When Dreams Collide

Wm. Mark Simmons has a winner with When Dreams Collide, the second novel in his trilogy of In the Net of Dreams, When Dreams Collide, and The Woman of His Dreams. In the first novel, Simmons sets up a fantasy within a science fiction framework and fills a medieval landscape with a cast of fascinating characters. In the second novel, When Dreams Collide, Simmons begins to delve into the hearts of his characters, revealing both the saint and the sinner that resides in us all. His main character, Ripley, is trying to understand the Anamoly and fix it. If he doesn't, anyone whose avatar dies in the Dreamworld dies in the suspension tank back at Cephtronics, as well. It makes the game a bit more serious. The problem is, Ripley has been copied by the computer that runs the Dreamworld, and so he gets to die several times. Those Ripleys who are stil alive get to worry if the real Ripley got killed--which means that Ripley back at Cephtronics is dead and the Ripley who is doing the wondering is just a back-up copy, or is he...? And then Ripley also has problems with women (too many)and enemies (way too many)and not quite knowing whether he's real or Memorex. Finally, the novel is a bit darker than In the Net of Dreams, because it's a middle novel, and it's supposed to be darker. His third novel in the series, The Woman of His Dreams, will be published sometime this year (according to his website--check it out. It's hilarious) and will wrap the series up, answer all the questions, and, if the first two novels are any indication--be filled with obscure literary references, outrageous jokes, horrid puns, and more fun per page than most writers manage to pack in an entire novel.

An fan of VR would love to include this book in their library. The dangers of an unstable computer world seem uncannily real in this novel that takes rpg to the extreme. The main character, Ripley, is so deep you can truly feel his joys and sorrows. If you like cyberpunk, you'll really like When Dreams Collide!

The nice thing about this series is that it's fantasy with a big touch of realism. It is computer rpg to the extreme. But what really sets it apart is the humor, the witty and fast storytelling, twists in the story, all with a well dosed pace. Reading the first book "In the net of dreams" is not necessary, but would let you better enjoy this story more.

It would be better to read "In the net of dreams" first. If you have ever played RPG/MUDS and have enjoyed them, this would be one of your dreams.