Customer Reviews

Dream Thief

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dr. Spencer Restron (his friends call him Spence) is a dream research scientist on the space station GM, also called Gotham. He's waited all of his life to be able to take the chance to be in his position. But now, every night he has terrible dreams, dreams he can't remember but he wakes up feeling exhausted and tired. He has this nagging suspicion that something is about to happen, something terrible. Little does he know that whatever he is experiencing has something to do with the mysterious creature called.. the Dream Thief. The Dream Thief has taken a special interest in Spence for some reason... some terrible reason which could mean the end of freedom for all civilization. Even with friends like Ari, Adjani, Packer, Kalkinov, and more, Spence knows it will be a miracle for them to find out the Dream Thief's plan and to stop him. Spence's views will be changed entirely on the subject of God as he journeys to save mankind.

I have always loved reading "The Dragon King Trilogy" written by Stephen R. Lawhead so for my birthday, I decided to get "Dream Thief". And I've had a totally enjoyable time reading it! It has everything, exciting adventure, alien settings, lots of suspense, character development, well thought out plot, romance, and a great reference to God. I must say that one of the best things about the book are the amazing characters whom I just loved! There's Spence, Ari, Adjani, Gita, Kyr, Packer, Kalkinov, and plenty more. I can't tell you much more about the book, it would ruin the book. You're just kept in suspense till the very end! My suggestion to you is if you're looking for a good Christian science fiction book, get "Dream Thief". Best for teen and adults.

Wow! This was a *great* book. I don't exaggerate when I say this is the best Christian Sci-Fi I have ever read. I enjoy Lewis' Space Trilogy very much, perhaps more than Dream Thief, but, while the Space Trilogy is technically Sci-Fi, Lewis' writing style and his understanding of science, even for when he wrote it, makes Lewis' works read more like Fantasy. Lawhead is the first Christian author I have ever read who has a believable future- true science fiction. Though I've read only four of Lawhead's works so far, I far prefer his Sci-Fi to his Fantasy.

It is great to see that we (Christians) still exist in the future. In every other book I have ever read, and I have read a lot of science fiction, the Christians are not ever mentioned, as if a plague came and wiped all of us out sometime in the late 21st century. Religion in Sci-Fi is given short shrift in general, but, if mentioned, it seems to usually be anything but monotheistic.

This isn't a Christian dogma book, where everything is allegorical- Christians, and God, are simply an integral part of the storyline, and there is a Christian worldview behind it. Yet there are many non-Christians who play important roles as well, including a number of the key protagonists and heroes. A non-Christian should not feel intimidated in picking up this book- it is a very good read. The story line catches you, moves quickly, and it's almost as if you're out of breath waiting for the next event. Though the one disappointment I had was sometimes it felt like sections of action were skipped and only referred to after the fact, I stayed up a couple nights till 2 or 3 in the morning till my eyes could no longer focus and my brain kept rereading the same paragraph.

And Lawhead doesn't even go for easy answers with his Christians. They aren't conservative/fundamentalist, as Christians are commonly portrayed as all being, but clear and logical thinkers. Christianity isn't presented as a Western religion, which is accurate, as it has not been in numbers since the 70's, now that most Christians are in the 2/3rds world, and if the Nestorians are included, it was primarily an Asian religion until 1000 AD. Indeed, the primary Christian in the book is from the largest Baptist state in the world, Nagaland, India. Christianity also isn't shown as just a moral belief with an idea of some great deity we can pray to, but with an excluded middle. This is a God who can and does work miracles- amazing, believable ones- just as He does in real life.

Would that this were a genre, rather than, as it would seem, the only book of it's kind out there. The biographical conversion story is an old, valuable format in Christian literature. Here now it has been merged with science fiction in an engrossing and believable way. And in an inspiring way. Too often when I read science fiction I come away with a sense of hopelessness. Often the underlying worldview of the author, seeping through the pages of his or her work, is one without hope, in the sense of expectant joy about the future. This was not the case in Dream Thief. The reader gains a strong understanding that God is working all things together for the good of those who love Him. One identifies with the main character feeling a number of times that all is lost, and the situation too dire to be saved. But when looking back throughout the experience, retrospectively God's hand can not be ignored. I could easily recommend this to friends to read so that they might draw closer to truly understanding and being one with God.

