What would you do if you woke up and found yourself in a parallel universe under an alien sky? This is the question Zax Delatree must answer every time he closes his eyes.
Every time Zax Delatree falls asleep, he travels to a new reality. He has no control over his destination and never knows what he will see when he opens his eyes. Sometimes he wakes up in technological utopias, and other times in the bombed-out ruins of collapsed civilizations. All he has to live by are his wits and the small aides he has picked up along the way - technological advantages from techno-utopias, sedatives to escape dangerous worlds, and stimulants to extend his stay in pleasant ones.
Thankfully, Zax isn't always alone. He can take people with him, if they're unconscious in his arms when he falls asleep. But someone unwelcome is on his tail, and they are after something that Zax cannot spare - the blood running through his veins, the power to travel through worlds...
This is a great sci fi story, really imaginative, with some great lessons thrown in. Admittedly, one of the major lessons is "If you're hurtling helplessly through the multiverse, find a created plant person to bring along because she'll be really useful" but who knows when we'll need to know that!
I loved the varied civilisations Zax meets on his travels: some real thought has gone into them, even the ones that we skip past very quickly. These aren't cookie cutter planets, they're distinct and interesting. A whole novel spent on any of them - except maybe that first one, and the first one he's drunk on - would be fantastic in and of itself. I know I kind of made fun of Minna above, but I really did like her; she was clever and funny. There's a touch of Dr Who in this book's DNA, and I liked it.
Although the story starts in the middle, it doesn't fall prey to my least favourite trope - No One Talks About What's Going On - because it's presented as a journal and Zax constantly ruminates on his circumstances, so even though you don't know what's happening immediately - unless you've read the blurb - it quickly becomes clear, and the rules are easy to follow. However, I did think that the final cliffhanger came out of absolutely nowhere, wasn't signposted, and seemed like it was just there to be there.
Overall? A lot of fun, really clever, and definitely one I recommend.
Doors of Sleep publishes on the 12th January, 2021.
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