Collection of 4 short stories centered around the theme of alien dreamers who can create a sort of virtual world. Stories are Toys of Tamisan, Ship of Mist, Get Out of My Dream and Nightmare.
It's an interesting concept in general, although the author only uses it to launch her characters into strange settings. I originally read this while a kid and I did not remember large parts of it. At the time I do not think I registered that the Dreamers are slaves. This is also a theme that is not developed but it is clearly stated that the Dreamers are bought and sold and held in captivity in "the Hive". Make of it what you will. None of the Dreamer's are portrayed as desiring to escape.

re-read 5/30/2023. ( )

https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3141247.html

I'm sorry to say that I completely bounced off this Andre Norton novel, particularly disappointing given how much I enjoyed the Beast Master novels when I reread them a couple of months ago. Somehow I never quite got to grips with the setting or what was going on; it is about shared dreams and a dreamed reality, but I didn't really understand it or get the characters sorted out in my head. ( )

Perilous Dreams is a 1976 collection of 4 stories, which I always forget. The first two feature Tamisan, which is what I always remember. Tamisen is an A class dreamer rated to the 10th degree (A for Action!) of the Foostmam's Hive in the city of Ty-Kry. These dreamers are basically virtual reality devices for the ultra-wealthy leisure class. The dreamer and client put on computerized helmets and are medically monitored during the dream sessions, including IV nutrition, for up to a week maximum.

The cover art by George Barr and frontis-piece reflects the second of these, the novelette "Ship of Mist"). The first story is the novella of 8 chapters, "Toys of Tamisan," which first appeared in If magazine and then was included in High Sorcery.

Tamisen is unusual in having self-awareness and personhood instead of being perpetually wrapped up in her own fantasy world. She is hired by Lord Starrex at the behest of his cousin Kas. Wanting to make her apparently indifferent new client respect her abilities, she decides to create a dream based on an alternate history of their planet. Then she finds that she doesn't control the dream but is trapped alongside her client. "Toys of Tamisan" leads directly into 'Ship of Mist" as Tamisen and Starrex jump straight from one alternate history dream/reality to another.

The third story is the short story "Get Out of My Dream." It features Itlothis Sb, the Per-Search agent hired to bring Oslan Sb Atto back home to the planet Benold immediately for time-sensitive reasons of inheritance and politics. Since the Hive will not allow the dream to be terminated prematurely, she convinces them to add her to the dream. It seems that Oslan has researched his home planet's history and brought the material to the dreamer to recreate an ancient past when an alien culture still lived on the planet. He is convinced that the ruins of that ancient civilization contain a threat to humanity in the present, and he will end the threat in the past. Not surpisingly, Itlothis thinks he's delusional--how can a dream on a different planet affect the past on their home planet?

The fourth is the Novelette "Nightmare." It features Burr Necklass going undercover as a wealthy off-planet elite seeking novelty, and Ludia Tanguly, an esper going undercover as the dreamer Uahach, who has been returned home to the hive after her off-world client died suspiciously during a dream. A series of "accidental" dream deaths have occurred to a handful of extremely wealthy and powerful clients, and off-world law enforcement are determined to find and stop the perpetrators.

Four stories featuring the dreamers of the Hive of the Foostmam in Ty-Kry. It was an interesting concept in its day. Not much for characterization, but that isn't the goal. It replicates the usual gender dynamics--the rich clients are always men. The dreamers are always young women. And it explores questions of the nature of reality, and how blurry the edge is between dream, reality, past, future, alternate worlds, and so on. Very common themes done well here. Each story features a man and a woman who end up connecting for ultimately a happy ending paired up. Very traditional in that sense. ( )