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MNJohnson

Slice of Life in a Sci-Fi Setting

Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2017

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It works more as a slice-of-life story in a science fiction setting than anything else. I was hoping for a bit of something different, but you can't always get what you want.

The setting was interesting, and the characters weren't bad... But the setting description and story itself was dissatisfying. It's written with 1985 as present-day (originally published in 1977, I believe), and the setting isn't explored so much as three characters, alternating between two protagonists: Julia Stetton, a young scientist, and David Harkman, a middle aged scientist. The third is Julia's antagonist, or David's competition for Julia. I didn't really like or relate to any of the characters, and while Paul Mason (the antagonist) is repulsive... That was simply it. Julia struggles against him to build herself a new life, and that's really what this story is about: does she succeed, or not?

A. Whitehead

A classic work of science fiction

Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2009

Julia Stretton is a researcher for the Ridpath projection, a machine that has generated a completely convincing simulation of what the world may look like in the early 22nd Century. In the projection, the south-west of England has broken away from the rest of the island of Britain due to an earthquake and has become something of a holiday resort, tolerated by a communist government in London for the sake of international relations. In this vision of the future Julia finds herself drawn to a man named David for reasons she doesn't quite understand, but in the real world the arrival of her ex-lover on the project's staff causes chaos for Julia and the project...

A Dream of Wessex was originally published in 1977 and was Christopher Priest's fifth novel, following up on the extremely well-received An Inverted World and The Space Machine. Like many of Priest's books, it contains musings on memory, identity, consciousness and reality. The book also describes what looks suspiciously like a prophetic virtual reality cyberspace simulation some years ahead of such things becoming fashionable thanks to cyberpunk.

The novel features Priest's traditional narrative hallmark, namely being written in clear and readable prose through which the author laces several narrative and thematic time bombs that explode in the reader's face at key points (dubbed 'The Priest Effect' by David Langford), including several hours after you finish the book when you suddenly go, "Hang on, does that mean..." and you have to go scurrying back to re-read half the book to confirm your suspicions. Characterisation is excellent, with Julia an interesting protagonist who spends part of the book in fear of her ex-lover, but eventually coming to terms on how to deal with him through internal reasoning rather than a more obvious and melodramatic external form (beating him up or having some big speech, for example). As usual with Priest, what he doesn't say about the characters can be as important as what he does say, leaving the reader with some intriguing interpretive work to do.

However, it's the incredible ending that will sit for the longest in the reader's mind. It maybe isn't as completely mind-blowing as The Separation's conclusion or as deeply haunting and unsettling as The Prestige's, but it's still astonishingly well-written and haunting.

A Dream of Wessex (*****) is a very strong work of science fiction, powerful and thought-provoking and the work of an imaginative author at the height of his powers. What's even more startling is that it isn't even Priest's strongest work. The book is not in print at the moment, although some older copies can be found on Amazon UK and USA.

J C E Hitchcock

An Island in Virtual Reality

Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2011

In the early 22nd century, the world is divided into two main power-blocs, one Communist, the other Islamic. England is part of the Communist bloc, whereas the USA has become an Islamic state known as the Western Emirate States. The south-west peninsula has become separated from the English mainland following a series of catastrophic earthquakes, and is now an island known as the Isle of Wessex. Wessex is now England's prime holiday destination, known for its casinos and mosques, built to cater for visitors from the Western Emirate States.

Or is it? This 22nd-century Wessex does not, in fact, exist, except in virtual reality. (Christopher Priest does not actually use that expression, which was not in use in the 1970s, but he clearly anticipated the concept). The "real" part of his novel, which was written in 1977, is set in the year 1985. A mysterious group known as the Wessex Foundation has set up what is known as the Wessex Project. A device known as the Ridpath Projector has created an imaginary future into which the participants can be projected. Once inside the Projector they believe themselves to be living their lives in the Wessex of the 22nd century and are unable to remember their lives in 1985. Upon their return to reality, however, they can remember the lives they have been living in Wessex. The main character, Julia Stretton, is one of the participants in the scheme, and much of the plot derives from the conflicts which arise when Julia's abusive ex-boyfriend Paul also enters the projection.

