Dream Makers: Book I

by Michael A. Richards

Larry Martin is a struggling graduate student in architecture school in the late 1990s. The stress of the program has wreaked havoc on his sleep cycle, resulting in a series of strange dreams that eventually come to fruition while he is awake. At first, he shrugs these events off as mere coincidence. However, a dream about the destruction of the planet from a cataclysmic meteor collision frightens him to a point where he seeks advice from a former professor named Dr. Scott Saxxon. Saxxon recommends a consult with a specialist in paranormal psychology (Dina), who convinces Larry to inject an experimental microchip in his head that enables real-time monitoring of his dreams. With Dina's assistance, Larry tries to discover ways to control the dreams so he can help others impacted by trauma in the past, present, and future. Larry, Dina, and Scott also discover other “dream makers” employed by the government who are using their clairvoyance to aid a corrupt president named Beaumont. Larry develops a connection with one of the government dream makers, and they eventually discover that their choices affect the survival of humanity and the future of the planet.

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 29, 2020

About the author

Michael A. Richards (B.S., M.Arch, PhD) has authored several papers and a book that explore strategies to reverse irresponsible patterns of land-use development. Although Dream Makers was his first attempt at fiction, he has pipe dreams of settling down in a cabin on the lake and becoming a full-time fiction writer.

Reviews

[Bob Gonzalez]

Wow! What a mesmerizing bizarre page turner! Started reading it because it came out in the Apoc genre on my unlimited Kindle list. I started yesterday evening and finished at 3:00am today. After the first few pages I thought maybe it was a mistake how it was listed or catergorized. It's a novel about a guy who dreams stuff and it happens or sometimes it does'nt. Then all the bizarre stuff starts happening. Dreams within dreams, time travel, Armageddon, sex, violence, eugenics, govt cover up etc. It's all nicely tied together with great character developement and a probable yet far fetched chain of ideas and events. It really strikes home if you were or are a college student. Unfortunately I actually attented UCLA's School of Architecture and Urban planning a life time ago so the story line was incredibly accurate, brought back a lot of bad feelings and despair to me! The author nailed it, so the story really flowed for me. I'm not going to discuss what happens because it would be a spoiler. Too many events are so intertwined that to discuss a part of the story would probably give you a clue as to what happens next. Now the bummer part of my review. There is an element of politics in the novel that if you take it literally you will hate President Trump as a Nazi! So you will immediately peg the Author as a BLM, Antifa supporter. after all in real life he's a musician and loves the Greatful Dead! But wait! if you really look at the description of the political parties in play it is more of a blending of all political points of view, the really bad parts, like "Fake News" racial prejudice, misogyny, goverment elitism etc. I know some idiot will read this novel and give it "One Star" because they feel it is an attack on Trump. Others will give it "Five Stars" because they feel it is an attack on Trump. Well Trump isn't in the novel but people will see who they want to see. Don't let this part of the narrative take away from the story line. The story brings out the worst of mankind and the best of mankind, weaving a lot of "What if" scenarios throughout an impending cosmic apocalypse. It is a refreshing read, different from what is so commonly found now days. It was like drinking 3 gin and tonics. Crisp, clear, refreshing and with a nice "Buzz" to it. All I would need to really complete the experience would be a few "Shrooms" thrown in! lol I am looking forward to the next batch of novels. I am definately hooked on the "Dream Catchers" series!

[Phyllis]

Dream Makers is a dystopian novel by Michael Richards that follows the life of Larry Martin from 1996 to 2020. Larry discovers a unique ability that allows him to manipulate reality and the outcome of history within his dreams. Richards takes us on a roller coaster ride as Larry – with the help of a former professor and a rogue psychologist - rebels against an authoritarian president who is planning on destroying life on earth and creating a society of “perfect” individuals. Richards engages the reader in a complicated array of characters that sometimes can be exhausting but rewarding. Larry’s love interest Melanie adds to the complexity of the plot. If anyone walks away from this book thinking this could never happen, think again … the future depicted in Dream Makers is reminiscent of the visions portrayed in books such as George Orwell’s 1984 or Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Richards also ended the story in a way that will make readers eagerly await the next edition.

[Godswill]

A compelling blend of science fiction and psychological suspense, this novel delivers an imaginative and thought-provoking exploration of dreams, destiny, and moral responsibility. Larry Martin’s journey from overwhelmed graduate student to reluctant guardian of humanity is both gripping and emotionally resonant. The integration of experimental technology, paranormal psychology, and political intrigue creates a fast-paced narrative with real depth. Intelligent, timely, and layered with tension, this is a captivating read that keeps you questioning the boundaries between dreams and reality.

[Michael Drummond]

**Review of *Dream Makers: Book I* by Michael A. Richards**

Michael A. Richards’ *Dream Makers* is an imaginative blend of speculative fiction, psychological suspense, and high-concept science fiction. The novel follows Larry Martin, a struggling architecture graduate student whose anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder intensify under the pressures of academic life. When Larry begins to suspect that his dreams are not merely dreams, but visions capable of affecting reality, the story opens into a fascinating exploration of fate, free will, memory, and the dangerous temptation to alter events beyond human control.

What makes the premise compelling is the way Richards grounds an extraordinary idea in a recognizably human struggle. Larry is not a superhero or a chosen savior in the traditional sense. He is overwhelmed, uncertain, and emotionally strained, which makes his strange ability feel less like a gift than a burden. The use of experimental dream-monitoring technology gives the story a sharp speculative edge, while the threat of a catastrophic meteor collision raises the stakes from personal crisis to global consequence.

The novel is especially effective when it explores the thin line between science and the paranormal. Richards does not treat dreams as simple fantasy devices. Instead, he presents them as mysterious, unstable spaces where past, present, and future may overlap. That uncertainty gives the book much of its tension. Each discovery brings new possibility, but also new danger.

Readers who enjoy stories about altered timelines, psychic phenomena, experimental science, and ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances will find much to enjoy here. *Dream Makers* is ambitious, unusual, and thought-provoking, with a premise that lingers after the final page. As the first book in a series, it opens the door to a world where dreams are not escapes from reality, but forces capable of reshaping it.