1987 novel by Jonathan Carroll
Bones of the Moon is a novel by American writer Jonathan Carroll, depicting the real and dream life of a young woman. Like many of Carroll's works, it straddles the horror and fantasy genres.
The novel follows a young woman named Cullen James. While a contented housewife by day, in dreams she is one of several questers after the Bones of the Moon, which grant power over the dream world of Rondua. Gradually, dream events begin to bleed over into the real world in frightening ways.
Plot summary
In New York City, Cullen James' greatest wishes are being fulfilled: She marries her best friend; she travels in Europe; she has a baby daughter.
But by night, bizarre dreams begin to intrude. In her dreams, Cullen visits a strange land called Rondua, where the sea is full of fish with mysterious names. She and a huge dog named Mr. Tracy escort a young boy named Pepsi across places such as the Northern Stroke, the Mountains of Coin and Brick, and the Plain of Forgotten Machines. Together they search for the Bones of the Moon, five bones that grant power over Rondua.
As Cullen's days become more disjointed and episodic, her dreams grow in intensity. While searching for the last of the bones, she learns more about the adversary she and her dream friends race against. Bit by bit, the events in Rondua start affecting her life on earth, intersecting in unpleasant, then frightening ways.
Major themes
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The novel deals heavily with the emotional consequences of abortion.
Reception
In their January 1987 issue, Kirkus Reviews wrote, "Carroll's greatest successes here are with lovable characters, not with his plot—and then only with the characters from real life, not those from psychedelic Rondua—which lacks a sufficiently felt imagination, some kind of tactile sting, so that it's hard to care about human problems amid its burgeoning symbols."[1]
Dave Langford reviewed Bones of the Moon for White Dwarf #94, writing, "As in Carroll's fine novel The Land of Laughs, the apparent whimsies are heavily booby-trapped and the sudden conclusion leaves you shaken. Highly recommended."[2]
