Nasir (Tower of Dreams
) combines lucid dreaming, unconscious desires and the search for God in this lugubrious exploration of different layers of reality. Aging, skirt-chasing lawyer David Grant studies lucid dreaming with Dr. Thotmoses at the Trans-Humanist Institute, hoping to dream up “the most perfect woman possible” and incidentally discover the underlying truth of life. When Grant falls in love with Thotmoses's daughter, Kat, he chases her through multiple dream worlds until he learns to control his dreams and propel himself into other realities. Soon he learns that Kat's family wants to use his abilities to plead on their behalf before God. As multiple realities flood his life, Grant believes himself insane and must choose whether to accept the godlike gifts he has been offered or live as a crazy person in a damaged body. Though Grant trudges toward enlightenment, his misogynistic attitudes and lengthy disbelief in his talents soon make for tedious reading. (Apr.)
