The Dreams of Others

七月Volumes Publishing Company2008

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Chapters: 10

Summary

The Dreams of Others is a science fiction mystery novella by the author Qiyue, consisting of about nine sections of main text plus a final chapter. It was first published in 2008 in the magazine Jiuzhou Fantasy: Seven-Petaled Lotus, and in October of the same year was collected in a volume by Wanjuan Publishing Company. The story is set in the future: humanity has built a mobile city dozens of kilometers in diameter on Mercury, moving on wheels, treads and mechanical legs to chase the line of day and night so that it stays in the band of Mercury's surface where the temperature is tolerable. Qiaosuda, an ordinary young office worker in the city, is hunted by several groups in a single day. In his frantic flight he discovers that the two things he relies on to confirm his identity have both gone wrong: his body may not be his, and his consciousness may not be his either. He struggles to survive while investigating the truth, as accounts from various parties contradict one another and truth and falsehood blur. He must judge between lies and facts, and the truth finally revealed bears on the survival of the entire city. With the question of who I am at its core, the work interweaves pursuit, fighting and puzzle-solving at a brisk pace with strong visual imagery. It is described as a short-to-medium-length piece combining science fiction premises with a tense mystery atmosphere.

Editor's review

在许多读者眼里，“他人之梦”这个题目容易被误解成一本讲梦与心理学的书，但这一部其实是科幻小说家七月写下的中篇悬疑作品，最初刊于《九州幻想·七瓣莲》，后由万卷出版公司结集出版。它的吸引力在设定与节奏：水星上追赶昼夜线的移动城市，是一个足以撑起大场面的构想；而主角乔素达“身体不是我、意识也不是我”的处境，又把宏大设定收束到最私人的恐惧上——当你连自己是谁都无法确认，追杀你的究竟是谁？篇幅不长，几乎一路都在跑、在逃、在解谜，动作与推理交替推进，适合一口气读完。如果你喜欢中文科幻中偏悬疑、偏身份焦虑的那一路数，这篇作品值得列入书单。

Who it's for

A good fit for

喜欢中文科幻短中篇、想在一次通勤或一个晚上读完的读者
偏爱追逃、悬疑、身份谜题紧凑叙事的类型读者
对《九州幻想》等幻想杂志作品有兴趣、想补齐作者旧作的读者
写作或设定爱好者，想研究“移动城市”这类设定如何落地

Not a good fit for

想找一本讲梦境科学、释梦理论的心理学读物的读者
期待长篇、世界观展开充分的大部头读者

Reading tips

先把它当短篇惊险故事来读，不必急着猜设定原理，跟着主角的节奏走。
读到各方说法互相矛盾之处，可以简单记下各是谁在说，读到结局再回头看这些线索。
读完可顺带找七月的其他科幻作品或《九州幻想》同期篇目对照，理解当时中文幻想杂志的创作氛围。
篇幅短，适合一次读完；若分两次读，尽量停在主角获知新线索的段落。

About the publisher

Volumes Publishing Company China · Founded in 2003

Volumes Publishing Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its titles on Chinese classics and literature and the arts. Its publishing covers classical literature, essays and miscellaneous writings, folk literature, foreign literature, and exam preparation books. Judging from the 269 titles in the database, the company emphasizes making classic works accessible to a broad readership. Representative books include Letters from Fu Lei to His Son, The Four Great Classical Novels, Teahouse, The Classic of Mountains and Seas, Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk, and Camel Xiangzi, with authors including Fu Lei, Cao Xueqin, Luo Guanzhong, Shi Nai'an, Wu Cheng'an, Lao She, Liu Xiang, and Liu Xin. The company has also developed series brands such as the Volumes Studio Chinese Classics and the Science Fiction Library, giving it a distinctive profile in organizing Chinese classics and promoting literary reading. Public information on its other publishing activities is limited.

The Dreams of Others 1
The Dreams of Others 2
The Dreams of Others 3
The Dreams of Others 4
The Dreams of Others 5
The Dreams of Others 6
The Dreams of Others 7
The Dreams of Others 8
The Dreams of Others 9
Finale

FAQ

这本《他人之梦》是讲梦境心理学或释梦理论的书吗？

不是。它是作者七月写的中篇科幻小说，题名取的是字面意义上的“他人的梦境与意识”这一科幻母题，内容为水星移动城市中的追杀与身份之谜，与弗洛伊德、荣格的梦理论无关。想读释梦学，可另找三联“新知文库”中的相关作品。

这篇小说最初发表在哪里？

据百科资料，《他人之梦》属于虚构类中篇，全名在《九州幻想·七瓣莲》中标注为“催眠·他人之梦”，随2008年10月出版的《九州幻想·七瓣莲》（万卷出版公司）首次刊出，之后按同名中篇单独收录。

故事的时代与地点设定是怎样的？

故事发生在未来：人类在水星上建立了直径数十公里的移动城市，城市靠轮子、履带和机械足追赶昼夜交替线移动，以停留在水星表面温度较为宜人的地带。主角乔素达是这座城市里一名普通的年轻上班族。

小说大概多长，适合什么阅读节奏？

这是一篇中篇小说，分九节加终章，篇幅不大，节奏偏快。多数读者可在一次阅读中读完；若是碎片时间阅读，建议在主角获得新线索的段落停下来，便于接续悬疑线索。

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About the author

七月 Author

Qiyue is an author about whom limited public information is available. Six of the author's works have been collected, spanning science fiction and inspirational growth. Titles such as Qunxing, Xiaozhen Qitan, Mingye, Shei Jiang Liucun Yu Zhe Ju Shenti and Qionglong: Wugui Shikong lean toward science-fictional imagination, suggesting an interest in future spaces, identity, and unfamiliar situations. By contrast, Shuo Yi Wan Ju Wo Ai Ni, Buru Haohao Zai Yiqi and Xin Ruo Xiang Yang, He Ju Youshang turn to themes of emotion and personal growth in a gentle, everyday tone. This juxtaposition gives Qiyue's writing a character that moves between grand speculative settings and delicate feeling, constructing estranged story worlds while also responding to readers' real-life moods. Because basic details such as dates of birth and death, nationality, and English name remain unknown, it is difficult to place the works in a more specific literary context; readers may begin with the differences between the two genres and consider the author's distinct emphases in science fiction and inspirational writing.