Dan Simmons last few books (including Drood (my review), Black Hills and The Terror) were all focused on the past with Simmons spending quite a bit of time writing about the 1800s. So it’s a great pleasure to see Simmons coming back to the future with his new book Flashback. This book seems to be very inspired by Philip K Dick(especially The Man in the High Castle and A Scanner Darkly). The book is a mystery set in a science fiction setting (which is one of my favorite genres), so I probably enjoyed the book more than it deserved. I do feel the need (since I’ve seen complaints of this on other sites) that the book has overt political themes, mainly from a conservative POV, which some readers have found objectionable. If that is going to bother you, then don’t worry about reading the book. For the rest, let’s see what Flashback is about.

It’s the year 2032 and the US has gone to hell in a handbasket. The economy has gone down and the country has fallen apart, literally in many cases. Nick Bottom used to be a police officer, but after his wife died, he became such a flashback addict that he sent his son (Val) off to live with his father-in-law (Leonard). Flashback is a drug that has become popular very quickly in the US and has helped lead the downward spiral. What flashback lets you do is to relive any scene from your past that you are interested in. It’s sold in timed doses, so a 30 minute vial lets you relive 30 minutes of your past. It’s been adopted by some religious groups that has adherents reliving their entire life bit by bit to learn and grow spiritually.

So, it’s a surprise when Nick gets a call from the Japanese Advisor to the US who wants him to reopen an unsolved murder from Nick’s police days. It’s the death of the Advisor’s son. Since the US has gone downhill, Japan has gone back to a more Feudal system and the Japanese Advisor is one of the more powerful men in Japan currently. Since Nick worked on the case and (with help from Flashback) has the ability to go back and review police notes and interviews that have since been lost. Nick accepts the case in order to have some money for more flashback.

Nick’s son Val is in a gang that loves committing violence (rape and murder), so they can get off on replaying in with Flashback. The leader of Val’s gang has money and a mom in the right place and the underground knowledge to plan an assassination of a political figure. Val has always been on the fringe of the group, but his hesitation might push him further out with violent consequences.

Leonard tries his best with Val, but the boy has gotten out of control. His weekly chess playing partner has offered to help Leonard out and might be more connected than anyone suspects. Leonard might have a way out if he can get Val to go with him. But the only place to go is over to Nick.

Nick is pushing his luck in the investigation and getting less and more information than he needs. But when a chance viewing of his wife at a video recreation of the crime scene leads him off in directions that he never expected and starts making him re-evaluate his life and her death.

The book is set in a Mad Max inspired United States with a lot of violence always present (and not always behind the scenes). The political rants from the characters are extremely right wing and show a logical future based off those beliefs. This is a different type of dystopian society and reminded me a lot of The Man in the High Castle (not just for the California and Colorado settings and Japanese characters). The plot itself is a bit slow and not well thought out in places. And the ultimate resolution of the mystery seems forced. I did enjoy the setting and the characterizations. Simmons did a great job showing an addict and the people’s lives he’s affected in the middle of the societal madness. Also, there were many great details including the use of sports stadiums as open-air prisons and survivors of the nuclear attack on Israel being kept in a theme park.

Overall it was a fast and enjoyable 500+ page book. With some touchups on the plot, the book would have been much better. I enjoyed it, but that could be my science fiction mystery love showing through. Recommended.