Return to the future of Archform: Beauty . In the twenty-fourth century, Earth is vastly changed. Ecological and biological catastrophe have raged across the planet, but for the survivors, it is a world of plenty. Even the poorest live in abundance, and the upper class -- the ascendant -- command technological marvels. Ten years ago, Jonat deVrai was a rising star in the Marines. But he shocked his superiors by walking away from the Corps after witnessing atrocity and hypocrisy during the Reclamation of Guyana. Starting his life over, he established himself as the world's expert on the effectiveness of "prod"-- product placement, the only advertising which viewers will allow through the sophisticated filters they all use against unwanted intrusions on their electronic link networks. Prod, reinforced with sublims and the "res" -- resonant frequencies, a form of sonic branding -- is the wave of the future. Jonat now advises multinational corporations on their prod campaigns, his busy life only occasionally disturbed by vivid flashbacks to his military years. Then his comfortable world is upset when the Centre for Societal Research approaches him to study the effects of res and prod on political campaigns. After a res-heavy political rally for Laborite Republican Senatorial candidate Juan Carlismo, armed thugs jump deVrai in a parking garage. A day later, a sniper ambushes him. What looked like a safe, lucrative contract has suddenly turned dangerous. The stakes raise further when deVrai foils a remote-controlled cydroid assassination attempt on a Popular Democrat candidate. Cydroids built from deVrai's stolen DNA are turning up dead throughout NorAm. Suspicion and conspiracy race around Jonat. Who wants him dead? Candidate Juan Carlismo's use of prod is skirting the limits of legality. The Centre has its own obscure agenda and may want deVrai as a martyr. The terrorist group PAMD is targeting ascendents in deVrai's family. And one of his clients is known for holding legendary grudges - could he have gone over the edge? With his life on the line, deVrai must sort flash from fact before it's too late. Flash is a blend of all-out thriller and thoughtful social, political, and technological exploration that that gets into your mind in a way even res and prod could never match. Former marine Jonat deVrai has established a new career as a product placement consultant. Product placement is the predominant means of advertising in the twenty-fourth century, and it requires getting past the filters on individuals' personal network links. Hired to study the effects of prod on political campaigns, he suddenly discovers he has put his life on the line. In a world in which simulation is a high art form, deVrai must sort out facts and factions before he is killed. The process leads to nonstop action, which, however, never sidelines good world-building and characterization. Indeed, Flash shows Modesitt deviating quite notably from his propensity for producing books of high intelligence that frequently drag. A marvelous thriller that plausibly extrapolates from current possibilities in IT, AI, media, and crime, it also constitutes the way for newcomers to get acquainted with Modesitt--at his best. Frieda Murray Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved L. E. MODESITT JR., is the bestselling author of the fantasy series The Saga of Recluce. His science fiction includes Adiamante , the Ecolitan novels, and Archform: Beauty . He lives in Cedar City, Utah. Flash By L. E. Modesitt Jr., David G. Hartwell Tom Doherty Associates Copyright © 2004 L. E. Modesitt, Jr. All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-7653-1128-3 CHAPTER 1 Cracckk! "Down!" Down! At the sound of the ancient slug-thrower, I dropped flat onto the squashed soyl plants at the edge of the field. The illegal crops — soyl and caak — were mostly shielded by the taller overgrowth of what had once been part of a rain forest. My three companies were spread along nearly a kay from north to south so that the illegals didn't get past. CI wanted a bunch for interrogation. Somewhere to the west of us was the Berbice River, but that didn't matter. Everything around us was wet. Nothing ever dried out, not even the tropical uniforms that were supposed to wick away moisture while providing impact protection. They did neither all that well, and certainly didn't do anything to stop the sweating. Someone might have said that the pattering sound of slugs shredding the taller soyl plants to the east of where I lay sounded almost like rain. It didn't. Air, Bravo two. Nothing. The uplink was dead. I clicked the implant to alt ... static-filled, but there. Not supposed to have static on satellite-combat links. Right. Air, Bravo two. You're breaking up, two. Try main. Idiots! Would I have been on alt if main worked? Negative. Main dead. Need CAS. Coordinates follow. Say again coordinates ... It took three attempts to get the coordinates c