Nightmare - Steven Harper Book Review

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Review Summaries

" Roc, Oct 2002, 6.99, 368 pp. ISBN 0451458982 When the human colonists landed on Bellerophon, they knew that they were not the first intelligent species to inhabit the land. The Ched-Balaar realized that with guidance humans could enter The Dream State, a mental plane of existence where humans and aliens are able to meet and communicate no matter the distance between the Dreamer's planets. The Silents, those who enter the Dream State, are much valued because communication is instantaneous and business can be conducted just as messages can be delivered in the blink of an eye even though the participants are light years apart. After three years in slavery, Kendi is bought by the Children of Irfan and given his freedom and a ticket to any place in the known universe. He elects to stay on Bellerophon, get a good education, and learn how to enter the Dream so he can find his missing siblings and parents. The Dream is not safe yet because a powerful Silent is murdering dreamers and nobody has a clue to the identity of the serial killer. Steven Harper creates a realistic future based on meditation philosophies in vogue today. Many readers will wish they had a time machine so they could travel into the future and learn how to be part of the Dream. Kendi, for all the suffering he has endured, is a strong willed person who bends but never breaks. His ability to overcome the traumas he has endeared makes him a hero worth rooting for by the enthralled audience. Harriet Klausner "
Harriet Klausner, Resident Stephen Harper Scholar

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Overall Review

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%

Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Spying & Investigations Yes
What is main char. doing? - finding a killer (criminal)
Robots, Computers, VR Yes
Robot, PC, VR Plotlets: - virtual reality
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - student
Age: - a teen
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - a teen
Profession/status: - student
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a futuristic society - inhabited by friendly aliens
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
scientific jargon? (SF only) - a moderate amount of scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript

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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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