Doors of Sleep / Tim Pratt

 

Doors of Sleep by Tim Pratt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

It has taken me quite a while to finish this book, but that's not because it's a poor book. Rather it's because I've been deluged with holds coming in at the library and most of them requested by others after me so no renewals allowed. I'm semi-caught-up now and had the time to revisit Zaxony Delatree as he plunged through the multiverse.

Tim Pratt has interesting ideas and I'm looking forward to reading more of his work. In this one, something goes wonky for Zax and whenever he falls asleep, he awakes in a new world. Sometimes it's hostile, sometimes benign, but never a repeat. Zax is lonely until he teams up with a woman from a farm planet, Minna. She can perform photosynthesis to feed herself if necessary and has remarkable abilities in replicating substances. Needless to say, their existence is complicated and becomes more so when they encounter a man that Zax has been trying to stay ahead of.

Pratt shows his knowledge of the science fiction canon. The novel, with its moral dilemmas, reminded me strongly of Ursula le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven. Her main character dreams the future into existence and unscrupulous people try to take control of his talent. Pratt gives this the multiverse treatment, which adds tension. There was also one world visited which reminded me of H.G. Wells' The Time Machine briefly. There were sky dwellers and groundlings, reminiscent of the Morlocks and Eloi.

The ending gave me many new questions. I have a hunch Pratt has plans for more adventures for Zaxony Delatree!


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