The Fall of the Dream Machine / The Star Venturers

by Dean R. Koontz, Kenneth Bulmer

THE FALL OF THE DREAM MACHINE
When all the world's a stage, director Cockley will run it. If there was a single phrase that captured the public's attention more than any other in 1967, it was this one: "The Medium is the Message." Marshall McLuhan not only made a fortune with it, but established himself as a prophet and philosopher. When McLuhan says the printed word is doomed in our age of electronic communication, everyone listens. Somehow, no one seems to notice that McLuhan's own predictions are presented via the printed word and - by his own theories - are doomed from the start.

Still, it frightens me to think of a future where all artistic outlets are electronic, where all of life becomes an open, sterile, and public thing. In this novel, I have tried to shape a society that has advanced along the lines of the predictions in The Medium is the Message . . . and then advanced a little further - a little to far.

McLuhan says we are drawing - via electronics - together again into a Village Society. A quick look around at television, telephones, and the recorded messages of today's pop music groups makes this seem a reasonable statement. But what will follow this village stage? A Household society? And after that what will we have - and be?

This is not truly a horror story. Not Quite.


THE STAR VENTURERS
"Heard of you?" The princess spoke with a great weariness. "We hear about all the adventurers of the galaxy. So far all have failed. You will fail too. I know it--but I must go on trying to find the prince. When you are dead and scattered into atoms we shall find another strong man and try again."

"One day, perhaps, we shall succeed. Maybe you will, but I doubt it. You too will be destroyed like all the others."

With these words of confidence ringing in his ears, Big Bill Jarrett was sent out on an impossible journey--one he knew could kill him if he went, and would kill him if he didn't.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Science Fiction, Ebooks, Science Fiction Fantasy, Speculative Fiction

253 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Librarian's Note: This author writes under the name Dean R. Koontz and Dean Koontz. As both names appear on his works, both should be kept.

Acknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.

Known Pseudonyms:
Leigh Nichols,
Brian Coffey,
David Axton,
Owen West,
Deanna Dwyer
Aaron Wolfe.
K.R. Dwyer
John Hill
Richard Paige
Anthony North

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Fall of the Dream Machine was Koontz's second novel. It's a sociological science fiction story that looks at the future of media influence in a way that seems quaint and de rigeur now but was a shade on the progressively New Wave side in 1969. It's rather dated, but at the time it was quite predictive. It's a well-written story, still fun after all these years. It was published as part of the famous Ace Doubles program, bound back-to-back with The Star Venturers by Kenneth Bulmer, who was an extremely prolific pulp-inspired author of many space opera adventurers.

[Dustin Manning · Rating 3 out of 5]

of the first three of Koontz's early works this is so far my favorite. it was almost like The Truman Show for sci-fi fans thirty years early. this also has the first of what will eventually become a Koontz staple; the wonderfully pure evil baddie ( think of this one as a prototype of what will come). of course there was koontz's obligitory view on both science and technology as evil and shoe horned in ever so briefly was his ever chsnging views on god and what he/it is

[Atley King · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed The Fall of the Dream Machine. A redemption of reality from the hands of an evil man and his tech company. It was a little hard for me to get interested in the story for the first half of the book, but the ending made it.
I did not read The Star Venturers.

[Takedown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was VERY good of the first few of his...

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book. Written a few years ago but with ideas of the future of possible complete control of human beings.

[Shari Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scarey! Is Dean Koontz the reincarnation of Nostradamus? This one is even scarier now than when it was originally published!

[Ralph Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Koontz's second novel. A short and fast paced SF novel.

[Plum · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry, just not my thing. If this were a film - and it might be but I haven't heard of it, I have a feeling that I would only end up watching it because the OH picked it, and then I'd spent about half an hour debriefing the complexities afterwards. Also, I find it highly depressing that as this was a vision of the future (albeit from around a generation ago) that there wasn't the imaginative scope to extend women beyond secretaries in see-through blouses, tiresome wives and actresses who couldn't hold a role on their own. A big old bagful of nope.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd novel. Holds up quite well, reads much like a modern scifi with current relevance (VR, corporate/social control, etc.) Spooky foresight - predicting 50 years ahead to our current time (written in 1969). Good pace, feels like a downshift in the fourth quarter.

[Art the Turtle of Amazing Girth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 for Dream Machine
2.50 for Venturers

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great early Koontz.

[Eddie Novak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dean Koontz should not have been embarrassed by this work. Besides one part which is easily deleted or updated, this book is philosophically sound. Great story about subliminal media influences in trying to destroy the individual for the "collective soul." These out of print books are such a wonderful experience because you get to see a side of Koontz that is different. You still get that unique voice, wonderful descriptions, fast pace, but now you also get a completely different setting. You wouldn't catch Koontz cold setting his stories in a futuristic world run by a madman controlling the world population through a game / reality show. Mr. Koontz's vision was fresh from his beginnings, with original and sleek concepts about future technology. Koontz is still the Master.

[Jewelee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is just a review of *The Fall of the Dream Machine*. For some reason, I couldn't find a book for just that title, here on Goodreads. Anyway, not much to say about it, really. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. A quick, decent read.

[SciFiOne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ace Double Novel 020-22600-060
Fall Of the Dream Machine, Dean Koontz, grade B-
Star Venturers, Keneth Bulmer, grade C

[SciFiOne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ace Double Novel 020-22600-060
Fall Of the Dream Machine, Dean Koontz, grade B-
Star Venturers, Keneth Bulmer, grade C

[Al]

Summary of The fall of the dream machine: when all the world's a stage, director Cockley will run it.

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Koontz' 3rd book - so far so good - but the president of the US is hiding in a bunker - yikes!