Heather’s Bookshelf: Occam’s Dream
Author: Lauren Jane Barnett
Released: 03/01/25
Genre: Adult SciFi Novella ARC
“They demonstrated the machine, explaining how each brainwave could be read individually and translated into computer code, allowing the dreams to be interpreted by a separate computer they called the Reader. Though she had only ever worked with the Reader, when Ursula settled in to watch a dream, she always thought of the Medusa. It offered her a sense of comfort, knowing the connection was ultimately always human.”
“Occam’s Dream” introduces Ursula, a dream analyst who’s experiencing painful visions of a desert.
Seeking help from her friend and co-worker, Rob, no one seems to be listening to her. Even her therapist, Jill, tries to convince her the visions are just that or some kind of dream.
But Jill knows the truth and tries to hide it from her patient. Sharing the truth with her partner, Mackenzie, the couple struggle with lying to Ursula while also considering her safety.
Ursula’s not swayed by anyone and continues to pursue the truth. Will she figure out the truth before these visions destroy her?
Trigger Warning: panic attacks
Overall, I enjoyed this novella. The overall feel reminded me of a less bleak Black Mirror episode with aspects of scifi hidden in realism and an overall trend of wondering “what the heck is going on?” Throughout the entire story, there’s an element of mystery and wonder. The author’s writing style is to the point, direct, and without fluff- which matches the tone of the tale. It also promotes an even paced story with occasional redundancies but good overall timing. Ursula’s a bit of a downer at times (understandably so with what she’s going through) but Rob provided some much needed levity and a counterpoint to Ursula’s POV throughout. I did not feel a great connection overall to Ursula and would have benefited from some trait, quirk or something to draw me more to her. Jill and Mackenzie offer more of the realism feel within the scifi with common marital issues and doubts. The mystery aspect literally goes down to the last sentence of the story. Looking back on it, the ending reveal makes a whole lot of sense and I enjoyed how the truth was revealed. I’d love to see a prequel novella to this book that fills some of the background information in after now knowing the truth.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A scifi novella laced within a mystery that keeps you guessing until the very last sentence.
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Check out my interview with Lauren Jane Barnett
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