I had to DNF this book, the concept behind it was really cool and I’m sure the some of the short stories are interesting, but I just couldn’t get behind the writing style. It was very simple and I think it is probably better suited to young YA.

This collection of short stories was interesting and engaging. I love a book that I can devour one sitting, and this one fit the bill.

Bailey's creative mind takes us all over the universe, but humans and their varied experiences seem to be the focus of each story.

Some of these stories I really loved. Inheritance and The House with an Inside but No Outside are so cozy and bittersweet while others lean more philosophical, tongue in cheek, or even a little cheesy. However, Bailey always seems to avoid crossing over into cringey territory no matter how bizarre the stories get.

Overall, I found this collection to be a nice way to disconnect from reality and visit weird new worlds. My only complaint is that a few stories (Daily Log and Thirteen, for instance) felt more like snippets with no real substance. I don't feel like I got anything from reading those two in particular, but the rest of the stories were all strong and interesting in their own peculiar way.

I look forward to seeing what Bailey creates in the future.

In Letter from Glomsuet, Emilio, a Flat Earther who's been accidentally abducted by aliens, is writing to his former girlfriend Stacy to tell her about his new life and to apologize. I really loved the ironic ending of this piece

In The Man of Her Dreams, Chloe's idol, moviestarTom Suarez, has just died. She begins plotting to go back in time to seduce a young Tom Suarez. This story was an interesting exploration of "getting what you want."

In Jay, a dirty, mysterious stranger appears in town and helps solve a grisly mystery. This story is a reminder to be kinder to those around you.

In Daily Log from Outpost #602, Kwame and Porter have been assigned to a space outpost to listen for interstellar signals that never come-- until they do. This one...I could have done without.

In No Good Reason, Bill is a living punching bag for some reason. This is another one that I was on the fence about, but it was more engaging than the other super short pieces.

In How to Make Money Fast, Kyle plays along to retrieve lost property even though he's sure he's on a TV prank show. This was one of my least favorites, mostly because Kyle's actions didn't feel believable, and the ending was a little too sugary sweet for me.

In The Family Name, Edwin learns why there are so many boys and so few girls in a world that is obsessed with carrying on the family name. This is a brief but cutting commentary on the patriarchy.

In Larry, listening to her imaginary friend changes Molly's life. This one was simple but cute.

In Thirteen, Marsha has a disagreement with a stranger in the hotel bar about superstition. This was my least favorite story in the collection. It is very short, and it doesn't feel like a story as much as a strange snapshot.

In Inheritance, Gretchen's recently deceased grandmother leaves her a magical pen. This was one of my favorite pieces. Of all the stories, it gave me the biggest feels. I think all of us wish we could recieve a gift like this.

In The Last to Pass, Francis and Tanvi break down on a planet where the people have stopped aging. This story explores the repercussions of immortality.

In The House with an Inside but No Outside, Kenzie finds her grandmother's old friend and her grandaugther in a magical house in the woods. This was another favorite. It brought me straight back to childhood summers spent tromping in the woods playing make believe, and I'm here for it.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Such a weirdly delightful book. The short stories I've gotten accustomed to aren't usually of this genre, so it was pleasantly surprising to be so immersed in these hilarious yet sometimes thought provoking stories.

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. They remind me a little of Black Morror episodes so if you are a fan, you should read this.

This collection of stories by JS Bailey was a true delight.
Fun, quirky, thought provoking, and a little ominous, they make a great break from heavy long winded work.

What I liked: something about each story, some pulled you emotionally, some stumped you a bit, some made you wonder about potential outcomes…a couple shorter ones ended abruptly in ways reminiscent of the twilight zone, rather than having everything tied up beat with a bow like many models readers call for. I enjoyed the new languages or unique traits being kept simple but well thought, and Bailey certainly knows what descriptive phrases to add in the right place to build emotion without adding too much detail.

What I didn’t like: probably mostly that there just weren’t more of them…..if I had another critique it would be that I think I would have chosen a different order for the stories within the collection.

Overall a treat to read, i would be intrigued to read a longer work of Baileys now in contrast but they certainly know short story work.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, it’s not something I would usually select but I’m very glad it got the chance to read this. .

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of the Twilight Zone and this collection of Sci-Fi stories would quite easily find a home in the Twilight Zone. Some of these stories made me laugh, others made me a little bit sad, and there was one that had me scratching my head asking, "What the heck was that?!" I have never read this author before, but I will definitely be picking up more by J.S. Bailey.

My favorite stories were: "Letter From Glomsuet," "Jay," "Daily Log from Outpost #602" and "The Last to Pass"

If you are a fan of the Twilight Zone or just enjoy thought provoking stories with Sci-Fi vibes, then this collection is for you!

4.5 Stars!

#uponawakingdream #netgalley

What a truly delightful read! This is a collection of short sci-fi stories. This is whimsical (not rules based) sci fi.

The author does a great job at building out each world in fewer pages than you’d think.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I picked up this book because I enjoy fantasy but this is more sci-fi/speculative fiction than I had hoped. The stories were very reminiscent of The Twilight Zone in that they were strange yet accessible and generally tied up pretty neatly in the end. Overall I liked it, but there wasn't enough to really grab me and make me love it.

Upon a waking dream by J. S Bailey

Upon a Waking Dream is a short speculative fiction anthology set that mostly plays around sci-fi and some bordering the realm of supernatural fiction. Split into 12 short stories.

The Man of Her Dreams
I enjoyed the Tom and Cleo story. Cleo made an alternative universe to be with an actor she was obsessed with in the real world. What can go wrong when your dreams come true? It was a more enjoyable read than I first expected, and I highly recommend it to others.

Within these 12storeez they're all different and all have a quick and witty characters design and I find this very interesting.

