We have all, at one time or another, heard the phrase, "Sleeping your life away," and laughed at its absurdity. But what if, upon waking, you are faced with the horrific truth that your life, as it existed the night before, is no longer. In its place is the abstraction of a dream ... your dream.

For George Orr, the effect of his dreams on the world around him is truly more significant than anyone realizes. An insignificant man in a futuristic Earth, Orr has the unwanted power of being able to change the course of world events not only in the future, but back to the very beginning.

Orr has been placed on Voluntary Therapy under the care of Dr. Haber, a distinguished therapist and creator of the Dream Augmentor. At first desiring to help Orr and make the world better, Haber is soon obsessed with the dreaming power and wants it for his own. But with each one of Orr's dreams, things worsen. Millions of people are killed, all races are wiped, and the Aliens land.

Realizing that this world is of his making, for better of for worse, Orr must search within to find the strength to battle Haber and survive in his ever-changing world. A dark tale of an uncontrollable power, The Lathe of Heaven is a masterful rendering of humanity and the powers that corrupt.