Project Gutenberg 2010-06-17 Public domain in the USA. 156 Stockham, Richard Freas, Kelly 1922 2005 Freas, Frank Kelly Perchance to Dream Produced from IF Worlds of Science Fiction May 1954. Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net "Perchance to Dream" by Richard Stockham is a science fiction novella written in the mid-20th century. The narrative explores themes of existential despair and the search for meaning within a meticulously controlled dystopian city. The story follows the life of a worker, known only as Twenty-three, who grapples with a profound sense of emptiness as he dreams of escape and a more vibrant existence beyond the confines of his machine-driven reality. The plot centers on Twenty-three's struggles within the oppressive environment of the city, where individuals are conditioned to control their dreams using a prescribed dream machine. As he experiences increasingly troubling dreams, he begins to question the purpose of their monotonous toil and the life they are living. The arrival of alternative dream cards from a mysterious man offers him a glimpse of hope and freedom. Driven by a desire to escape, Twenty-three embarks on a journey of self-discovery that culminates in a desperate act to break free from the dream machine—ultimately leading him to a richer, more fulfilling existence beyond the city's walls, where life and nature flourish in stark contrast to the sterile environment he has known. Through Twenty-three's awakening, the novella contemplates the value of individual dreams and the importance of pursuing true freedom. (This is an automatically generated summary.) http://book.klll.cc/files/32859/32859-h/images/cover.jpg Reading ease score: 84.5 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories Dystopias -- Fiction Dreams -- Fiction PS Text Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Novels 61916 2025-08-13T10:24:21.432776 text/html 58235 2021-01-06T18:38:21 text/html 145385 2025-08-13T10:24:23.403743 application/epub+zip 144185 2025-08-13T10:24:21.908739 application/epub+zip 79077 2025-08-13T10:24:21.660739 application/epub+zip 181129 2025-08-13T10:24:24.663789 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 173413 2025-08-13T10:24:23.153741 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 108598 2022-09-15T06:37:51.447147 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 53557 2025-08-13T10:24:21.277784 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 53438 2021-01-06T18:38:21 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19494 2025-08-13T10:24:24.793747 application/rdf+xml 26451 2025-08-13T10:24:21.722759 image/jpeg 4509 2025-08-13T10:24:21.691746 image/jpeg 137724 2021-01-06T18:38:21 application/octet-stream application/zip 20399 2021-01-06T18:38:21 application/octet-stream application/zip 138022 2025-08-13T10:24:21.443784 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia