This is one weird story, in a good way, and I think readers will either like it or not. This is a very long story as well, though I did not find that it slowed at any point, very readable. It's hard to explain this story, there is so much going on and it covers a vast time period. There are 5 sections, starting with Dream 1 which covers a certain time frame, to Dream 5 which is the last. Each section is further broken into chapters that follow certain characters, some characters appear in each section, others don't. The central theme of the story is Korea, going back to when they were occupied by Japan, and had formed a provisional government of sorts, that operated outside of Korea. WW1, WW2 and the Korean war are also discussed and I think a general knowledge of some of these events would be helpful, Douglas MacArthur for example and some of his activities during WW1 and 2 are described in detail. Overall I enjoyed reading this, I would recommend if you enjoy historical books with the Korean war. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Penguin Random House for the ARC.

4.5 stars, rounding up. A fascinating book. I was thinking this felt a little David Mitchell-y or Umberto Eco-y but now that I see other people making Pynchon comparisons I agree that is more (or also) apt, with maybe a little Philip K. Dick or Vonnegut mixed in -- not in the sense of actually being science fictional, as despite it being tagged as such on Goodreads there's really no SF here except inasmuch as alternate histories tend to be classified that way, and even then there's not really any ALTERNATE history. Is a secret history an alternate history? Hm. At any rate, the book is suffused with a sense of paranoia that I felt tracks somewhere between Pynchon and Dick, where hidden conspiracies lie behind everything and it's hard to know what is true, what is figment of paranoiac imagination, and whether that even matters. Unlike anything I've read anytime recently.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was a mind-blowing experience of history interwoven with an imagined history if a fork in the road of history went down a different path. In 1919, Korean patriots who were exiled started the Korean Provisional Government (KPG) to protest and fight against the Japanese occupation. The KPG disbanded at some point before the North-South split occurred but what if it was still operating today? We follow three different narrative voices that span from the late 1800s to the present. The book covers some of the main players in the history of Korea in the early 1900s and sends them on to an alternate reality. One character works at an international tech company GLOAT and comes across an unfinished book authored by the KPG titled Same Bed, Different Dreams which ties famous names and historical events to the KPG's underground workings. The book is divided into four sections, different dreams or alternate realities. To separate the imagines from the real, I had to do a deep dive into Korea's history to make sense of the story. It was a wild ride and I enjoyed it for it's imagination and thought-provoking ideas.

I really wanted to like this. The beginning did not grab me, and I had a feeling I would end up only giving this about three stars, if that, anyway. I can see how other people would like this world, as it does seem cool, but the main character didn't really do much for me, unfortunately. I may try and check out some other books by them or any future books, but I am DNF'ing this one.

This book was a trip to read, but in a good way. I will fully admit that I know some of the plot points went over my head as my grasp of Korean history is not great and I think this fact did color my overall enjoyment. The two interwoven stories each had strong characters that carried me through the moments in which I got a bit lost. Despite having finished this novel a few weeks ago I still find myself struggling to write this review as I know I enjoyed the stories it told but am having the hardest time explaining why. I will say this book is perfect for fans of literary fiction with a touch of speculative fiction but if you are looking for a straight forward plot that is easy to follow you will struggle to connect with this work.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

Same Bed Different Dreams is a marvel of historical conspiracy fiction, in which "the real and the invented merge ... like those forbidden dreams in which all things connect." Author Ed Park uses literary sleight of hand to braid together three plots, imagining an alternate clandestine history of Korea, wherein all threads of history and pop culture lead back to ... Korea. First we have the real history of the Korean Provisional Government (KPG), started in 1919 by Korean patriots to protest Japanese occupation. Stir in alt versions of the KPG that reach disparate branches of global history and culture (Jesus, Marilyn Monroe, the NHL, Tim Horton's doughnuts!!). Second plot focuses on an alt present-day character, Soon Sheen, who works for tech megacorp GLOAT in New York. The third plot weaves in a series of space opera novels known collectively as "2333," written by a Black veteran of the Korean War. 

Another reviewer compared the experience of reading this speculative fiction novel to playing the memory card-matching game. Didn't I see that character/event/image before? Now where was it? As I approached the final chapters, I kept asking myself, how the hell am I going to describe this? Then, the following quote happened: "It's an education just keeping up with the threads, the levels of irony. Mercy Pang doesn't catch half the references, but the energy is infectious." Insert my name in place of Mercy Pang. 

[Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

Book Summary:

What would the world be like if certain historical figures or groups still remained? Take the KPG, for example. How would they react to K-pop bands and the space race? What would they do to instill their mark on the world?

That is the story Soon Sheen will tell us here, for the KGB is still alive and active in his history. Let us see how different Korea, the world, and even the universe would be this time around.

My Review:

Oh wow. I won't lie - Same Bed Different Dreams is a challenging read. I don't necessarily mean about the subject material. I'm not even talking about the book's size (though it is 577). The tough part (for me) was the solid foundation in history. More specifically, the foundation in Korean history.

I kept hitting historical walls, as, let's be real here, history is not my strong point. Thus, I had to keep stopping and looking up this and that to understand the full meaning and context of a situation. So, in a way, I really have to thank Ed Park for making me stop and learn so many new things!

