Cover Image: Upon a Waking Dream

Upon a Waking Dream

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I am grateful to Netgalley for giving me a free ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review.Upon a Waking Dream by J. S. Bailey is a collection of twelve stories about aliens, imaginary friends, invisible houses, magic pens and more. It was such a great read and I loved "Inheritance" the most. The stories often ended in cliffhangers and left me wanting more. Thanks for the great cover..

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An engaging collection of sci-fi and fantasy short stories that genuinely captivate readers with imaginative plots and original concepts. With themes ranging from alien encounters to time travel, 'Upon a Waking Dream' offers an exciting escape for readers looking for adventure and intrigue.

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"Upon a Waking Dream" by J. S. Bailey is a mesmerizing journey into the realms of the subconscious, where reality blurs with fantasy and dreams hold the key to unlocking hidden truths. In this tantalizing collection of short stories, Bailey weaves a tapestry of intrigue and wonder, each tale offering a glimpse into the mysterious depths of the human psyche. From surreal landscapes to haunting encounters, the author's evocative prose and vivid imagery captivate the imagination, inviting readers to lose themselves in worlds both strange and familiar. "Upon a Waking Dream" is a masterful exploration of the power of dreams to illuminate the darkest corners of the soul, leaving readers spellbound and longing for more.

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This book starts out with an adrenaline-and-magic-fueled backdrop and amazing word building and simply just gets better and more high-octane from there. I couldn’t out this one down.

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This is a wild collection of sci Fi and fantasy stories. You definitely have to let your imagination run wild with each story. I wanted something different than my usual reads,

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Upon a Waking Dream by J.S. Bailey is a mesmerizing collection of stories that left a lasting impression on me. I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bailey's mastery of prose and their diverse storytelling abilities shine throughout this collection. Spanning across various genres from science fiction to fantasy and more, each story presents a unique and captivating experience. I particularly found "Inheritance" to be deeply moving, evoking a sense of both warmth and melancholy that tugged at my heartstrings.

Bailey's passion for science fiction is evident in these tales, presenting a whimsical and conceptual approach rather than a heavy focus on technical details. The stories are original, charming, and infused with a delightful sense of whimsy. I greatly appreciated the afterword, which provided additional insights and backstory to enhance my reading experience.

What truly stood out to me was how Bailey's storytelling centered on human experiences amidst the vastness of the universe. Each story offered a different perspective and explored a wide range of themes. While a few stories didn't resonate with me as strongly as others, the majority were strong and intriguing in their own unique way.

"Upon a Waking Dream" served as a delightful escape from reality, transporting me to intriguing and peculiar worlds. Bailey's ability to evoke emotion and provoke contemplation made each story a pleasure to read. The only minor drawback was the brevity of a couple of stories, which left me craving more depth and substance.

As I concluded this collection, I couldn't help but anticipate the future creations of J.S. Bailey. Their storytelling prowess and the captivating nature of these tales have solidified my admiration. If you are in search of beautifully crafted stories that transport you to extraordinary realms, I highly recommend exploring "Upon a Waking Dream."

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Upon a Waking Dream it’s a collection of short stories with amazing, beautiful, fantastic, emotional aspects differentiating each other. The stories cover many genres, though most are sci-fi short stories envolve around aliens technology, space time travel. Bringing us the concept of the humanity with perspectives on the cure to give humans eternal life. Love between human and aliens etc.
This was a very easy as fast-paced pace read, I recommend it to anyone interested in an introduction to J.S. Bailey's writing it was my first time.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this Book and for the opportunity to review it giving my honest opinion on it.

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This book has a different quality about it that makes it very easy to read and make you think about it after you put it down. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

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This is a collection of twelve futuristic sci-fi, speculative and fantasy stories, showcasing a range of styles and content, but all well-written and immersive.

My personal favourite stories, ‘Jay’ and ‘Inheritance’, featured a modern-day saint/prophet and a magic pen respectively and both managed to provoke strong emotional responses and deep thoughts, while remaining entertaining as light, quick reads too.

