The Book Frog Book Club

The Book Frog Book Club...on Facebook

The Book Frog is thrilled to announce the first selection for our brand-new online book club. We'll be reading Dan Simmons' near-future dystopian noir, Flashback. From my review of Flashback:

"The world that Flashback is set in, a future a mere twenty-one years out from our present, is bleak. A large portion of the world--including pockets of the United States--is ruled by the Caliphate, a well-organized group of Islamic extremists from across the Muslim world. The Japanese own much of the rest of the world, and, having shed the restrictions placed upon them after the second World War, are working to rebuild Japanese society according to the ideals of medieval Japan. The remains of the United States (there are 44 states, several having either seceded or been absorbed by other countries), reeling in the twenty-third year of the jobless recovery, hires its armed forces out to other countries to bring in much-needed revenue, but still its cities crumble and fall."

The story centers around Nick Bottom, a former cop, who's disgraced, alone, and has been living for the last half decade--like much of the rest of the world--addicted to a drug called Flashback, which allows the user to relive memories, in real time, exactly as they happened. This pathetic wretch of a human being is hired to solve the very crime that sent his life and career off the rails. (If you want to read the whole review, click here...and be sure to read the comment section; there's some interesting stuff there.)

Start reading any time, and feel free to post thoughts and observations and queries--spoiler free, please!--between now and the week of November 18th. From the 18th through the 24th of November we'll discuss the book in earnest, assuming that everyone's read the whole thing and not worrying about spoilers.

To join just visit the group's Facebook page. If you have any questions, you can call me at the store or message me on Facebook. Flashback is available online at The Book Frog's webstore and at the store itself (although I won't have it back in stock until the end of the week). Mention the book club and get Flashback for 10% off.