I found this book to be slow. There wasn't enough of the action to keep me invested in it. I admit the idea was great, I just wasn't a huge fan of the writing style.

In this anthology of short stories, Upon a Waking Dream, J.S Bailey takes the reader through 12 different tales from 12 different people. As someone who enjoys science fiction and fantasy, this quick read was such a magical flight through the universes. I love the worlds, the languages created, and the world that I can picture in my mind. If you happen to be new to the science fiction genre, this would be a great read for you to test the waters. Thank you J.S Bailey for the opportunity to be an ARC reader I truly enjoyed getting to step into other worlds (at least for a short while). I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick adventure, who knows what you might find.

This is an utterly delightful collection of short stories that run the gamut from time travel to accidental alien abduction! I was so delighted reading these stories that I often doubled back to re-read one of the stories I'd already finished, including by reading them out loud to family members (who also loved them). These short stories were often filled with twists and turns that I did not see coming and kept me on the edge of my seat. I would absolutely recommend this collection of short stories to any lovers of Science Fiction or Fantasy.

I volunteered to read and review this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

#NetGalley #ScienceFiction #Fantasy #ShortStories #UponAWakingDream #JSBailey #2022 #ARC

Upon a Waking Dream is a short speculative fiction anthology set that mostly plays around with sci-fi and some bordering the realm of supernatural fiction. I think each story was the right length, which was good for holding my attention, and varied in formats, which was fun. It's a good start for sci-fi curious people that don't want to read the overly technical and detailed expositions about the fictional science so this book will be quite appealing.

Thanks to Netgalley and J.S. Bailey for providing me with the e-ARC/DRC in exchange for an hoenst review.

Upon a Waking Dream is a super fun and interesting collection of short stories by author J.S Bailey!

I loved how fun they were, how they made me think and ponder the possibilities or what I would do if I found myself apart of these stories.

I don’t remember if I had an imaginary friend, but Molly’s imaginary friend Larry would be the king of imaginary friend anyone would wish to have!

Do you ever ponder immortality and whether you would truly want it? One of these stories will have you doing just that!

Is there a celebrity crush you’ve had that you just know in your heart that if you had met you would have been the love of each others lives? I can definitely say I’ve thought about this!

All in all, if you’re looking for a way to dip your toe into Sci-Fi this might be the perfect read as it’s short and sweet and oh so interesting!

Highly recommend this quick read! I loved all the stories immensely especially the house with and inside but no outside…yes you heard that correct!

A bunch of really beautiful short stories! Most of them entertaining and some even made me cry. The last story was definitely my favourite!

J. S. Bailey's Upon a Waking Dream is a collection of short stories that dive into the science fiction/fantasy genre. I was a huge fan of this collection. It is refreshing to read something of substance that isn't a whole novel itself. The stories were entertaining, funny, unique, and just downright fun to read. I really enjoyed them all and I also loved the afterword that gives a quick glimpse into the backstory of each one. I am not always a fan of sci-fi but she does a wonderful job at grabbing your attention and making them fun to read.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.
*All thoughts and words are my own.

i flew this book. sometimes there is nothing better than reading some short stories. i'm also doing a short story module in my uni degree so i loved to see techniques that i have been learning about in some of these short stories. i loved how unique some of these stories were - especially the one with the flat earther being taken into space! the creativity in this book is extremely prevalent. However, there were a few of the short stories that i just sadly could not get into, but not everything is for everyone. the vast majority of them, i loved, but some of them did not hit the spot.

if anyone is looking for a book that is under 200 pages, then i highly recommend this. i also recommend it if you are in a reading slump and want something to kick-start you back into reading.

thank you for letting me read this!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review. A large thanks to J.S. Bailey as well for writing and publishing this fun collection!

Upon a Waking Dream is comprised of twelve speculative fiction stories, ranging from a flat earther abducted by aliens to a traveling house without an outside. Some stories present familiar concepts with a new spin, and others appear completely out-of-the-box.

Even when discussing difficult topics, Bailey adopts a quirky, almost whimsical tone. Her stories are each short and read quickly. My favorite chapters include “The Family Name,” “The Last to Pass,” and “The House with an Inside but No Outside.” Bailey’s characterization is distinct and clear, and she skillfully builds senses of tension. She is not afraid to experiment with plots and prose, resulting in several fun tales!

Although Upon is short fiction, a few of the stories (“The Family Name,” “No Good Reason”) felt as if they ended abruptly or could use more pages to go in-depth. Additionally, some stories prompt reflection, but others lack a certain thought-provoking punch that, in my experience, holds the appeal of short fiction.

Overall, I rate Upon 3.5/5 stars. It is tight and entertaining, if a bit light. I will have to check out more of Bailey’s writing.

I dove in to this book blind and no information about the author at all. It was a surprisingly nice experience and I did not even notice I finished it in a day.

"Upon a Waking Dream contains twelve science fiction and fantasy tales from the mind of J. S. Bailey, ten of them never before published"

The short stories comprised of tales that were downright amusing, sad to batsh*t crazy. I think that was the beauty of reading different timelines and concepts on one book- you get to experience myriad of emotions in one sitting. Reading through the stories sounded like sifting through thoughts down the memory lane with the author, which is not bad considering some of those were actually thoughts that plagued us one way or the other.


Albeit, the some of the stories were really cool, I just hoped these are just some prompts for a more evolved storyline or turned into a full novel

I am not the biggest science fiction reader and I thought these selection of short stories was an excellent way to get me to read more science fiction. There wasn't a single story that I did not enjoy. They all felt very flushed out and all had interesting concepts.

My favourites would be Daily Log from Outpost #602, Inheritance, and Letter from Glomsuet.

Release date: March 7th, 2023