Others in the collection explore all sorts of fascinating ideas – a very unlucky man, an egg hunt with a twist, a world of boys with few girls, a world where aging has stopped, an imaginary friend and an invisible home. Every single one was a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking read.

Unusually for me, I was less fond of the lighter and more humorous stories – the Flat Earth correspondence, the hero worship, interstellar signals from a potentially fowl source and a dispute about the number of floors in a hotel. These all felt more like snippets of a wider story to me, and not as stand-alone satisfying as the rest of the collection.

There is a bit of something for every sci-fi fan or spec-fiction reader here and the whole book makes a great introduction to J.S. Bailey’s writing. I hadn’t read her work before, but certainly would in the future (any future!).

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Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this Book and for the opportunity to review it giving my honest opinion on it.
Upon a Waking Dream it’s a collection of short stories with amazing, beautiful, fantastic, emotional aspects differentiating each other. This sci-fi short stories envolve around aliens technology, space time travel. Bringing us the concept of the humanity with perspectives on the cure to give humans eternal life. Love between human and aliens etc.
This was a very easy as fast-paced pace read, I recommend it to anyone interested in an introduction to J.S. Bailey's writing it was my first time :)

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I received a free copy of Upon a Waking Dream from Netgalley and *pub* in exchange for an honest review.
Reading this collection felt like the craziest dream. The next time someone asks me to define speculative fiction, I’ll point them in the direction of Upon a Waking Dream. Bailey’s mastery of the science fiction and fantasy genres is fascinating.
My favourite story was about a magic pen that brought a mother and daughter together through time and words. It was enchanting and haunting, leaving me filled with wonder and sadness.
Fans of sci-fi, fantasy, and speculative fiction or readers looking to get into the genres, Upon a Waking Dream is a great place to start. Quick to read, but thought-provoking, you’ll find yourself pondering these stories long after you close the cover.

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Solid read. I did enjoy this collection of short stories. So different from each other, but all good read. I need to find other stories written by J.S.Bailey :) I like her writing style.

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This is my first time reading short fiction stories from J.S. Bailey. This is such a fun read, and I love how the stories are written since it's so engaging, and the prose flows beautifully from one story to another. The ideas behind some of the stories were deeply moving. This is not a heavy read for me since the whole concept is whimsical and charming. This is recommended to everyone who loves science fiction with a splash of fantasy. Thank you Netgalley!

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WOW! I loved these short stories! J.S. Bailey is an eloquent writer, drawing you into her world right from page #1!

Thank you for providing me the opportunity to review “Upon A Waking Dream”. I am appreciative and leave my sincerity review voluntarily.

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A collection of beautiful, interesting stories from science-fiction to fantasy. I found this was the perfect, quick read when I just needed something easy to follow along and to break up time during the day.

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Upon A Waking Dream reads exactly how the title describes. This book is a series of short sci-fi/fantasy stories that were grounded in reality and each one was intricately woven to make the reader believe they are viewing someone’s dreams. It gives the feeling of stories that would be retold time and time again while sitting at a bonfire with your family. Overall, a quick and enjoyable read.

Review will be on Instagram by the end of the week (@ellie.reads.a.lot)

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A fresh, quirky collection of stories. I enjoyed the fact that they were a bit different from standard sci-fi, with some interesting characters and thought-provoking issues. Overall I found the stories a bit hit-and-miss - even more so than with other short-story collections.

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I found this book hard to hold my interest and found it hard to finish. I really liked the 1st story and the last one. a couple of theme didnt seem to make sense to me and a couple seemed just silly, which can be fun if your in the mood. One story was just dumb.

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J.S. Bailey's Upon a Waking Dream is a delightful collection of 12 imaginative sci-fi tales that effortlessly transport readers to captivating realms. Each story, with diverse themes and well-crafted storytelling, engages and provokes thought. Perfect for sci-fi enthusiasts seeking a quick, satisfying escape into the extraordinary, ideal for those craving captivating reads despite limited time.

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It took me a while to get to this book, and I was very sorry that it did not follow throw in my expectations.

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