. Really. Plus there's a heavy dose of quotidian details that I (mostly) liked, setting up some startlingly-effective juxtapositions. On an 'interesting' day, deVrai's 'To Do' list might read:
1) Get the kids fed and off to school.
2) Make sure Charis practices piano for an hour.
...
7) Blow up Mahmed Kemal, a local ganglord.
There are the customary Modesitt ruminations re what's a good guy to do if the system won't stop the bad guys? Answer: "Get them before they get you." DeVrai also gets involved with an unusual police AI and its attractive cydroid remote, Paula Athene(!), in a clear setup for a sequel or two. Jonat de Vrai's not quite up to Johan Eschbach, the very resourceful environmental-economist protagonist in Modesitt's excellent "Tangible Ghosts" trilogy, but he's cut from similar cloth.
Recommended for Modesitt and political-thriller fans. "A-"
My 2005 meta-review, with links:
http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/nonfict...
August 23, 2008
Flash was an unusual and engaging book. The main book opens with a flashback to an military operation gone wrong, but we quickly learn that Jonat de Vrai has left all that behind a decade ago. Now he is a consultant in an esoteric branch of marketing and applied mathematics.
As the book unfolds, we are drawn deeper into Jonat's world of corporate politics and deadlines, while taking side trips to his past and into an ongoing series of difficult crimes being worked by human police and an intelligent system called Central Four.
Despite the nature of Jonat's occupation, the book doesn't really feel like it has a slow start. De Vrai is a very intelligent and perceptive person, so he begins to see the import of some of the things he has been asked to do very early. Even when we are not sure of Jonat's place in them, we get the sense of being on the edges of something large and scary going on in the government. The actions and motivations of the enigmatic Central Four just heighten the tension.
I also liked this book a lot because it dealt with some subjects that are generally absent or glossed over in science fiction and fantasy. How does the hero go on with his life? How does he pay the bills? What does his family think? Are there children or a spouse who depend upon him?
This was definitely not an action-packed thriller, but it was engaging and interesting.
As the book unfolds, we are drawn deeper into Jonat's world of corporate politics and deadlines, while taking side trips to his past and into an ongoing series of difficult crimes being worked by human police and an intelligent system called Central Four.
Despite the nature of Jonat's occupation, the book doesn't really feel like it has a slow start. De Vrai is a very intelligent and perceptive person, so he begins to see the import of some of the things he has been asked to do very early. Even when we are not sure of Jonat's place in them, we get the sense of being on the edges of something large and scary going on in the government. The actions and motivations of the enigmatic Central Four just heighten the tension.
I also liked this book a lot because it dealt with some subjects that are generally absent or glossed over in science fiction and fantasy. How does the hero go on with his life? How does he pay the bills? What does his family think? Are there children or a spouse who depend upon him?
This was definitely not an action-packed thriller, but it was engaging and interesting.
August 26, 2008
If I were to base my review and ranking upon the first 1/3 of the book it would be a 2 star excoriation of what seemed to be an extremely rough draft of a book that had some interesting premises but did not deliver on them. Were I to review and rank the last 2/3s of the same book it would be 4 stars, or thereabouts.
Modesitt tries to cram far too much into the beginning of the book, explaining a future Earth that has melded the independent North American countries into a single region, NorAm, as well as consolidating all the other countries in the world into larger, corporation-controlled, entities.
At the same time as he is trying to explain what's gone on and why this new system is (apparently) far superior to Democracy he is introducing the main character and kicking off the plotlines that will carry through the remainder of the book. Unfortunately, it's too much too fast and should have been edited to streamline it a bit.
The last 2/3s of the book, however, became quite fast paced, in a good way,and the plot starts developing in new and interesting ways. Were it not for my faith on Modesitt in general based on previous novels, I would not have gotten that far and would probably have just given up. That said, having made it to the end I can say that the initial investment was worth it.
Modesitt tries to cram far too much into the beginning of the book, explaining a future Earth that has melded the independent North American countries into a single region, NorAm, as well as consolidating all the other countries in the world into larger, corporation-controlled, entities.
At the same time as he is trying to explain what's gone on and why this new system is (apparently) far superior to Democracy he is introducing the main character and kicking off the plotlines that will carry through the remainder of the book. Unfortunately, it's too much too fast and should have been edited to streamline it a bit.
The last 2/3s of the book, however, became quite fast paced, in a good way,and the plot starts developing in new and interesting ways. Were it not for my faith on Modesitt in general based on previous novels, I would not have gotten that far and would probably have just given up. That said, having made it to the end I can say that the initial investment was worth it.
May 1, 2016
This one started slow for me. I realize the author was setting the stage and providing background material, but it was slow going and not too enticing to begin with. Things picked up about a third of the way through, and by then things were beginning to make sense and unfold. The use of unfamiliar terms, safo for safety officer for instance, and lots of acronyms for various organizations required some concentration as well.
Jonat, the main character, has inner and outer conflicts. Inwardly he struggles with what ought to be done and isn't and how the law seems to protect the guilty instead of the innocent. Outwardly someone is out to kill him, and he wants to survive. It all comes together in the end although some things are not fully resolved, but that's the real world anyway.
The author does have some interesting things to say about law and justice and how most folks just want to keep their heads down and avoid any change since it would disrupt their lives. It is not all cynical, but those thoughts have a certain relevance to today's world.
While I liked the book, it was not as good as his fantasy stuff in my opinion.
In the author's defense, I admit to not having read #1 in the series; maybe that would have helped me deal with the familiarization process at the beginning of the book.
