Review of Flashpoint

Finally, someone has got it right. Frank Creed has done an excellent job of combining Biblical principles with outstanding cyberpunk action.

Some of you out there in cyberspace are thinking, “What is this guy talking about? What is cyberpunk and who in the world is Frank Creed?” Thank you for asking. Let me start with some basic definitions.

Cyberpunk is a sub genre of science fiction that was first started by William Gibson in 1984 with his book Neuromancer. It is usually dystopian in nature and tells of how humans and technology merge in such a way that it is almost impossible to tell them apart. (Burning Chrome and Idoru are two books that I recommend for anyone not up on the know about this genre.) The Matrix trilogy and the anime series “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” will also give you a good idea about what cyberpunk is all about.

The second thought-question was Who is Frank Creed? Frank Creed is the secret writing persona of someone must remain anonymous. (Twenty bucks each from a hundred people and I'll sing like a canary.) He is one of the founding members of the Lost Genre Guild, a group of brave writers who are bringing Christ to the world of speculative fiction. You can learn more about Frank Creed and his writings on his website: www.frankcreed.com.

His debut novel, Flashpoint, will be released in the autumn of this year, but I was blessed enough to get an advance copy for review purposes. Frank Creed takes us into the dark streets of the Chicago Metroplex (c. 2036 AD). It is a world that is ruled by the One State where the only recognized religion is the state. Fundamentalist Christians are the only ones who can stand up to this high tech fascist regime. The Body of Christ (BoC) are declared terrorists and sent to “Rehab” Wards if caught. Calamity Kid and e-girl join up with the BoC after their parents are arrested having an underground church in their home. They and the other saints risk their lives to rescue believers and non-believers from the clutches of the state's control. Along the way, they discover that the family was betrayed a Judas of their own.

The Matrix, martial arts, hacking, and Scripture are masterfully blended in this book to make a very interesting read. I liked it because the Bible verses are woven into the story in such a way that it is not slamming religion down the reader's throat. There is plenty of action. Some of the fight scenes could be a little confusing but they made it hard for me to put book down. I wished more of William Gibson had put more action into his novels. I find that the characters were believable and it was very difficult not to want to cheer on Calamity Kid as he fought against the uber bad guy in the last few chapters of the book. I was highly mad that the book even had to end. I wanted to see more stories based in this world. It was hard to leave. This is destined to become a cyberpunk classic.

Check out more about Flashpoint on Frank's site. (The first three chapters can be downloaded.) Go to www.lostgenreguild.com to learn more about Biblical speculative fiction and see how you can play a part in bringing more quality works like this to the bookshelves.