The Dream Compass

The Dream Compassby Jeff BredenbergRulers of old nearly destroyed the planet. And the new "boss" may finish the job.Of Madmen, Martyrs—and MagicAny day now, The Monitor will unleash his deadly secret upon a war-addled planet. What brutal dictator worth his salt would pass up the chance to annihilate an entire competing population?But he didn't count on interference from Anton Takk, the guilt-ridden escapee from a northern labor camp. Or from Rosenthal Webb, the aging Revolutionary burrowed in a mountain hideout. Or, for that matter, from the ruthless warrior-musician, Tha'Enton.And no one across the entire decimated landscape could have anticipated Pec-Pec, equal parts magician, Rasta mystic—and master manipulator!Book 1 of The Merquan ChronicleAlso by Jeff Bredenberg: The Dream Vessel"I feel Jeff Bredenberg is a writer to watch closely. He has had three books published to date, and there is enough in them to satisfy many categories of readers: Even his minor characters are interesting; his settings, from Fun City to Caribbean ports, are sufficiently exotic to hold any interest yet always well thought-out and appropriate to their times; he writes sustained action sequences which twist like mating serpents; his themes are important ones; and his voice is different from anyone else's in the business. He is still at the beginning of his career, and it is hard to guess what he will do next, save that it is likely to be very good."—Roger Zelazny, May 13, 1993

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Science Fiction, Nonfiction, Fiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.