Jonat, the main character, has inner and outer conflicts. Inwardly he struggles with what ought to be done and isn't and how the law seems to protect the guilty instead of the innocent. Outwardly someone is out to kill him, and he wants to survive. It all comes together in the end although some things are not fully resolved, but that's the real world anyway.
The author does have some interesting things to say about law and justice and how most folks just want to keep their heads down and avoid any change since it would disrupt their lives. It is not all cynical, but those thoughts have a certain relevance to today's world.
While I liked the book, it was not as good as his fantasy stuff in my opinion.
In the author's defense, I admit to not having read #1 in the series; maybe that would have helped me deal with the familiarization process at the beginning of the book.
June 28, 2010
Jonat deVrai wants to know why clones of himself are trying to kill him. It probably has something to do with his study of hypnotic techniques in political advertising. But the implications of that are so obvious that Jonat can't help thinking something deeper is going on.
Turns out a power-hungry cabel had underestimated Jonat when they chose him to be their patsy. They expected his ethics to be his weakness, but Jonat has his priorities in better order than that. With a highly unusual sidekick(s), the ex-marine sets out to protect his family, friends, and humanity.
For about the first 20 percent of FLASH, the facts about this future civilization were packed so densely that it was hard to read. Finally it caught hold of me, and I read way late two nights in a row to finish it. Exciting with a satisfying ending.
Turns out a power-hungry cabel had underestimated Jonat when they chose him to be their patsy. They expected his ethics to be his weakness, but Jonat has his priorities in better order than that. With a highly unusual sidekick(s), the ex-marine sets out to protect his family, friends, and humanity.
For about the first 20 percent of FLASH, the facts about this future civilization were packed so densely that it was hard to read. Finally it caught hold of me, and I read way late two nights in a row to finish it. Exciting with a satisfying ending.
July 8, 2008
Omigod the first half of this book dragged it's ass. And, like, I didn't know it was future-time thank you for info-dumping so many damn newspeak words to me—I wouldn't have figured it out otherwise.
Possibly unsurprisingly, the pace gets a little better and the story interesting once the female characters are developed and introduced more thoroughly, and the overall arc isn't bad, really, just how it's portrayed is a little, y'know. I understand the desire to make characters fully real by letting us know that sometime after picking a cup up they must return it to the counter, or whatever, but it gets a little (lot) much.
Possibly unsurprisingly, the pace gets a little better and the story interesting once the female characters are developed and introduced more thoroughly, and the overall arc isn't bad, really, just how it's portrayed is a little, y'know. I understand the desire to make characters fully real by letting us know that sometime after picking a cup up they must return it to the counter, or whatever, but it gets a little (lot) much.
May 5, 2012
Wow. Yes, I do post a lot of four stars... Why? Cause I tend to review the stuff I like best... Still for me to give five stars is far rarer. This is the likes of Roger Zelazy's "a rose for ecclesiastics", or Stranger in a Strange Land Robert Heinlein, or Exile Kiss George Alec Effinger. What I am saying is it is a rare event... I do not add a lot of books to this number. My favorite authors often aren't on this list... though I read all their books. I like the way this guy thinks.
December 28, 2010
Excellent read with lots of science fiction technological emphases. The hero, Jonat, is an ethical, honest man trying to survive in an arena of money-grabbing and power hungry people, organizations and companies. Several attempts have been made on his life - one of which almost succeeded. Shortly after this attempt his sister and brother-in-law are killed. Jonat discovers there is a deep conspiracy. People are threatened. People disappear. People are killed. Can Jonat survive and serve as a parent model for his niece, Charis, and nephew, Alan?
February 5, 2009
I liked that the deeper questions that lurk under the plot (AI autonomy, various sociopolitical issues) did not become part of the narrative. I think that would have gotten irritating real fast here. There were times when the book dragged a bit, but it was usually in service to clarifying or fleshing out situations or characters that would be important later.
November 11, 2009
Eh. It ended up being okay, overall. It started pretty slow and boring. I only kept reading it because it was an ebook and I didn't have anything better to read on my Treo. Eventually it got more interesting, but even at the end was only mediocre. It felt like a first draft, not a finished novel.
October 2, 2019
Another fun read from Modesitt, which follows a lot of his familiar themes. While I enjoyed it, I think it wasn't quite as good as the previous book in this setting, Archform: Beauty. Still, a reliably entertaining book, with the usual strong characters and worldbuilding of Modesitt. Also, one of his better romantic subplots, in my opinion.
June 26, 2015
Got this a few years back when Tor gave away a bunch of ebooks. Started reading it a while back, but since I rarely read ebooks except when traveling, only just finished.
Very much enjoyed it nonetheless.
Very much enjoyed it nonetheless.
January 5, 2010
(Previous review got eaten by the browser and I don't want to re-write it.) In a nutshell: good, just ignore the plotholes when you see them. I'd have been more specific if I'd remembered to write a review when I finished this book last month, rather than now.
November 27, 2012
While very technical at times as the author creates a new version of advertising appropriate to the future while creating a "normal" day for the hero, it's full of surprises and interesting characters in a futuristic suspense thriller format. I enjoyed the book.
July 5, 2013
The last Modesitt book I read and finished, I said that if it did not get me excited about it with in 100 pages, I would not finish it. This is that book. I did skim read through the end but it did not pick up speed. Boring and not real scifi.
August 10, 2016
I have read many of his books and they are very predictable but yet I come back for more. This was equally enjoyable and I will probably read more of his books. I find his unwitting heroes to be likable.
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