Mankind is on the verge of a Martian terraforming project a few hundred years from the present day. In a state-of-the-art satellite station Gotham (orbiting Earth) scientists prepare and research while special teams are regularly dispatched to Mars to establish the framework for a permanent colony. A Gotham-employed sleep researcher, Dr. Reston is plagued by a series of increasingly bizarre nightmares that give him uncomfortable premonitions about something sinister pending on Mars.
As a non-scientist, I was still able to appreciate with fascination what seems to be a very credible and realistic account of the future world in this universe. The logistics of a working space station and how humans adapt to it, the early stages of a terraforming project -- these are explained well enough to create a plausible backdrop for the story, but not detailed to death for more casual audiences like me. The looming mystery on Mars that culminates with a first encounter with an ancient Martian race is the real story as far as I'm concerned. The focus of Dream Thief is nicely character-driven.
Stephen Lawhead does a surprising departure from space about midway and takes us to an even more alien environment (for most of us Westerners): India. Seen through the eyes of a santized, educated man of the 23rd (?) Century, India is even more exotic and disturbing. Lawhead may be borrowing from some pretty standard SF mythos at this point in the novel as he ties in space visitors with certain aspects of humanity's religious and cultural heritage (Gee, where have I heard that before..?), but his interpretation of how that worked out from the aliens' standpoint is unique. He deserves credit for an original twist on that modern day Science Fiction convention.
Readers of Lawhead's Arthurian and fantasy series books will be very happy with his change to Sci Fi. His style is intact. New readers will just enjoy the good tale. And as in his other books, the Christian message is very subtle (ie, not "preachy"). In fact, the implications of the spiritual revelations from the Martian could just as easily be New Age as Christian, as no mention of Jesus is actually made (and believe me, I was watching for it). Whether or not that is a plus is up for you to decide, but I was a tad disappointed in Stephen for that.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

Lawhead's exploration into space has captured where his Celtic stories never could go. Combining the aspects of an epic adventure and well worth reading. 3 or 4 times. I have yet to find someone, who was this creative in the use of Science fiction elements. I've read the book 4 times and would suggest you read it also.

This book is a great addition to the collection of lawhead books. It has a strong christian background, and keeps the reader thourougly interested.

When I first read it, and even now, I consider this book one of the best that Lawhead has ever written. I have read many of his other books, and I still believe that this is second best, the best being Avalon. Lawhead has a gripping writing style that simply won't let you put the book down. Added to his wonderful style is an important message flowing through the book. If you're a fan of Lawhead, or of science fiction in general, *READ THIS BOOK!*

This book got me involved from the first chapter. The characters are smart and believable. The description of the "communion" sequence was really profound. I've read this book 3 times now.

Stephen Lawhead's best works are the historical fantasy of his Pendragon Cycle and his Song of Albion trilogy. "Dream Thief" is one of his earlier works, with shadows of the brilliance that would emerge in those later writings. But unlike his later fantasies, "Dream Thief" is a science fiction story. While researching dreams on the space station Gotham, the protagonist Spencer Reston discovers that someone is trying to control his mind through his dreams. A fairly exciting plot develops, as the villain Ortu (an alien) and the sinister side-kick Hocking (in his pneumatic wheelchair) begin carrying out their plans for control of the world. Along with his lovely lady friend Ari, and his two fellow scientists Adjani and Gita, it is up to Spence to prevent their evil plans from succeeding. The main threat comes from a "tanti", a consciousness-altering device capable of broadcasting to the whole world and inducing dreams and manipulating minds. In the process of resisting the "Dream Thief" who is masterminding the plot, Spencer travels to Mars where he discovers remnants of Martian civilization and meets the Martian guardian Kyr. Amidst the action and excitement, Lawhead integrates an interesting premise by suggesting that the revered gods of Indian folklore and Hindu legends were in fact such Martians (p451-2).

In many respects this is stereotypical science fiction, with lots of rocket ships, alien spacecraft, Martians and an extended visit to Mars. The plot is not always as convincing and suspenseful as readers of later Lawhead might expect. But there are certainly flashes of Lawhead's later brilliance, emotion and creativity. Typical for Lawhead, there are also Christian overtones throughout, such the presence and involvement of a Divine Being, and a sacramental meal called the Essila much like the Lord's Supper (p408-414). Judging by the high standards of his later work, "Dream Thief" is an inferior work. But for readers looking for an interesting and thought-provoking science fiction story with lots of adventure and some subtle theology, this is still a good read. Sweet dreams! - GODLY GADFLY

This is a pretty good book. It is one of Lawhead's earlier works, and does not have the depth of some of his later stuff. However, it is a pretty intriguing story with the classic battle between good and evil. I really liked the main characters struggle with the religion of his parents. It is something that we all have to face, and it is very realistic in this book. The bad guys were pretty nasty, which makes it pretty suspenseful. I would recommend that you read this book before you read any of Lawhead's later works, or you might be disappointed, but it has overall good story content.

Who would have thought that a combination of science fiction christianity would ever exist in a book. Grant it, Star Trek and Star Wars have themes which touch on religion. However, neither bases the story on Chrsitianity. The Dream Thief addresses the question of religion's existance on other planets.

It is true that we know life does not exist on Mars. It is also unlikely that any life form is capable of producing the technology that exists in this book. However, if you suspend this disbelief, the book is enjoyable. The story includes a dream experiment which leads to the discovery of life on Mars, and the lead character's (Spence) discovery of his faith in God through his subsequent exploration of the Martian Christianity. Another sub-plot also demonstrates Spence falling in love which adds another sunstantial layer to the story.

All of these themes make a theme that is truly enjoyable. Even though I am not a fan of fiction, I enjoyed this book.