Priest's vision of 1985 is one of a world confronted by many social problems; the cities are plagued by terrorism, crime and lawlessness, and there is a severe housing shortage. (In some ways his prediction did come true, although not quite to the degree that he imagined). The purpose of the Wessex Project is to suggest possible solutions to those problems by envisaging a future in which they have been overcome. The Communist England of by no means an idealised Utopia; it is, like the real Communist societies of the 1970s, bureaucratic and authoritarian. Neither, however, is it an Orwellian dystopia, but a relatively peaceful society, free of crime and shortages.

What it is not, however, is a futuristic society. In many ways the England of the 2130s is still the England of the 1970s with a different political system and a different geography. There have been no startling scientific innovations in the intervening sixteen decades; about the only invention that we would not recognise is the "skimmer", a device used in the popular sport of wave-riding along the tidal bores which race through the narrow channel between Wessex and the mainland. Priest suggests that mankind needs crises in order to make progress, as the search for solutions to social problems can lead to advances in science and technology. If those problems are somehow made to disappear by other means, the result could be a scientifically and socially conservative society, something like 1970s Communism preserved in aspic for a century and a half.

The most interesting theme of "A Dream of Wessex", however, is not the politics but the science, and the philosophical implications of that science. The book is an early example of that sub-genre of science fiction dealing with computer technology and artificial reality which has become known as "cyberpunk", although that term did not exist in 1977. If a virtual reality machine like the Ridpath Projector could actually be constructed, how would this alter our perception of reality? Would it even alter our perception of the basic concept of "reality"? Priest ends his story with a neat circular twist which brings these questions sharply into focus.

"A Dream of Wessex" is a multi-layered work. On one level it is simply a science-fiction adventure story. It is written in clear, transparent prose and the growing sense of tension in the latter part of the book had me turning the pages quickly in my anxiety to find out how Julia and her companions would resolve their difficulties. (This was the first full-length novel in several years that I finished in a single day). On another level, however, it fulfils that other essential function of intelligent science fiction, that of imaginative speculation about possible future developments in technology and the social implications of those developments. (In the "Star Wars" era of the late seventies, its "artificial reality" scenario must have come as a refreshing sci-fi alternative to the all-pervasive space travel theme). Finally, it is an intriguing philosophical speculation about the nature of reality.

Top reviews from other countries

John M

A SF tale of psychology, dream and alternative reality which for me didn't quite gel

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 31, 2020

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Priest's novels usually encompass themes of perception and reality, and this story as the title suggests is of that genre. The Wessex Project uses a 'Projector' to pool the unconscious of the participants in a future dream world shaped by the group's pooled psychology (well, at least I think!). The participants live in the dream world shaped by their unconscious until they are recalled. However, when the main protagonist Julia finds her obsessive and controlling ex-boyfriend Paul has become part of the project, the dream world of Wessex is drastically altered.
The novel starts relatively slowly, and as it evolves becomes increasingly involved and implausible with projected world's projected back to alternate 'real' worlds (if that makes sense). Like another reviewer I was expecting a final twist which never came. It's an interesting idea which brings to mind a Christopher Nolan film eg. Inception (interestingly Priest's 'The Prestige' was filmed by Nolan), although for me the whole thing didn't quite gel.

A.M.K

confusing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 28, 2019

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I like the way Priest writes, the stories always start well and get you hooked...but always end up in a confusing mess. I have literally no idea what the heck was going on by the end of this one. The wishy-washy weak female lead who allows herself to be almost raped by abusive ex rather than simply speak up to her work colleagues that he's an imposter is also annoying...

Amazon Customer

Buy this...read many times!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2019

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Read this twice. Keep giving it away...so ordering again and will read and keep this one...as I likely will read it at least twice more lol. Great story.

R. Ding

What is Real!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2019

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Christopher Priest playing with idea of the nature of reality. An intriguing read that I will have to return to soon!

Brian

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 30, 2014

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Very pleased with my purchase

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