Dream, the personification of sleep, tracks down four rogue nightmares that escaped his realm during his long imprisonment. The narrative shifts between Dream’s pursuit and Rose Walker, a young woman seeking her missing brother. Rose is a Vortex, a biological anomaly capable of collapsing the barriers between individual dreamers. Her arc culminates at a convention for serial killers, where nightmare entities hide in plain sight. Dream must decide whether to protect the dreaming world by ending Rose’s life while managing the internal politics of his immortal family, the Endless.
Adult readers of dark fantasy and surrealism find this volume useful for its blend of folklore and contemporary horror. Those interested in the mechanics of mythology see how ancient archetypes function within modern social structures. Readers finish the collection with a specific understanding of the responsibilities inherent in power and the internal logic governing universal personifications. It provides a blueprint for how separate short stories and character studies can be woven into a singular, cohesive mythology about the nature of storytelling itself.
Balanced in tone; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Story Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1990
- Language
- EN
