Found a novel where the main character wakes up and it was all a dream inside a dream inside a dream

Last month I finally finished this obscure sci-fi book from the 70s, and on the last page the protagonist wakes up from a dream, then wakes up again, then a third time, and the final line is just "or was it?" lol. Has anyone else run into a book that just keeps layering dream sequences until you want to throw it across the room?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_logan17d ago

I mean, "or was it?" on the last page of any book just feels like the author ran out of ideas more than anything deep. Dream inside a dream is a pretty old trick, I see it all the time in horror games and movies now. Seems like the whole "throw it across the room" reaction is a bit much for a simple twist ending from the 70s. Maybe just take it as a fun little shrug and move on to the next book.

kevin_adams17d ago

lol yeah totally, I had the same reaction when I first read that ending. It’s like the author just threw up their hands and went "uhhh dream sequence I guess?" Felt super lazy even back then compared to something like The Wicker Man or The Omen that had actual creepy payoff. I remember finishing it and just tossing it on my nightstand like "well that was 300 pages of buildup for a shoulder shrug.