Simmons creates a uncomfortably plausible near future coupled with a good old whodunit as its core. A drug known as "flashback", which allows users to relive periods of time in their past with perfect recall, and being abused in this world, gives the story some reality-bending elements reminiscent of Philip K. Dick.
The detective story at the heart of the tale is well-told, with a believable character in ex-cop Nick Bottom but there's a lot to digest here -- the Chinese collapse, the fall of Europe, the rise of the Islamic Caliphate, the resurgence of "Nuevo Mexico" and the change in Japan from democracy to something more feudal. The other story line that ends up dovetailing into Nick's investigation is that of Nick's son Val and his father-in-law, Leonard Fox, as they try to escape from Los Angeles which is erupting in violent confrontation between "spanic" reconquistas and the residents of the city and state.
and which is apparently as addictive as cocaine or heroine.
The detective story at the heart of the tale is well-told, with a believable character in ex-cop Nick Bottom but there's a lot to digest here -- the Chinese collapse, the fall of Europe, the rise of the Islamic Caliphate, the resurgence of "Nuevo Mexico" and the change in Japan from democracy to something more feudal. The other story line that ends up dovetailing into Nick's investigation is that of Nick's son Val and his father-in-law, Leonard Fox, as they try to escape from Los Angeles which is erupting in violent confrontation between "spanic" reconquistas and the residents of the city and state.
and which is apparently as addictive as cocaine or heroine.
