Brahma Dreaming

Tales from the Hindus

Brahma Dreaming is a novel in three parts inspired by John’s study of classic Hindu mythology. The book describes how the various Hindu deities came into being and charts their progress through history.  Although the characters, the overriding themes and many of the individual stories will be familiar to those who have studied Hindu mythology, the novel is John’s own interpretation of the traditional tales.

John’s aim in writing the book was not to produce a definitive version of the Hindu myths (which would, in any event, be an impossible task) but to make the stories accessible for a modern, western audience whilst staying true to the spirit of the religion from which they derive.   

Hindu origins aside, Brahma Dreaming can be read simply as a charming and compelling ‘family’ saga. Like any family it is filled with wonderfully colourful characters who, despite their godly powers, are recognisably human in the way they respond to each other and the situations in which they find themselves. It will also appeal to anyone with a general interest in mythology and legends.

The book is in fact quite traditional in the way that each chapter follows and builds upon the one before and, unlike ‘Tales’, the stories do not make sense when read out of order. Whilst the book is divided into three parts to reflect the three stages of ‘history’ (creation, destruction and preservation), the parts are inter-dependent – they are essentially the beginning, the middle and the end of a continuous narrative.

The book will be published in 2013.