Books That Have Given You Dreams

[GOLLUM]

Hi all.

Gundit brought up an interesting idea in the GRRM thread.

Have you ever had strange, weird, wonderful dreams including nightmares based on a book(s) you've read? How developed was the dream and did it lead you to a different outcome to the book? Were you one of the characters or did you view the unfolding scene as an observer?

I can't recall offhand any that have but it could be interesting hearing from anybody who has had this particular experience.

Cheers...

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

It happens to me fairly often if I'm reading a book just before I go to sleep. My dreams will get mixed up with story, sometimes with scenes I've already read, sometimes a garbled continuation of the plot. Actually, it happened to me the other night, when I was reading the Solomon Kane stories, and the turn the last story took seemed very fascinating to me at the time. Usually, it's more frustrating because I can't make sense of it and I'm trying to, but in this particular instance it seemed to follow very naturally from what I had been reading before I went to sleep.

After I woke up, I realized it was just the fragment of an idea, and that it didn't really fit in with the story at all. In fact, I doubt I could describe it in any coherent fashion now. But while I was dreaming it, it was fabulous.

 

[GOLLUM]

I'm soooo envious, especially with a Robert E Howard story!

Actually let's extend this by asking yourself Teresa and any other writers whether they dream about their own books not only during the time they're working on them but days, months or even years after fnishing them and if the story changes??

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Sometimes when I'm in the middle of writing a story -- again, if I'm working on it or thinking about it just before bedtime -- but it never happens after I've finished writing the book.

Or, at least, if it does, I don't remember the dream after I wake up.

 

[GOLLUM]

Sometimes when I'm in the middle of writing a story -- again, if I'm working on it or thinking about it just before bedtime -- but it never happens after I've finished writing the book.

Or, at least, if it does, I don't remember the dream after I wake up.

Just think of what you and your legion of fans (including moi) could be missing out on!....

 

[D_Davis]

During the year I spent with Roland and the ka-tet, I always had dreams about the Dark Tower and the world surrounding it.

This was probably my favorite season of reading I've ever experienced. Everything was just so perfect, and the stories we the exact things I needed to read at that time.

I would dream of what the tower meant, and all kinds of cool things.

 

[Reading_fanatic]

I don't really remember dreams when I sleep but sometimes during lectures and all that I will daydream myself into a book that I'm either reading or have read (And I come up with some weird plot turns)

 

[Fried Egg]

I had a dream inspired by, and just after reading, "Herbert West: Reanimator" (Lovecraft) which featured along the same lines (dead bodies being re-animated) but I can't recall much detail about it now.

 

[Taltos]

I think, it has happened only once - after reading Silverbergs Majipoor Chronicles - can't remember exactly what the main point was, but the influence was noticeable.

Of course I was at that point sick with pneumonia - but that couldn't have caused it ...

 

[K. Riehl]

I have woken up after fighting a space battle side by side with Miles Vorkosigan. When I do have these dreams I have learned to keep a notepad next to the bed to write stuff down right away. It helps to remind me of the details, if any, of stories I may have been unconsciously working on. It certainly has taken me in new directions with my writing.

 

[Talysia]

When I was younger, I remember having a dream about dragons after reading one of the Pern books (I can't remember which one - it was a while ago now). I don't think I've had any dreams recently that were brought about by what I've read, though.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Just think of what you and your legion of fans (including moi) could be missing out on!....

It's very nice of you to say so, Gollum, but if any dreams I dream afterward (but don't remember) are like the dreams I dream during the writing, no one is missing anything good.

On the other hand, the seed of the story that became the Green Lion Trilogy did come from a dream.

When my dreams involve something I'm reading, writing, or have just seen on TV (which happens, too), it's usually during a period of stress or illness. That may explain why they're so fragmentary and frustrating, like I'm caught in a dream loop of one little aspect of the story, and I can't work it out and I can't get out.

