Sentence:  It's the opposite technique to that of McEwan's narrator, who explicitly sets out his world, overexplains the historical context and never turns down a chance to offer an essayistic digression. To my taste, this is a <WSD>flat-footed</WSD> way of doing sci-fi. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Blunt and unsubtle; lacking finesse.