The first half of this book is similar to INDIGO. Both involve people who are trying to expand their mind or consciousness by doing some sort of experiment. In INDIGO it had to do with visibility and seeing. In DREAMSIDE it had to do with your dreams and controlling them. And in both, the methods given to reach the state of heightened awareness seem really probable for success. DREAMSIDE focuses on four college students who work on the power of lucid dreaming, the ability to control and be aware of your dreams while dreaming. This talent and their growth in using it is told in a flashback as something dangerous and unknown starts to play havoc with their lives in the present. In that regards the story follows the typical "something evil happens when younger and comes back to revisit when adults" theme. I'm not too sure why but halfway through the book, I lost my momentum to finish it. The story seemed fine and interesting all the way through and the ending wasn't totally predictable but I wasn't able to finish the book as quickly as I started it. Despite that I would probably recommend this more than some of his later works since this book has more supernatural or weird things happening than his later and more literary material. ( )

Graham Joyce was not an author I was aware of until Neil Gaiman tweeted about his untimely death. So I sought out this book, his first novel, since he seemed to operate in an area of fiction I like.

This is a story about lucid dreaming, the ability to control one's dreams consciously and even interact with other dreamers. Focussing on four students, Ella, Lee, Honora and Brad, who take part in a study on lucid dreaming run by a professor Burns in the 1970's, we follow their struggles to gain and then control the ability to affect their dreams. Joyce's writing here (this part of the story is told in flashback) is wonderful, poetic even. The picture he paints of "Dreamside" is idyllic and the four are excited by the possibilities that lucid dreaming offers.

It is only when the experiment comes to an end, when they decide, rashly, to carry on without supervision, that things take a darker turn. The sexual tensions within the group ultimately lead to tragedy and they splinter.

Thirteen years later (which is when the book opens), the four are troubled by dark dreams again. Someone, or some thing, is stalking them. Something has crossed over from Dreamside and, led by Ella, they must return to undo what was done. The second half of the book is much darker, horror dripping from the page as they struggle to separate reality from dreaming.

Joyce is a good writer and the story rattles along but at one point you are asked to suspend disbelief in order for the plot to advance. And it's a big ask. Some will go with it, as I did, and some won't. But the whole latter part of the book hinges on that choice. For me, at the end, things are never quite explained properly, loose ends never quite tied up satisfactorily. But as a first novel its a million times better than some of the drek that clogs up the best seller shelves. I'll be reading more of Mr Joyce, and if you enjoy fantastical fiction with a dark twist, I'd urge you to do so too. ( )

This book was an interesting look at lucid dreams and what happens when dreams invade reality. I like the interactions between the characters as they struggle to understand what happened years ago. ( )

Graham Joyce is at the top of my list of most underrated authors. I am slowly making my way through all his works. His style is not branded horror, but he has a subtle way of chilling you through and making you wonder about what's really out there.

Dreamside centers around Ella, Lee, Brad and Honora. Back in college, they took part in a psychology research project. As the numbers dwindled down, they were the Professor's chosen. He took their talent and molded them to create worlds and matter in their dreams. When one of their group retreats and things in the real world become unstable, they put the dreams to rest. Thirteen years later, the side effects are starting again. Who is calling to them? ( )