A review by emshark
Upon a Waking Dream by J.S. Bailey

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. 

Upon A Waking Dream by J.S. Bailey is a collection of 12 sci-fi/fantasy short stories. From aliens and space travel to magic pens, this book seems to have it all. The stories are original and funny, and some of them raise really interesting questions. 

I’ve been getting into short story collections more lately, but this one might just be a new favourite. I especially loved the mix of fantasy and sci-fi stories. The variety of stories meant that I never got bored, plus the stories didn’t seem to blur together at some point (which sometimes happens to me with collections of similar stories). All in all, I really flew through this book, there simply wasn’t a dull moment. 

Personally, my favourite stories would have to be “Letter from Glomsuet” (a flat-earther gets abducted by aliens), “Larry” (an imaginary friend in bunny slippers) and “The Last to Pass” (what would happen if immortality was a thing). “Daily Log from Outpost #602” is definitely an honourable mention (I don’t even want to give away what it’s about, just read this one, it’s great). 

Overall, Upon A Waking Dream is a great book, and I recommend you pick it up if you’re even remotely interested in sci-fi and fantasy stories (or even if you aren’t, maybe this book will convince you otherwise).