Dream of Waking Life

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.
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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.
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"A mix between Lathe of Heaven, Inception, and The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. I simply could never have foreseen this story's trajectory. What a heartrending yet satisfying and impressive journey! A love story, mystery, grand philosophy, incredible suspense--A Dream of Waking Life stands in a category of its own." - Reader Review

"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

"I'm speechless. I just finished the book and I'm sobbing like a baby...this book goes DEEP into what it means to be alive, to exist, to be real, and to wonder what reality really is. And it also contains a wonderful love story at its heart...A truly remarkably and riveting experience from first page to the last." - Author Nikki Rollins

"This book was a WILD journey. Really interesting narrative - can honestly say I've never read a book like this before and I will be thinking about it in the days to come." - Author Emmie Hamilton

"From start to finish, there's no time to let up. A Dream of Waking Life will pull you into the labyrinthine layers of Matthew Willish's twisted mind, searching ever deeper for Truth, Love and the Real World. With mild notes that call to mind such works as Inception and Vanilla Sky, E. S. Fein expertly crafts a series of worlds within worlds within worlds to explore and ponder. " - Author I. B. Hippe
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For fans of Philip K. Dick, Charlie Stross, Alan Moore, Haruki Murakami, Ted Chiang, Ursula K. LeGuin, The Lathe of Heaven, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, Black Mirror, Inception, The Butterfly Effect, Donnie Darko, Mulholland Drive, Vanilla Sky, Dark City, Mr. Nobody.