The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami

I read an interview with the author of this book in the Christian Science Monitor. I was immediately fascinated by the concept. It also didn’t hurt that it was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. I usually borrow my books from the library, but the hold was too long on this one. I quickly bought myself a copy and read it.

The action takes place in a near future where people with insomnia can be treated with an implant. These compress the rest and restoration from sleeping so that the effects of eight hours of sleep can be achieved in only five hours. Buried deep in the license agreement is that your data can be shared with pretty much anyone who can do pretty much whatever they want with it. This leads to an algorithmic system of pre-crime. All of a person’s online activity and dreams are combined with the surveillance in public spaces to come up with a risk score. When this rises above 500, people can be involuntarily held as a “retainee” for twenty-one days for the protection of society. Sara Hussein is one such person retained. She is arrested at the airport upon returning from a business trip. She is eager to see her family but some minor issues turn into her arrest. They claim due to her dreams that she is a danger to her husband. But the system is so corrupted by financial incentives and simple carelessness and cruelty that most retainees spend much longer than twenty-one day in confinement.

This is the story of how what many feel is a good idea when executed turns out to be a disaster. It explores the concepts of identity and individuality as well as what we owe to each other in society as well as in closer relationships. In many ways, it is a modern vision of Orwell’s 1984 but far more realistic and plausible. What happens in the retention centers is on a small scale what often happens in prisons today. This is my favorite kind of speculative fiction. It takes today, nudges it into the near future, and explores how human nature reacts to the change. This is a poignant and touching story that should serve as warning. We need to take data privacy much more seriously that we do now.

My rating: 5/5

Clarksworld Magazine Issue 223, April 2025

Here are my super short reviews on the fiction in issue 223 of Clarkesworld Magazine Issue 223, published in April 2025.

“Through These Moments, Darkly” by Samantha Murray — You and your love contemplate the idea of a portal in a world tipped past a warming climate to a cooling one. I love the focus on individuals true to themselves but in relationship to each other. (My rating: 5/5)

“The Seed” by Sheri Singerling — A childless woman in a world without technology is enticed by a beacon from another world to become the progenitor of her people’s rebirth. Felt a little heavy-handed and left me wanting a little something, I am not sure what, that was missing from the story. (My rating:4/5)

“Aegiopolis Testudo” by Gordon Li — A contracted worker living on a leviathan considers whether they should stay at the end of their contract. Feels somewhat confusing or disorienting at the start. A bit unclear. Reminds of me of The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi and Godzilla movies. (My rating: 3/5)

“Still Water” by Zhang Ran, translated from Chinese by Jay Zhang — A mother does her best to comfort and care for her teenage son with ALS. Sections alternate between 2nd and 1st person. First person is the mother narrating. The “you” in second person is her son. Deeply personal and touching. (My rating: 5/5)

“Symbiotic” by Carolyn Zhao — Two people in a technologically induced symbiotic relationship deal with how uneven it is. Very confusing story exploring a fascinating concept. (My rating: 2/5)

“In My Country” by Thomas Ha — A father in a world with no kings but lots of control has a son and a daughter he struggles to understand. A touching story of family in a political situation. Reminds me a bit of Orwell’s 1984. (My rating: 4/5)

“An Even Greater Cold to Come” — A pregnant woman hides with her daughters from soldiers looking for them. This one is a bit on the horror side. It was only “meh” for me. (My rating: 3/5)

My average rating for this issue: 3.75 out of 5.