Curled up with a Good Book called Julia and the Dream Maker “. . . a very realistic feeling and often times frightening book.”
The Eternal Night, a UK-based site featuring reviews and information about science fiction, fantasy and horror books,
reviewed Julia and the Dream Maker, and said “As books go this one has much to merit it.”
Foreword Magazine ran a detailed review of Julia and the Dream Maker, and said that the book “remains grounded in
and relevant to current scientific and cultural conundrums.”
Collected Miscellany, a literary blog, posted an in depth review of Julia and the Dream Maker, noting the book “has the
ingredients of an interesting series. The ideas being dealt have potential and the characters are well developed.
The setting is nicely balanced; clearly in the future but still recognizable . . . ”
ConNotations, the bi-monthly science fiction, fantasy & convention newszine of the Central Arizona Speculative Fiction
Society, reviewed Julia and the Dream Maker. “I look forward to other books by this author,” said reviewer Bob LaPierre.
After reading Julia and the Dream Maker, The Kansas City Star reviewer said that the story is one where “. . . the future
of science, all science, is not what it used to be.” This review was also picked up at AI Alert, which has news and
other information related to artificial intelligence.
“The story of Stephen's youth, the development of his scientific genius, his relationship to Bennie and Eli are fascinating,
and the actual experiment as it unfolds are written in fascinating and engaging style. You will, as this reviewer does,
eagerly await the second novel in this series, to be published in late 2005."
Crystal Reviews and The Best Reviews
The reviewer at Bookloons said Julia and the Dream Maker “is completely different from any novel I have ever read.
In it, P. J. Fischer creates a believable future in which biology and math combine to form a completely new dimension. . . ”
Julia and the Dream Maker by P. J. Fischer was reviewed by Emerald City, an online speculative magazine produced by
Cheryl Morgan. The reviewer found interesting parallels in the plots of Julia and the Dream Maker,
and Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood.
"Both books feature a triumvirate of characters. One is a ferociously intelligent scientist. One is a scarily capable
young woman whom the scientist loves. And the third is the scientist’s slightly geeky sidekick, who also loves the girl
but knows that he has no chance. In both books the mad scientist invents things the like of which the world has never
seen before. In Oryx and Crake he destroys the world; in Julia and the Dream Maker science gets a much more
favorable hearing.” . . .
“Where Atwood tries to make the case that science is dangerous (and should presumably be stopped before it kills us all),
Fischer believes that curiosity is inherently human and that we need to learn to live with the results. The publicity for
the book compares Steven to Galileo, a misunderstood genius who is persecuted by an ignorant and frightened government.
The case is not badly made." . . .
The reviewer added, the author ". . . does develop a feel for his central characters and gets us quite fond of these naïve
and ambitious kids."
In addition, Morgan of Emerald City said Traitor Dachshund Books showed "imagination and initiative" in developing
a video promotion for its website, www.juliaandthedreammaker.com She added, to the best of her knowledge, this is
the first time someone has done something like this to promote a new science fiction book.
"Readers will find this fascinating . . ."
-Posted by Harriet Klausner, Internet Book Reviewer
The full review can be found at any of the following sites:
http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews73496.html
http://www.allscifi.com/Topics/Info_26861.asp
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1882606
http://www.tnrdlib.bc.ca/rr-indexes/il-27.html
http://www.blether.com/blether.php?id=8635
http://www.harnikbk.com/readerrev10.htm#har-julia
http://www.booksnbytes.com/reviews/fischer_juliaandthedreammaker.html
http://romancedanmark.dk/TRG/post.php?cat=9&fid=7&pid=56&page=1
http://www.aimoo.com/forum/postview.cfm?id=491840&CategoryID=202105&ThreadID=1596024
“This is good, solid sci fi. The first in a series, the book leaves us hanging, wondering what will happen next.
The author presents the technical side of his story in an understandable manner and addresses several moral issues.
We rated it four hearts."
-Heartland Reviews
"No matter how you get it, give this new writer a try; you will find Julia and the Dream Maker more than the title implies."
-Washington Science Fiction Association
The review was also picked up by the following sites:
http://www.lambdasf.org/lsf/club/200407NL.pdf
http://www.bsfs.org/bsfsnews.htm
http://www.fast-forward.tv/bookreviews/bookreview_169.html
"Julia and the Dream Maker does some fascinating things . . . I enjoyed it tremendously . . . "Mr. Fischer is a very talented
writer, and I very much look forward to seeing what he'll do next."
-- Helen Pilinovsky, Columbia University
“…I Iiterally couldn’t put it down once I was into the heart of the story. I was reading faster and faster trying to finish
… I loved the book and can't wait to read the sequel. I passed it on to my brother and he is really enjoying it.”
-- Courtney C., Satisfied Reader
“For someone who does not read sci-fi on a regular basis, I found this to be a very accessible book on many levels.
You don't need to be a sci-fi junkie to appreciate the richly drawn relationships between the characters. The predicament
they find themselves in - while fueled by science - is something most readers can equate to a situation in their own life.
In the end, you care about the characters and want to see how the story plays out in future installments in the series.
That's the sign of a good book, regardless of genre.”
-- Kim Z., Satisfied Reader
"This fascinating book requires the reader to be aware of technological advances that exist NOW and the implications
for human living. . .”
-- Barbara B., Satisfied Reader
“Even though the novel is fiction, it is based in real science and I could imagine some of the computer technology actually
happening in the future and advancing quality of life.”
--Celeste P., Satisfied Reader
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