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mhjenny's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
nealkelso's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
libreroaming's review against another edition
5.0
I feel I should give this rating a disclaimer. If this book were not a re-read, if I had come into it completely new, it would have been a 3 to 3.5 for me. But the memories I have of this book are so pervasive and so revolutionary back when I read it that I can't give anything that formative less than five.
Honestly, these recollections were not all The Dream Master. I just started cutting my teeth on "adult" sci-fi at the time, and threw myself recklessly at anything that purported to be a classic. This is why I had the fortuitous luck of reading Zelazny's The Dream Master right up against Ursula Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven. Both dealt with dreams, albeit it in different ways. One was a tool consciously then unconsciously wielded, the other was an unconscious wildness that others sought to tame. Both ended in a manner that was both tragic and suitable.
What I remember was the description of the son as he described how an inventor dreamed of efficient machines while he pulled off the legs of grasshoppers and how the metal gears must have sounded like the shrieks of all those murdered grasshoppers. I remembered comparing it to the Kafka-esque descriptions of lacquered shells in The Lathe of Heaven, the otherness of nature and how it is molded. I remembered cars that drove themselves and didn't stop when someone walked into traffic, and deep set eyes of a guide dog who could speak but not exactly like a human nor howl like the dogs he had been mutated from.
I remember glancing at the computer for practically every other scene, looking up things like Eloise and Abelard (which I still remembered) and enantiodromia (which I did not), fascinated at how symbols played out while the language and structure unraveled. The references and scenes helped me to better appreciate the rest of the scenes, and the narration of dreams kept my imagination going at full throttle to picture it.
So essentially what I am doing is justifying why I love this novel even though it can feel padded with the many threads and does not come qualitatively close compared to Zelanzy's other works. Because this is a book that can work like Render's machine, and it has left its mark when so many other novels are completely forgotten; although this mark may be malleable and refitted with a new awareness, it lingers the same way a particularly memorable dream will retain flashes and remnants even when you wake.
Honestly, these recollections were not all The Dream Master. I just started cutting my teeth on "adult" sci-fi at the time, and threw myself recklessly at anything that purported to be a classic. This is why I had the fortuitous luck of reading Zelazny's The Dream Master right up against Ursula Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven. Both dealt with dreams, albeit it in different ways. One was a tool consciously then unconsciously wielded, the other was an unconscious wildness that others sought to tame. Both ended in a manner that was both tragic and suitable.
What I remember was the description of the son as he described how an inventor dreamed of efficient machines while he pulled off the legs of grasshoppers and how the metal gears must have sounded like the shrieks of all those murdered grasshoppers. I remembered comparing it to the Kafka-esque descriptions of lacquered shells in The Lathe of Heaven, the otherness of nature and how it is molded. I remembered cars that drove themselves and didn't stop when someone walked into traffic, and deep set eyes of a guide dog who could speak but not exactly like a human nor howl like the dogs he had been mutated from.
I remember glancing at the computer for practically every other scene, looking up things like Eloise and Abelard (which I still remembered) and enantiodromia (which I did not), fascinated at how symbols played out while the language and structure unraveled. The references and scenes helped me to better appreciate the rest of the scenes, and the narration of dreams kept my imagination going at full throttle to picture it.
So essentially what I am doing is justifying why I love this novel even though it can feel padded with the many threads and does not come qualitatively close compared to Zelanzy's other works. Because this is a book that can work like Render's machine, and it has left its mark when so many other novels are completely forgotten; although this mark may be malleable and refitted with a new awareness, it lingers the same way a particularly memorable dream will retain flashes and remnants even when you wake.
knmed's review against another edition
Did not like the narrator, will try again physically reading it
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
Charles Render is a Shaper, a type of psychiatrist who adminsters therapy via sort of a psychic virtual reality. Enter Eileen Shallot, a woman blind from birth who wants to be a Shaper and wants Render to teach her to see.
I actually don't have a lot to say about this one. While I liked it, it was a little on the meh side of the Zelazny spectrum. I really liked the Shaper concept and the talking dogs but didn't really care about the characters.
I actually don't have a lot to say about this one. While I liked it, it was a little on the meh side of the Zelazny spectrum. I really liked the Shaper concept and the talking dogs but didn't really care about the characters.
rdmathison's review against another edition
4.0
Diving into Zelazny's oeuvre for the first time with The Dream Master was quite the experience. One cannot help but marvel at the masterful world-building, woven together seamlessly in a narrative that is both compact and expansive. In a book not extensive in its page count, the universe painted by Zelazny is intricate, surreal, and deeply immersive.
Charles Render stands out as a character of depth and intricacy. His profession, his internal struggles, and his evolution as a person make him a magnetic presence. Zelazny's skill in crafting a character who is both deeply flawed and deeply human is, without a doubt, praiseworthy.
Eileen, on the other hand, is a study in contrasts. She exudes an aura that is both magnetic and unsettling, which leaves readers with an itch of discomfort, a testament to Zelazny's ability to evoke powerful emotions with subtle shades of nuance.
However, this work is not without some rough edges. While the journey through The Dream Master is enthralling, the finale seems incredibly abrupt, leaving the reader with a hunger for closure. Given the depth and complexity of the narrative that precedes it, the ending could have benefited from a more resounding resolution.
In summary, The Dream Master was, for me, an impressive introduction to Zelazny's genius. The book showcases his strength in character development and world-building, even if the conclusion doesn't quite live up to the promise of the preceding pages.
Charles Render stands out as a character of depth and intricacy. His profession, his internal struggles, and his evolution as a person make him a magnetic presence. Zelazny's skill in crafting a character who is both deeply flawed and deeply human is, without a doubt, praiseworthy.
Eileen, on the other hand, is a study in contrasts. She exudes an aura that is both magnetic and unsettling, which leaves readers with an itch of discomfort, a testament to Zelazny's ability to evoke powerful emotions with subtle shades of nuance.
However, this work is not without some rough edges. While the journey through The Dream Master is enthralling, the finale seems incredibly abrupt, leaving the reader with a hunger for closure. Given the depth and complexity of the narrative that precedes it, the ending could have benefited from a more resounding resolution.
In summary, The Dream Master was, for me, an impressive introduction to Zelazny's genius. The book showcases his strength in character development and world-building, even if the conclusion doesn't quite live up to the promise of the preceding pages.
chia_s's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
madmadder's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
nlord's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0