A Dream of Waking Life

By: E. S. Fein

Narrated by: Betty BAT

Take the plunge down the rabbit hole of insanity and wonder in this fast-paced, nonstop psychological thriller that will leave you questioning the very nature of reality and beyond. Part thriller, part romance, part existential horror, A Dream of Waking Life delves into lucid dreaming, psychedelics, existential ontology, video games, the nature of love, the nature of reality, and more.

When Matthew Willish wakes up on a cold steel floor unsure of how he got there, he begins desperately searching for answers. What Matthew doesn't realize, however, is that this is only the beginning of a journey that will ultimately send him searching other worlds for the answer to numerous profound questions, the most pressing being: is he living in reality or in a dream? Or is he just an insane man who desperately needs help?

A Dream of Waking Life is a philosophical and psychological thriller that tells the story of one man's journey through space, time, and mind to not only discover his true identity but also the love of his life—a woman who keeps slipping through his fingers and into another reality. A thought-provoking meditation on the thin line between what is real and what is not, A Dream of Waking Life will leave readers questioning how far they would go to understand the nature of their own existence and how much they would sacrifice for love.

©2022 Eric Fein (P)2023 Eric Fein

Critic reviews

"This is the kind of story I wish I could read more. I've been chasing the high of a well thought out mind bender since I first saw Donnie Darko. E. S. Fein really nails it...Buckle up and open your mind. You're about to go for a reality bending ride."—Author Derek Lukachko

Stellar production value!

A Dream of Waking Life is a captivating, relentless journey through the labyrinth of dreams and perhaps an intimate handshake with psychosis itself. Based on the foreword, author E.S. Fein has clearly poured a lot of himself into this story, and after finishing it, not only do I feel like I've met Fein in the flesh, but I also experience an aftertaste of introspection that reminds me of my own distant experiences with psychedelic substances. With deft authorly skill, Fein weaves a fever-dream of intrigue, but be warned: this isn’t your typical linear narrative, and for some readers, a story this complex might be a tough, red-colored pill to swallow.

If you’re a fan of mind-bending plots and layers upon layers of reality, this book delivers--and to be honest, I've seen other reviews mention Inception in comparisons, but Inception is the kiddie pool compared to this story's bottomless ocean. The dream-within-a-dream-within-a-dream structure keeps you guessing, and just when you think you understand the rules to Matt's world(s), things somehow once again escalate in ways that are sometimes bizarre, but always compelling. Yes, the constant “it was all a dream” moments can be repetitive, and sometimes the plot's sudden right turns felt improvised by the author--but all told, the incoherency is strangely a strength. It reminds me of my most vivid dreams: barely held together by strings of logic, but entirely visceral, emotional, and sometimes, harrowing.

Part tragic romance, part psychological thriller, part drugs PSA, part metaphysical exploration, "A Dream of Waking Life" is a story that wears many hats through many Matts. It's a story that will make you think--and though the thoughts it inspires aren't always the most comforting, they're important bits of self-reflection, making us ponder where we stand in a world we can never absolutely know. It's for those reasons that, despite its absolutely relentless disorientation and the extended bad vibes of a bad trip, this was still a (somehow) enjoyable read.

I'd also like to add a note that the audiobook's performer, Betty Bat, did an amazing job capturing the emotional heart of an incredibly demanding story--and considering the custom music, the wide cast of voices, the vocal effects, and even the auditory drug trips, the overall production value of the audiobook is truly exceptional.

This is for PKD lovers

I loved this novel and yes till chapter twenty I could feel the frustration and confusion of Matt. I just hoped that I would get some clarity but it was meant to be like this. I loved the ending more because it made a subtle point that either we could waste our eternal existence in search for a concept in our head or we could learn to honour, whatever is in front of us despite it being a dream or reality. This novel at times reminded me of "Ubik" by PKD. There was this phrase in it- "I am alive and you are dead"

The voice actress did a great job with narration too! She narrated everything with feeling.