Reviews for Wine of the Dreamers
Review - Wine of the Dreamers
On the planet where the human race started, there are only 900 people left. They never leave the main building and spend much of their lives hooked up to dream machines that allow them to live lives of people on one of three other planets. Except these aren’t really dreams — when they “dream” they actually take over the lives of people on these planets. (MacDonald explains in an afterword that this is his attempt to explain violence on Earth.) And they aren’t sure why, but any time they come upon a person who is trying to find a way to leave one of the planets, they are to prevent it.
One man, named Raul Kinson, who isn’t as weakened by inbreeding as most of the others, is dissatisfied with the life of the dreamers. He explores his own world and the worlds he dreams and discovers the truth. He tells his sister, Leesa, also stronger and brighter than the others, but she doesn’t believe at first.
Meanwhile, on earth, Bard Lane is running a huge project to build a rocket. His friend, psychiatrist Sharan Inly is trying to help him understand the seemingly random accidents that are messing up the project.
Briefly — Raul contacts Bard and Sharan through “dreams” and convinces them that he really exists. Leesa comes on the scene and wrecks Bard’s rocket. Bard and Sharan are disgraced and lose their careers. But Raul finds a rocket on his own planet. By this time, Leesa is on board with him because she’s in love with Bard. They manage to launch the rocket and head for Earth. Bard and Sharan try to alert Earth that a rocket is coming from another planet. They are thought crazy and are about to be lobotomized when the rocket arrives. Raul marries Sharan, Bard marries Leesa and they determine to try to get to another of the human-colonized planets where people can read each other’s minds and peace reigns.
Back on the home planet, the leader sees Raul and Leesa leave and realizes that his “dreaming” is destructive. He destroys all the dream machines, which quells much of the violence on Earth.
Goofy, poorly-written, with long stretches explaining fictional science. There was a bit of potential, but in the end, especially after MacDonald says that his book is like a religion in that it attempts to explain pain and violence on Earth. Explanation already given, John. Just read the Bible.
One man, named Raul Kinson, who isn’t as weakened by inbreeding as most of the others, is dissatisfied with the life of the dreamers. He explores his own world and the worlds he dreams and discovers the truth. He tells his sister, Leesa, also stronger and brighter than the others, but she doesn’t believe at first.
Meanwhile, on earth, Bard Lane is running a huge project to build a rocket. His friend, psychiatrist Sharan Inly is trying to help him understand the seemingly random accidents that are messing up the project.
Briefly — Raul contacts Bard and Sharan through “dreams” and convinces them that he really exists. Leesa comes on the scene and wrecks Bard’s rocket. Bard and Sharan are disgraced and lose their careers. But Raul finds a rocket on his own planet. By this time, Leesa is on board with him because she’s in love with Bard. They manage to launch the rocket and head for Earth. Bard and Sharan try to alert Earth that a rocket is coming from another planet. They are thought crazy and are about to be lobotomized when the rocket arrives. Raul marries Sharan, Bard marries Leesa and they determine to try to get to another of the human-colonized planets where people can read each other’s minds and peace reigns.
Back on the home planet, the leader sees Raul and Leesa leave and realizes that his “dreaming” is destructive. He destroys all the dream machines, which quells much of the violence on Earth.
Goofy, poorly-written, with long stretches explaining fictional science. There was a bit of potential, but in the end, especially after MacDonald says that his book is like a religion in that it attempts to explain pain and violence on Earth. Explanation already given, John. Just read the Bible.
Reviewed by Roger on 2008-08-20 13:45:27