The Sandman: A Game Of You (The Sandman #5) by Neil Gaiman

"The story of Barbie (former wife of Ken and fellow boarder with Rose Walker in Florida) and what her dreams are made of, literally. Though I'm sure it will end up being connected to the series in the grand scheme of things, this volume just felt like filler and just didn't feel necessary."

2 Stars

Pros: The connection between Barbie/Foxglove and previous volumes was interesting but it didn't make it interesting enough to make me fly through this volume.

Cons: It didn't felt connected to the storyline as a whole, it just felt like Dream Country, shoved in the middle of the series for no real reason that I can see.

Full Review:

Lucien announces to Morpheus that a small islet in the Dreaming is dying. It turns out that this islet is "the Land" which has been what Barbie (the former wife of Ken and fellow boarder with Rose Walker earlier in the series) has dreamed her entire life.

After the Vortex was destroyed, Barbie admits to no longer having dreams. And it turns out that the creatures in her dreams, longtime friends such as Martin Tenbones and others, and the evil entity in "the land" the Cuckoo are suffering because she isn't dreaming. The Land is dying, the Cuckoo is determined to flee and take over the dreams of others. The Porpentine, which is a recurring item in Barbie's dream is actually a Dream stone and when Barbie falls asleep the night after seeing Martin Tenbones, in the flesh, in New York, she finds herself trapped in her dreams.

The other boarders in her house, a couple Hazel and Foxglove and a quiet, mysterious woman named Thessaly, travel into Barbie's dream to try and save her. Morpheus shows up at the end, letting "the land" die and fade away into so much sand. And he offers Barbie a boon. She asks that they all be able to return home, safe and sound and for the most part, that's what happens.

The consequences to the waking world are a different matter though.

Though this volume connected to earlier volumes because it dealt with Barbie, for the most part, this just felt like filler. There was no real story, nothing that felt connected to anything else aside from the fact that Barbie knew Rose Walker. In the same vein that Dream Country was just a collection of stories, this too felt kind of out of place and like it was just shoved in there for no real reason.

It wasn't my favorite installment but I have a feeling that it will somehow connect later events, so I'll keep on reading.

Comments

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick

“Rick Deckard is a Bounty Hunter who's on the trail of six "Andys" (Androids) who have come to Earth illegally. His job is to track them down and "retire" them. Something he found easy to do until he met her, Rachael Rosen. The Android that does the impossible, passes the "Voight-Kampff" test. The story quickly devolves into a slow, drawn out and frankly boring mystery that was putting me to sleep by the end." ⭐⭐ Pros: I was more interested in comparing it to the film, "Bladerunner."/At first I kind of liked the drab, dreary atmostphere but it soon became soporific. Cons: I had no real idea what was going on with Mercerism/The end there had me blinking in bewilderment, like with Herbert's 29th Dune Book/There was a lot of idle chit-chat while they were in murderous/intense situations, it just seemed odd. Full Review: Rick Deckard, a Bounty Hunter, contracted with the San Francisco Police Department hunts down and retires rogue ...

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