Flash (novel)

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Flash
Author L. E. Modesitt
Country USA
Language English
Genre(s) Science fiction
Publisher Tor
Publication date 2004
Media type Paperback
Pages 518
ISBN ISBN 0765311283
Preceded by Archform: Beauty

Flash is a science fiction novel by L. E. Modesitt.

Its setting is a world of plenty - there has been ecological disaster, but technology has given enough material resources for everyone. Still, this world is not an utopia - the struggle for control and power dominates the book.

As usual in Modesitt's books, the hero of the book does not seek power; he is forced to exercise it because of others' attempts to use him in their designs to gather power to themselves.

Many themes are touched upon in the book - artificial intelligence, product placement, the nature of self-consciousness, the use of clones as remote-controlled robots and the ethical implications thereof, subliminal influencing, and of course the knotty relationship between following the law and doing what's right.

There's also plenty of both violent action and interesting people interactions - seeing the hero trying to parent kids at the same time as engineering the violent demise of the bad guys is a very interesting contrast.