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4.0 out of 5 stars
Alien Dreams by John B. Rosenman, July 9, 2010
Alien Dreams
John B. Rosenman
Drollerie Press
ISBN: 978-0-9798081-4-2
2007 for eBook/2009 for Print
356 pages/274 pages
Science Fiction
Captain Eric Latimore leads two husband and wife teams to the planet Lagos to investigate the disappearance of the previous company crew of six. It doesn't take long to discover what happened to the first crew and what may also become the current team's fate. Aliens of such beauty that one immediately recognizes them as angels invade the dreams of anyone who lands on the planet. These dreams are so real the beauty represented by the angels eventually causes the dreamer to go insane. One crew member actually digs out her eyes because the angels are just too beautiful to look at.
The team also learns that the angels are imprisoned on Lagos in high-tech/magical cubes one can carry in hand or pocket. And while the aliens are physically restrained, they still command an incredible and influential power over visitors to the planet.
As the investigation progresses the angels manage to influence a crew member to render all means of transport off the planet inoperable, to cause the death of one of the crew and to badly injure Eric's wife. And now comes the punch-line. The angels believe an ancient prophecy that says a stranger will lead them to freedom and provide the means for them to exact revenge from their captor (a mysterious creature known only as the Gatekeeper). They have been trying to convince Eric that he is the One--with little success. But now, in return for healing the two women and promising safe passage off Lagos for them (and a second type of alien victim), Eric must agree to become one of the angels, sire their Redeemer and lead them all to a showdown with the Gatekeeper.
Eric feels he has no moral choice but to agree. Then things get interesting at light speed. The more Eric becomes an angel, the more he realizes they are empty, petulant, bored killers who look upon what they consider to be inferior races as their playing and killing grounds. One wonders if they even have a soul. Yet Eric knows, one way or another, he is going to be the one to fight the Gatekeeper on behalf of these aliens. So, he keeps looking for redeeming virtues in the angels, for something he can touch and nurture, that they might eventually be taught a different way of living, a different path--to earn redemption rather than taking it by force.
It's not until tragedy strikes the very core of the angels that Eric sees his chance. But to accomplish what he envisions Eric must defeat a creature who might well be the God of the Old Testament.
With a strong science fiction setting, John B. Rosenman explores the importance of culture, compassion and love by pitting a race that has none of these qualities against a number of species.
Alien Dreams is, in my opinion, John Rosenman's most substantial offering to date. One could say that he shows us what it is to be human by slowly tearing everything that means away from Captain Eric Latimore, all the while holding up the angels as examples of the horror of what he is to become.
Yet another enjoyable read from an author who knows how to entertain and make you think. Well done John.
Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Thoughtful and entertaining, October 24, 2011
This review is from: Alien Dreams (Paperback)
Combining elements of classic Sci-Fi, a two part Fantasy and a touch of the Divine - Alien Dreams sets out as a lost persons thriller that quickly morphs, by means of intrigue, First Contact and violence, into a soul-searching tale of Man's inhumanity and the value of understanding and forgiveness.
Captain Eric Latimore and his unconscious `Brother' (an internal split personality) represent the goodness of Man that struggles against various obstacles throughout the story, as Dark human traits such as Arrogance, Ignorance, Pride and Vanity are portrayed by the race of Angels that Eric and his fellow crew discover in their dreams. The dreams quickly turn to possession and mind control, and the ensuing carnage sets Eric on a transformative path to make good the sacrifices of his Crew, and redeem the vile hunger of the Angels whilst coming to terms with the voice inside him.
Ultimately satisfying as the complex strands of emotion resolve in the form of Eric's final choice, Alien Dreams manages to convey the inherent themes within the confines of the Space Opera-like story, without becoming overtly preachy.
This book and its tone compares well to another of John's works: A Senseless Act of Beauty - which also features alien races, redemption and human struggle, both of which highlight the Author's skill in combining a good read with a series of important questions and ideas to challenge the reader.
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