Although I've had the flu for more than a month now, and the Solomon Kane dream, as I said, was actually entertaining, and more coherent than most.

 

[Staszek]

I Had once a dream that lead to the creation of my own Novel.

Imagine that youre standing in the universe it self you walk in it and you see stars youre beyond time and space....just like a ghost flying over to one place and another and than you see a man on a ladder and hes repairing a star which happends to be a lamp youre standing in a school but you see the universe

 

[Staszek]

Do You Belive that God is Alien. What would you do if it were true imagine yourself a great galactic civilisation (similar to that of Asimov's) Were People have knowledge surpassing are own they for example know how to stop death at will this civilisation came to interact with our ....and thats about it what I were resarching in my Novel

 

[Staszek]

One more thing Teresa Edgerton said that she was dreaming on "one little aspect of the story" i recently (two days ago) had the same situation....In my dream i became Tomasz Cieśla (a character of my other stories called "Guildiana" this one dealing with the war between Earth and Guildiana and its Politicial Consecvences) Tomasz is actually a Kloss like agent send in the Guildiana forces by the detronizated emperor of Guildiana who aligned him self with earth (for the time being) despite being recognised by the curent emperor of Guildiana he is "allowed" to continue his "mission" as the curent emperor of the Guildiana dosent view an earthling with basic Guildianese power a threat. Of Tomasz is not a real agent but somebody whos mission was to fool the emperor into beliving that Tomasz was an real agent.

 

[nixie]

I read the Harry Potter books over a week last summer, my dreams of playing quidittich were vivid.

Another dream I've had a lot is sitting debating with Tehol Benidict, Iskaral Pust and Kruppe every time I have this it seems my head swells 10 times its normal size.

If I'm really tired and have been so wrapped up in a plot that its difficult to put the book down, when I do finally drag myself away and go sleep. I dream of what is going to happen next. Most of the time I'm way out but sometimes I'm eeriely correct.

 

[woodsman]

It happens to me fairly often if I'm reading a book just before I go to sleep. My dreams will get mixed up with story, sometimes with scenes I've already read, sometimes a garbled continuation of the plot. Actually, it happened to me the other night, when I was reading the Solomon Kane stories, and the turn the last story took seemed very fascinating to me at the time. Usually, it's more frustrating because I can't make sense of it and I'm trying to, but in this particular instance it seemed to follow very naturally from what I had been reading before I went to sleep.

After I woke up, I realized it was just the fragment of an idea, and that it didn't really fit in with the story at all. In fact, I doubt I could describe it in any coherent fashion now. But while I was dreaming it, it was fabulous.

Wow. This sounds somewhat familiar. Never dreamt of Solomon Kane though.

I have dreams about any book I read or many of them in a similar fashion as described above and not just at night but day dreams too! Then again I seem to day-dream a lot more than most people. Especially when everyone else is watching something 'exciting' on TV at school, I slip off into a dream that often has a root in a book but it's own storylines/worlds.

Music does the same thing, especially atmospheric pieces or something that jolts me I guess. Artists like: The Mars Volta, Genesis, Opeth, Tool, Pink Floyd and some classical stuff gives me crazy musical dreams. Enjoyable stuff and kinda scary betimes.
Poe is without a doubt the Author who has the greatest affect on my dreams though, then again his writing is inspired.

 

[DeepThought]

During the year I spent with Roland and the ka-tet, I always had dreams about the Dark Tower and the world surrounding it.

Reading the Dark Tower gave dreams too, this was a time I was in the throes of a nasty fever and slept unusually long, King's Wolves of the Calla just happened to be the book I had been obsessing over at the time. Nothing to do with the world nor the Tower, I dreamed of reading and rereading specific passages from the fifth volume over and over again; this went on for as long as the fever, which lasted a week. Then I had déjà vu moments when I was actually reading it for "real"; felt like I had already read it while I was a sleep.

Cheers, DeepThought