The Houses of Time [Hardcover]

Jamil Nasir (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

David Grant has a singular talent--he can affect the course of his dreams.

Quite by chance, he discovers the existence of the Trans-Humanist Institute and their lucid dreaming lessons. He discovers that under the tutelage of Dr. Thotmoses he has more control over his dreams. However, his talent soon runs away with him and he visits dreamplaces while awake. The waking world and the dreaming world collide. Grant ends up sedated in a hellish mental institution . . . but escapes through his lucid dreams, which he is beginning to control--though the control is far from perfect.

Grant discovers, to his horror, that Dr. Thotmoses belongs to the Caucasus Synod Western Orthodox Church, and that they have been grooming him because of his fantastic dreaming talents. Only someone with his talent at manipulating reality and dream can bring their prayer to the Divine Presence in the universe. Many have tried this journey, few have succeeded. Those who have returned successful are rewarded beyond their wildest dreams.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nasir (Tower of Dreams) combines lucid dreaming, unconscious desires and the search for God in this lugubrious exploration of different layers of reality. Aging, skirt-chasing lawyer David Grant studies lucid dreaming with Dr. Thotmoses at the Trans-Humanist Institute, hoping to dream up the most perfect woman possible and incidentally discover the underlying truth of life. When Grant falls in love with Thotmoses's daughter, Kat, he chases her through multiple dream worlds until he learns to control his dreams and propel himself into other realities. Soon he learns that Kat's family wants to use his abilities to plead on their behalf before God. As multiple realities flood his life, Grant believes himself insane and must choose whether to accept the godlike gifts he has been offered or live as a crazy person in a damaged body. Though Grant trudges toward enlightenment, his misogynistic attitudes and lengthy disbelief in his talents soon make for tedious reading. (Apr.)
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Review

"A fresh and intriguing science fiction voice."--Denver Post

"[Nasir is] a writer who loves words and can turn them into the vital stuff of experience....You'll see a world through new eyes."--Jack Dann

"A dazzling achievement that heralds Nasir as a bright new voice in science fiction."--Booklist on Quasar

"An interesting new writer."--The Washington Post Book World

 

"The overall effect of the novel is that of a disturbing vivid dream. Recommend this great book to Neal Stephenson and William Gibson fans ready for a cultural cyberpunk twist."--Voice of Youth Advocates on Tower of Dreams

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books/Tom Doherty Associates Books; 1st edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765306107
• ISBN-13: 978-0765306104
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,609,658 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jamil Nasir was born in Chicago, Illinois, but spent much of his childhood in the Middle East, surviving two major wars. He returned to the U.S. in 1970, and started college at age 14, studying hard science, philosophy, psychology, history, and so many other things that he finally graduating from the University of Michigan with a Bachelors of General Studies degree. He also attended the University of Michigan Law School, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1983. Between stints at school he hitchhiked extensively around North America, working as a carpenter, fruit picker, warehouseman, gardener, shop clerk, and paralegal, among others. He currently works on large regulatory and litigation matters at a Washington, D.C. law firm, and lives in a suburb of Washington with his two daughters. He collects art, holds a Black Belt, 2nd Dan in Tae Kwon Do, and is a devotee of many subjects. His hobbies are photography and rampant metaphysical speculation. He is the winner of the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire, France's top science fiction award, and the Special Citation of the Philip K. Dick Memorial Award for best science fiction paperback published in the U.S. His website is www.jamilnasir.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At last another wonderful Jamil Nasir book!, April 15, 2008

By 

Margaret Dybala "too many books, too little time" (Pearland, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Houses of Time (Hardcover)

I have been faithfully waiting for another of Mr. Nasir's imaginative books for years! He is one of the few authors that satisfy my need for more stories as fine as P. K. Dick's were. This book satisfies 100%! It is the story of a lawyer, David Grant, who has lucid dreams, and what happens when he goes to a researcher (Dr. Tutmose - love the name). As David learns to control his dreaming, he discovers that the world, universe is more complicated than he imagined, and the true nature of his dreams is revealed to him. I don't want to spoil this wonderful book by saying too much more, other than 1) buy this book if you love wonderful writing, well constructed plot, and a satisfying end, and 2) Mr. Nasir, please work harder and publish more frequently!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book from Nasir., May 20, 2008

By 

Roger Carlson - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Houses of Time (Hardcover)

I'm very demanding regarding what I read for entertainment. I can't stomach Steven King, John Grisham, and all the other schlocky hacks who may know how to plot but cannot write an interesting sentence. Jamil Nasir is not your run of the mill genre writer; he writes beautifully and constructs plots that make you keep reading. There is also much to chew on intellectually in his books. It's like eating a great tasting, healthy meal. Tower of Dreams and Houses of Time are two of the most entertaining books I've read in years.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good idea, poor execution, December 30, 2010

By 

Kate - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Houses of Time (Tom Doherty Associates Books) (Hardcover)

The Houses of Time had some really great ideas for a story, but Nasir didn't seem to have the storytelling skills to pull it off. The misogynistic protagonist who doesn't seem to change much throughout the story is impossible to like, and the other characters are frankly unbelievable as characters (Kat) or have no personality at all (everyone else). Characters that are not the protagonist act only in ways that advance the plot, which makes them hard to connect to, while the plot itself moves at a glacial pace. The writing itself is decent, though there were spots of poor grammatical choices that could have used a better editor. At times, it was quick and interesting to read, but the majority of the book was just slow and tedious.