Book 116: "The Dream Master" by Roger Zelazny
Monday, December 11th, 2006 22:01![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kittiwakeThis story apparently first appeared as a short story called "He Who Shapes" and was then expanded into this short novel of only 150 pages.
Charles Render is a new kind of psychiatrist, who uses a machine to enter his patients' dreams and shapes them using myths and archetypes to help cure their neuroses. But it's a dangerous business, and the technique can't be used on patients suffering from psychosis, as they may be strong enough to pull the therapist into their madness. When Render starts to treat a blind psychiatrist who wishes to become a shaper herself, he is warned that the shock of being able to 'see' may have a similar effect, but ignores the warnings.
This is the second book I've read this year in which dogs have had their intelligence enhanced and been physically altered to allow them to that speak (the other being "Holy Fire by Bruce Sterling). In neither case would I say that it has been a great success; the dogs seem sad and pathetic and have lost more than they have gained.
This book rather reminded me of a Jennifer Lopez film called The Cell" about a therapist who entered her patients' subconscious minds in the same kind of way.
Charles Render is a new kind of psychiatrist, who uses a machine to enter his patients' dreams and shapes them using myths and archetypes to help cure their neuroses. But it's a dangerous business, and the technique can't be used on patients suffering from psychosis, as they may be strong enough to pull the therapist into their madness. When Render starts to treat a blind psychiatrist who wishes to become a shaper herself, he is warned that the shock of being able to 'see' may have a similar effect, but ignores the warnings.
This is the second book I've read this year in which dogs have had their intelligence enhanced and been physically altered to allow them to that speak (the other being "Holy Fire by Bruce Sterling). In neither case would I say that it has been a great success; the dogs seem sad and pathetic and have lost more than they have gained.
This book rather reminded me of a Jennifer Lopez film called The Cell" about a therapist who entered her patients' subconscious minds in the same kind of way.
