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Praise for “This is the Dream”




Books by Owen Thomas

Praise for This is the dream

“Owen Thomas’ straightforward approach about profound topics eases the readers into realizing the misunderstood subconscious – why we do what we do, why we crave what we crave, and how our perceived self-identity differs from our real one. The book is a brilliant composition of literary pieces that are a gem readers will revisit after their first read.”
THE BOOK COMMENTARY
“This book is fantastic! Owen Thomas is a fantastic author that is really captivating to read!”
FredDreams
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This Is the Dream presents ten unique stories and novellas, which each, in their own way, challenge readers to dig just a little bit deeper. Thomas’ rich narratives move you to feel something and, then, ask you to consider what it means to feel at all. — MAINCREST MEDIA

AMERICAN WRITING AWARDS FINALIST!

In This Is the Dream, Owen Thomas leads us on a long and winding journey of the mind with intelligent prose that leaves us all looking inward for truth.

This Is the Dream is a collection of ten short stories and novellas that explore the depths of the human psyche, our desires, and our struggle for identity. Dreams, and our relationship to them, function as the recurring theme that binds Thomas’ stories together, but the subject matter of each narrative varies from story to story. Whether by a school field trip, a collection of letters, or a divorce, Thomas uses ordinary circumstances as a vehicle to communicate what’s beneath the veil of our mundane interactions and reflections thereof. Although the stories’ events are grounded, each one sees its characters reaching for something liminal.

Thomas’ collection isn’t as much about dreams as one might expect, and we’re all the better for it. Instead, he finds a way to do the impossible: he puts into words the otherwise indescribable, abstract connectedness that we feel to the lives we live while we’re asleep. The one that follows us into our waking life and calls us to ask difficult questions and dig beneath the surface. In other words, This Is the Dream is more concerned with the link between our dreams and our real lives –our subconscious. Thomas adroitly explores themes of identity and human desire, making them more accessible in his use of humor and his ability to ground those themes in his recurring device of the dream and the recounting of dreams, among other techniques. He dedicates the book to George Clooney, assuring he means, “no offense,” and immediately setting forth the light, tongue-in-cheek tone that persists throughout much of the collection and otherwise dense themes. His prose, however, is anything but dense. Although Thomas does employ long, often complex sentences, he manages to find a unique balance of both cerebral and physical, even playful, active language. In fact, his writing style perfectly mirrors his narrative approach to the metaphysical themes he is exploring throughout the collection. His sentences sometimes deceptively read like stream of consciousness while actually conveying rather cogent ideas and actions quite vividly. Conversely, he embeds rather straightforward, universal human truths in the seemingly indecipherable mess of the subconscious and the juxtaposition between who we are and who we think we are. The result is a unique narrative voice that forces the obscure into the light, suggesting that, perhaps, these ideas aren’t so arcane after all. In this way, Thomas appeals to quite a wide audience; with characters that stand on their own.

This Is the Dream presents ten unique stories and novellas, which each, in their own way, challenge readers to dig just a little bit deeper. Thomas’ rich narratives move you to feel something and, then, ask you to consider what it means to feel at all.

— MAINCREST MEDIA

John, a bus driver, has spent ages trying to avoid this one person, but his encounter with Andromeda brings them together at last. Peter discovers escapism from reality as he is forced to spend Christmas in Hawaii with his family and his father’s friend. Cali’s haunting dreams about a dead classmate bring her to contemplate crossing the razor’s edge to the other side.

Exploring the intricacies of our psyche, hidden desires, and the search for ourselves and meaning, This Is the Dream features ten unique tales about people’s internal and interpersonal struggles. Pulling back the curtain from our illusion and perceptions, this book shows us the unadulterated reality about the truth of who we really are. This Is the Dream by Owen Thomas is a remarkable collection of stories about normal individuals exploring the concept of dream vs reality. Focusing on the gray areas that make up our everyday lives, Thomas’s prose calls readers to pay close attention to the universe, ask deeper questions, and keep digging beneath the surface to uncover the threads, even fragile ones, that tie us to life. He deals with heavy subjects but maintains a humorous and easy-to-read tone that is sure to keep readers engaged through every page.

This book is a highly intelligent collection of fiction that captivates you from the start with well-paced stories and three-dimensional characters. It caters to a large audience with an exceptional narrative that moves readers to explore the hidden import of the tales. The stories are strangely familiar, unveiling emotions and feelings that haunt the human spirit in the gray moments of the day. Owen Thomas’s straightforward approach about profound topics eases the readers into realizing the misunderstood subconscious  —why we do what we do, why we crave who we crave, and how our perceived self-identity differs from our real one. This book is a brilliant composition of literary pieces that are a gem readers will revisit after their first read.

— THE BOOK COMMENTARY

What Readers are Saying

“I can’t say enough about this literary journey; it was a celebration, and I absolutely loved it!”

— READERS VIEWS

Fred

5.0 out of 5 stars Dreams

Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2021

Verified PurchaseThis book is fantastic! Owen Thomas is a fantastic author that is really captivating to read!

Re St

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read

Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2021

Verified PurchaseI love it, would definitely read more

Kindle Customer

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Collection

Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2021

This book is a very good and interesting collection of short stories. I enjoyed each one, and I found myself thinking about several of them after I put the book down. I’m looking forward to reading more from Owen Thomas.

Until.

The word that connects every story in this collection is until.

Ordinary people doing ordinary things and living ordinary lives: a bus driver, a farmer, a quality inspector.

Each character follows their path, a straight line from start to finish, until the moment where they veer off-track, dirt and gravel spraying, and their story really begins. Each story here seems to end at the beginning, with a new path freshly discovered. An infidelity discovered, or a fateful radio interview, or George Clooney drinking coffee on TV.

These stories are economical, words chosen carefully to show, not tell. The author is kind to his characters: they are flawed, but he handles them gently, exploring their emotions and motivations with a light touch. The dialogue is natural, real. It drives the plot. The problems each person encounters on their individual journeys are much like our own, and the ways they react ring true. It’s hard not to identify with them and to empathise with their struggles, to feel the pain of a missed chance at love, or the absence of a once-close sibling.

The stories in this collection are to be read one at a time, savouring each one and pausing before the next. Some will leave you feeling the pang of a past grief — feel that feeling — while others may invoke frustration, even anger, at choices poorly made. Still others feel like a call to action. All of them are small, pivotal moments, and all of them are good. Many of them are great. The problem is that every reader will love each story in a different way, depending on who they relate to the most. I can tell you my favourites, but they won’t be your favourites.

This is a book you can pick up anywhere, any time, and dive right in. Within the first few words you’re immersed. You’re invested. You care about these people and their ordinary lives.

They could be any of us. We have to root for them.

— THE CLOCK STRIKES 13

Honest Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Words to dream by

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2021

Are these dreams or nightmares? The author lays out a wonderful wordscape that changes your perspective. 2 thumbs up!

M Garvin

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful prose….authentic voice

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2021

Stunning wordsmith….looking forward to reading more from this original writer

Sequana Moore

5.0 out of 5 stars Knowledgeable

Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2021

Verified PurchaseI just absolutely loved it. I don’t want to give anything away. A must read and have for your book collection.

Michelle L

5.0 out of 5 stars Wanted more

Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2021

Verified PurchaseLove the different stories. It kept me wanting more. I would recommend this book.

Z’Marie

5.0 out of 5 stars Page turner

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2021

Verified PurchaseI really enjoyed the different stories I love the short story format kept me interested and wanted to keep reading

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October 7, 2021

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