The Dream Master
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''The Dream Master'' (1966), based on the novella ''"He Who Shapes", is a science fiction novel by American writer
Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American fantasy and science fiction writer known for his short stories and novels, best known for '' The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nominatio ...
. Zelazny's originally intended title for was ''The Ides of Octember''. It won the 1965
Nebula Award for Best Novella The Nebula Award for Best Novella is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) for science fiction or fantasy novellas. A work of fiction is defined by the organization as a novella if it is between 17,500 and 4 ...
(which it shared with '' The Saliva Tree'' by
Brian W. Aldiss Brian Wilson Aldiss (; 18 August 1925 – 19 August 2017) was an English writer, artist and anthology editor, best known for science fiction novels and short stories. His byline reads either Brian W. Aldiss or simply Brian Aldiss, except for oc ...
in a tie).


Plot summary

In the future,
overpopulation Overpopulation or overabundance is a state in which the population of a species is larger than the carrying capacity of its environment. This may be caused by increased birth rates, lowered mortality rates, reduced predation or large scale migr ...
and technological advances have created a world where humanity suffocates psychologically beneath its own mass while abiding in relative physical comfort. This is a world ripe for
psychotherapeutic Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome prob ...
innovations, such as the "neuroparticipant therapy" in which the
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
, Charles Render, is considered foremost in the field. Patients connect to a
virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...
-style simulation controlled directly by the analyst's mind; the analyst then works with the patient to construct
dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensation (psychology), sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around ...
s,
nightmare A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety, disgust or sadness. The dream may contain situations o ...
s which afford insight into the underlying
neuroses Neurosis (: neuroses) is a term mainly used today by followers of Freudian thinking to describe mental disorders caused by past anxiety, often that has been repressed. In recent history, the term has been used to refer to anxiety-related con ...
of the patient, and in some cases the possibility of direct intervention. As an example, one man mentally immersed in a fantasy world sees it destroyed at Render's hands, and is thus cured of his obsession with it. Render takes on a patient with an unusual problem. Eileen Shallot aspires to become a neuroparticipant therapist herself, but is hampered by congenital blindness. She would be unable to convincingly construct visual dreams for them; indeed, in a case of eye-envy, her own neurotic desire to see through the eyes of her patients might prevent her from treating them effectively. As she explains to Render, if a practicing neuroparticipant therapist is willing to work with her, he can expose her to the full range of visual stimuli in a controlled environment, free of her own attachments to the issue, and enable her to pursue her career. Despite his better sense and the advice of colleagues, Render agrees to go along with the treatment. As they progress, Eileen's hunger for visual stimulation continues to grow, and she begins to assert her will against Render's, subsuming him into her own dreams.


Other media

In 1981 Zelazny wrote a film outline based on ''The Dream Master'', which was purchased by 20th Century Fox and later developed into the film '' Dreamscape''. Because he wrote the outline but neither the treatment nor script, his name did not appear in the credits. Assertions that he had his name removed from the credits are unfounded."...And Call Me Roger": The Literary Life of Roger Zelazny, Part 4, by Christopher S. Kovacs. In: ''The Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny, Volume 4: Last Exit to Babylon'', NESFA Press, 2009. The plot of ''The Dream Master'' inspired
Gary Numan Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the New wave music, new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two st ...
's song "I Am Render" (from Numan's 1983 album ''
Warriors A warrior is a guardian specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracy, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have been p ...
'').


See also

*" Dreams Are Sacred", a short story by
Peter Phillips Peter Mark Andrew Phillips (born 15 November 1977) is a British businessman. He is the son of Anne, Princess Royal, and Mark Phillips, and a nephew of King Charles III. At the time of his birth during the reign of his maternal grandmothe ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dream Master, The 1966 American novels Novels by Roger Zelazny American science fiction novels Books with cover art by Frank Kelly Freas Fiction about brain–computer interface Telepresence Nebula Award for Best Novella–winning works Ace Books books Overpopulation fiction Psychotherapy in fiction Novels about dreams