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The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe

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The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe

By: Kij Johnson
Narrated by: Kij Johnson
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One of NPR's Best Books of 2016 and a 2016 Nebula Award finalist for Best Novella

Professor Vellitt Boe teaches at the prestigious Ulthar Women's College. When one of her most gifted students elopes with a dreamer from the waking world, Vellitt must retrieve her.

©2016 Tor.com (P)2017 TalkingBook Classics Dark Fantasy Fantasy Fiction
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Critic reviews

"Kij Johnson's haunting novella The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe is both a commentary on a classic H.P. Lovecraft tale and a profound reflection on a woman's life. Vellitt's quest to find a former student who may be the only person who can save her community takes her through a world governed by a seemingly arbitrary dream logic in which she occasionally glimpses an underlying but mysterious order, a world ruled by capricious gods and populated by the creatures of dreams and nightmares. Those familiar with Lovecraft's work will travel through a fantasy landscape infused with Lovecraftian images viewed from another perspective, but even readers unfamiliar with his work will be enthralled by Vellitt's quest. A remarkable accomplishment that repays rereading." (Pamela Sargent, winner of the Nebula Award)
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Kij Johnson is one of my favourite living short fiction writers. She always delivers the unexpected - from her ultraviolent stories, to her quieter, more pensive tales. This was no exception, and I loved the inclusion of an older female character, so often invisible or ignored in fantasy. Vellitt was a great character, too - fierce and caring and intelligent, with a rich history of travelling. The ending was surprising and yet inevitable, as a good ending should be.

And while I love Johnson, I didn't think her narration was very good in places. When there was no dialogue, which is most of the story, it was fine, but the beginning was a little painful due to the lack of inflection or emotion in the dialogue. But otherwise, it worked well.

Journey Through the Dreamlands

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