The Flicker Men / Ted Kosmatka

The Flicker Men

by Ted Kosmatka

science thriller

copyright 2015

read in June 2017

rated 5/10: readable but only if there's nothing else

I admit it: I was predisposed to dislike this book, purely because of the cover. Any novel that has to state, "a novel" on the cover just has to be of dubious quality. The publishers are saying, "This book is so scary and so plausible that we have to reassure you that yes, it is really a fiction, a novel..."

Pure bunkum.

The correct interpretation is, "This book is loaded with weird and incomprehensible stuff, we think the author is aiming for deep significance, we are printing this because we make more money from a novel than from a science textbook."

Flicker is not as bad as implied by, "a novel". Turns out, it is not too bad. I still didn't really enjoy it.

I skipped over a lot. Irrelevant rubbish, I thought. The sad stories of his parents, the hero's own personal and psychological problems. All doled out in small and incomplete portions so that -- I guess -- the reader keeps reading in the hope of learning more.

It turns out that some of the background rot may have been relevant. By the time I realised that, I was even less interested. I would rather be given a backstory which made sense -- followed eventually by the excitement of finally learning how it relates to the central plot. (Hmmm. On the other hand, apparently-irrelevant prologues are one of my many pet hates.)

Then, during a break in reading, I had an epiphany: This book is not "science fiction". It is "science thriller"! All of a sudden it makes sense! This is not a story of "what if", it is a story of weak but cunning individual battling super-powerful super-rich world-controlling superbeings. Aha! a thriller !

I continue reading and the second half of the book suddenly makes sense. Not sense as a good book, but sense as a thriller. A fantasy-science explanation of religions, that sort of thing. With the surprise ending where the hero finally discovers that the all-powerful and immortal evil dudes can be killed with a sprinkle of blessed salt from the Dead Sea... (No, it's not really that bad!)

Anyway, having realised that this book is a thriller, I read on. Without looking for pseudo-scientific logic. Just accepting that this is a positive view of good battling evil. Supported by science taken in an unexpected direction.

As a thriller, Flicker is fine. Worth at least one more rating point.

For me -- for my enjoyment -- a very average book. Unbelievable. Simple enough to follow but hard to understand. And just not my cup of tea.

====
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====

"The man who has no imagination has no wings." … Muhammad Ali