Butterfly's Dream

Marian C. Ghilea

Sep 2018 · Marian C. Ghilea

About this ebook

“Once upon a time, I dreamed I was a butterfly...” 

This is how Chuang Tzu’s famous anecdote begins. It is a short parable about the relativity of perception, written more than two thousand years ago. Many of us have experienced similar situations and wondered at times if we could tell dreams from reality. “Butterfly’s Dream” expands Chuang Tzu’s story into a surreal quest of adventure, romance, and self-discovery at the end of the 18th century. Despite the fantasy-like atmosphere, the novel accurately follows the laws of physics and would best fit into the “hard sci-fi” category.

Alberto is the second lieutenant on Excelsior, a military brig involved mostly on sea-patrolling missions. He has a keen interest in science and a mind inclined towards exploration and introspection. Most of his sailing trips are uneventful, with his ship transporting troops and ammunition to various locations managed by the navy.

But things are about to change. When the ship encounters a magnetic storm, the crew members find themselves sailing in uncharted waters. The next day, Excelsior casts anchor at the pier of a mysterious city that doesn’t seem to be located on Earth. Soon, Alberto becomes involved in complex events that make him question the surrounding reality and even his sanity. The fabulous world he gets to explore looks nothing like the world from his space and time. And what are space and time, after all?

In this place so different from Earth, Alberto meets Nivit, a beautiful and accomplished physician, and falls in love with her. Soon, they are swept into an unexpected journey of adventure and self-discovery that carries them through stranger and stranger realms and realities.

Can the rational mind defy the irrational? Can love defend against extreme weather and death? Does time always flow in the same direction? What is real? What is a dream?

A mirror reflecting itself. What would it show?

A mirror reflecting another mirror. What would it see?

Look inside the mirror, open the door, step onto the path stretching beyond its surface, and you might find out.

Are you ready?

If you enjoy reading this story, I have a favor to ask: Please write a review about it and recommend it to your friends! But only if you like it!

Ratings and reviews

Aventure at its best, supercharged by an overflowing imagination. This book is not following established patterns, fusing sci-fi and fantasy with historical fiction and romance. The plot is full of surprises and unexpected twists, keeping the readers on their toes as the story progresses. Philosophical ideas about the meaning of reality, time, and life complement the action, giving the narrative a deeper meaning. The style is fluid and expressive, making the lecture very enjoyable. "Butterfly's Dream" is a must-read for everyone who loves something new and original in the fiction genre.

This is a skillfully written novel where the plot is oscillating between two planes. One plane is the exploration of the strange realms Alberto is forced to tread on, the other is his own soul, where he learns to see reality and love in a new light. Well-documented for the historical period described (especially about sailing ships items) and with a plot full of unexpected twists, "Butterfly's Dream" is an entertaining story that fuses science fiction with elements of fantasy, adventure, and romance.

This is not your typical scifi story, but something closer to a fusion of scifi, fantasy, historical fiction, adventure, and romance. The style is fluid and pleasant to read, the characters look and feel very real, and the plot takes all the time surprising twists. A book full of action, but at the same tame beaming deep philosophical ideas! A fascinating lecture!

About the author

Marian Constantin Ghilea is a physicist (PhD. from University of Rochester) with research work in the fields of nuclear fusion, computational physics, particle physics, and exoplanets. Besides science and literature, he is also actively involved in martial arts, music, and the study of cultures and languages from around the world.