2016 Longlist
Deep in the heart of history’s most infamous concentration camp, a man lies dreaming. His name is Shomer, and before the war he was a pulp fiction author. Now, to escape the brutal reality of life in Auschwitz, Shomer spends his nights imagining another world – a world where a disgraced former dictator now known only as Wolf ekes out a miserable existence as a low-rent PI in London’s grimiest streets.
An extraordinary story of revenge and redemption, A Man Lies Dreaming is the unforgettable testament to the power of imagination.
(from publisher)
About the Author
Lavie Tidhar is the World Fantasy Award-winning author of the controversial, widely-translated alternate history novel Osama, and of many other works which straddle the boundaries between history, fantasy and reality. He has written comics for Titan Comics and others, as well as screenplays, numerous short stories, and a volume of poetry. He has won a British Fantasy Award for his fiction, a BSFA Award for his non-fiction, and was nominated variously for the Campbell, Sturgeon, Sidewise and Geffen awards. He has travelled extensively but currently lives in London.
Librarian’s Comments
An audacious and alternate take on the Holocaust novel this “what if” work is both subversive and ironic but executed with aplomb in a masterful and commanding prose.