Dreamer

I recently read this book by Paul Bates, the prequel/companion book to Imprint, published in 2005, which I have also read. However, each novel is a stand-alone work, readable on its own. It was satisfying to have read Imprint first since some of the characters repeat and take more of the stage in this novel. I would still like to read more about a couple of characters, Anastasia, Carpathia, Splash...intriguing characters who flit in and out of this and the previous novel. Perhaps Bates will give us more of them in his next novel? This is not the genre I usually read, but this slip stream work of fiction(mostly science fiction and fantasy) was still satisfying and entertaining, even though this chilling world, dark and utterly without hope, might someday exist. Bates is an excellent writer with an impressive command of the English language and a clear and focused novel laid out for his audience. Dreamer, despite a few unsatisfying characters and some unweildy syntax, is thoughtfully constructed. The dystopian world Bates has drawn is dark, filled with despair and devoid of genuine human connections, a world where all the inhabitants know that each step, each encounter could be their last, those in the government and rebels alike. One of this novel's main character, Jennie Height, walks and dreams through this world, trying to understand herself and the strange dreams she experiences, She explains this world to her companion, Walter Vellum, for part of her journey through her conscious and dream world; "It's a city of death, Walter," Jennie adds. "You saw how it began. You lived there. It's always been kill, be killed, live in perpetual fear, or pretend that none of it is happening." Adolph Void (a too-obvious name here...?) runs the world and seeks the secret of immortality and ultimately power, the only thing to hunger for in this world since nothing human and genuine is possible. The secret rebellion works to undermine his goal. I'll leave the plot out of this review since you need to read the novel to appreciate its finer plot details. My interest is with characters, and In this end-of-days novel, every person is categorized, pidgeon holed into a type with or without talents, which groups them by function. We have representatives from each group in the main characters of this world. Its denizens are all political and yet not many of them are genuinely political. Most of them are just struggling to survive to the next day, and life is to be endured, not enjoyed. Even the sexual liaisons are devoid of joy or the sense that an authentic exchange is taking place. For me, this is the difficult part of the novel to manage since I look for the genuine and authentic connections between people when I read, but the point of this book is that those human connections are not possible in this world. In this way, Bates has accomplished the cold and sterile world he intended. The characters Bates has created are devoid of hope, and I have diffi

The government controls everything in the lives of their citizens. They will not allow dissension and harshly eliminate opposition. However, in spite of the government's seemingly total severe control, a rebellious underground exists whose goal is to throw out the current leadership and replace it with their leaders starting with top gun Carpathia Coyle. This opposition has proven at times as ruthless as the government is. Walter Vellum is rising rapidly up the ladder of the rebels. At the same time of his meteoric assent, his girlfriend and employee at his bar, Jennie Height is beginning to understand her precognitive skills. Her visions are the only thing that keeps the rebels alive as the government crushes their opponents at every turn. This is an interesting combination of science fiction and fantasy in a dystopian society. The story line can become a bit bewildering to follow but for the most part is an intriguing tale of rebellion in which the critical players for each side are clairvoyants. Well written and exciting, readers initially will root for the rebels, but soon realize they offer more of the same ruthless oligopoly control as the government does. Fans of psychic thrillers in a futuristic dystopian world in which the adversaries are two sides of the same coin will appreciate Paul Bates' fine thriller DREAMERS. Harriet Klausner