"BEST OF CFRB" Tour; Day One--FLASHPOINT

Flashpoint--Book One of the Underground by Frank Creed was the first book that  I  wrote a review for. When I reread it now, I see lots  of things that I would change. At the time, however, I was woefully unaware  of what was going on in Christian literature and the publishing business. The original CFRB tour was in October, 2007. Here's a reprise of that early review:

Flashpoint by Frank Creed

Imagine a book that combines the super-cool action of The Matrix with a big portion of Left Behind, and then mix in a few tablespoons of Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness and the powers of all the superheroes you know. This only begins to give you an idea of what to expect in Frank Creed’s futuristic Speculative Fiction book, Flashpoint.

This tale of Good (The Body of Christ and God) versus Evil (the Devil and his crowd) takes place in Chicago in 2036, a time when Fundamentalist Christians are considered dangerous terrorists who need to be taken to insane asylums and reprogrammed in order to serve society. The true believers meet secretly in house churches which are always in danger of being discovered and raided by “Peacekeepers.” The life-or-death action begins as Dave and Jen Williams are traveling home with their dad, only to find Peacekeepers have stormed the neighborhood and arrested the members of their house church, including their mother and older brother. Their father hurriedly takes Dave and Jen to hide where he thinks they’ll be safe until one of the members of the BOC (Body of Christ) can get them underground. Their rescuer, Legacy, makes a last minute appearance as the Peacekeepers are ready to take them. With super strength, super speed and some high-tech toys, Legacy knocks out the Bad Guys. From this point on, the action REALLY gets hot and heavy!

What is most remarkable about this book is how Frank Creed laces the book with scripture, important Christian values, and humor without ever slowing down the pace. The mindware that has been developed works in conjunction with the Holy Spirit, and Dave (who chooses Calamity Kid as his street name) must learn to surrender his own will and let God’s will be done. The humor is everywhere, and sometimes I had to reread portions because I missed it.

The only point that some readers may have a problem with is that this is not written with a rapture taking place, as in Left Behind, before the One World Government starts to take over. However, this book is not taking a stand on one view of the Tribulation or another; it is a speculative look at what the church may face if current trends continue. As such, I think it handles situations and scripture nicely.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action-adventure, cyberpunk, science fiction, or end-times speculation. It is particularly geared for young adult guys, but we older folks--even ladies-- will enjoy it as well! There isn’t a dull moment, yet it gives you some truths to chew on at the same time.

Flashpoint: Book One of the UndergroundAuthor: Frank Creed
Publisher: The Writers’ Café Press, Lafayette, IN
Pub. Date: September, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-934284-01-8
Biblical speculative fiction
200 pages
Retail Price: $9.95, softcover
Contact Frank Creed at www.FrankCreed.com

Since I wrote this, I have read quite a bit of sci-fi and fantasy, as well as other speculative fiction. I've learned a lot more about cyberpunk, film noir  dialog and style, and I've come to a better understanding of how futuristic fiction with can be written with Christian values and yet not line up with your--or my--interpretation of Revelation. As a result, my original impression of Flashpoint and Frank Creed stands. Back then I declared Frank as the best living Christian author. Well, kay, I hadn't read much then, so a few others are on the podium with him, but his style is still exemplary. Smart, succinct, unapologetically Christian and yet honest non-Christians enjoy the story. I'm not sure, but I think he's the first in this sub-sub-genre of Christian cyberpunk (one other I saw recently was Eternity Falls by Kirk Outerbridge). In any case, Frank Creed is an important author in the speculative realm. The long-awaited sequel, War of Attrition, should make its appearance very soon. I recommend getting cozy with Flashpoint before diving into book two.