Same Bed Different Dreams is the epitome of speculative science fiction. It's unique; it takes a big risk and goes somewhere totally unexpected with it. If you're looking for a novel that will make you stop and think (not to mention a chance to learn more about history), Same Bed Different Dreams is the book for you.

Highlights:
Historical Fiction
Speculative/Science Fiction

This book was a wild ride, and I enjoyed it! It took some time for me to get into it at first, but overall it was a great read. It felt like there were a lot of different genres throughout the book, which is why it was a bit jarring for me in the beginning. But I liked the author’s humor throughout and will probably read more from Ed Park.

This book may clock in at 577 pages, but it feels like it’s so much longer. I don’t mean that as an insult. I mean that as a compliment. This book is not a trifling thing–it’s a deep, dense, carefully-constructed, intricately-woven, and ineffably magical text that takes little to no time at all to sink a hook in you before reeling you into a story of an alternative history where Korea has had a shadow government at work behind the scenes since the 19th century. All of its members work to keep Korea unified, but not all of them agree as to how to do so. Some members don’t even know they’re members. Some become members posthumously. Some are tapped to be members, unwittingly, since birth. Cogs become sprockets that move the chain along the track.

To tell you the truth, it’s difficult to describe this book, because it’s not a singular book. There’s essentially four “books” inside Same Bed Different Dreams.

The present-day story of our main protagonist, Soon Sheen, a sometimes-author who works for a tech conglomerate called GLOAT;
The five “Dreams” that make up the “book” within the book, called “Same Bed Different Dreams”;
The story of Parker Jotter, a Korean War veteran/POW and author of a series of sci-fi novels;
A handful of miscellaneous stories about historical events that are tied to fiction and fact by tenuous yet absolutely fascinating strings, like absurd Reddit conspiracy theories or internet train wrecks you just can’t look away from;

There are two phrases repeated throughout the text, like magic, ritual, or religion. One’s a riddle and one’s evocative of an axiom or a proverb.

“Did the straight line murder the circle?” (Or variations on this riddle.)

“Same bed, different dreams.”

The first? Well, that you’ll have to figure out yourself, just like I did.

The second? Korea is the same bed. Everyone: the Koreans (North, South, or otherwise), Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Americans? They all have different dreams for that same bed. None of them involve unifying Korea as Korea. They all involve molding Korea into some kind of vision of what they think Korea should be.

This entire book is about the shadow government known as the KPG and their intergenerational efforts to bring about the unification of Korea no matter what. Kick everyone out of the bed. Same bed, same dream. No matter how delusional the vision, no matter how tenuous the ties. No matter how far-fetched the plans or how desperate the hope.

The research that must have gone into this book has to have been insane and had to have taken ages. From obscure film references to real and imagined Korean authors to real-life cults like the Moonies to American games shows to slapstick silent films to the assassination of President McKinley to the fate of KAL flight 007. The list could go on and on. What matters is that not only is the Korean War extensively researched for the purposes of this book (since a great deal of this book centers around the division of Korea), but that every real-life event and/or person has been extensively researched for the matter of this book so that when Park inevitably twists the narrative to fit his alternative history spin on matters, everything that needs to connect does so seamlessly, as if it was always meant to be that way.

Ed Park is an extremely talented author, deftly writing four books in one, all with different tones, tenors, and modes. Soon Sheen’s story of working at GLOAT and reading “Same Bed Different Dreams” in pieces is written like a contemporary fiction novel, with Soon playing the part of a beleaguered father and corporate drone that has become enraptured with a secret book that fell into his hands seemingly by accident. “Same Bed Different Dreams” has a harsh tone and clipped economy of words that reminds one of both a confession and a manifesto. The story of Parker Jotter, Korean War vet, POW, and sci-fi author is written almost like a psychological fiction novel where the protagonist is a psychologically-compromised war vet whose thoughts and ideas might not all be his own. All the miscellaneous stories about historical events and people sprinkled throughout the book here and there vary in tone and complexity but never vary in interest.

This book is a wonder, and one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s barely got a plot. It’s barely got a vibe. It’s barely got atmosphere. So what does it have? Beauty. The beauty of words. That’s all. It’s just a book that’s made up of beautiful words made into beautiful sentences made into beautiful pages made into a beautiful book.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. This review was written without any offer or acceptance of compensation.

File Under: 5 Star Review/AAPI Fiction/Alternative Earth Fiction/Historical Fiction/Literary Fiction/Meta Fiction/OwnVoices/Satire/Secret Society/Speculative Fiction

An incredible read where its like a two dimensional political and historical fiction. An understanding of the facets of the interests of the characters and how to navigate the story around them. There are chapters in the story where you feel like your lost because of the way the story wants to convey. Overall, I enjoyed the read but just need to take the time to read it.

3.4/5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the Arc.

There's no good way to summarize the plot of "Same Bed, Different Dreams" - it covers recent Korean History by way of Secret Societies, conspiracies, high tech mega-corporations, UFOs, the New York literary publishing scene, Buffalo Sabres hockey, the actress Betsy Palmer, and three storylines that intertwine and eventually converge. It has a kinship with Thomas Pynchon at his most readable. It's also an amazing piece of historical research and literary architecture; I did a Wikipedia-level fact check of many of the characters and events described in the book, and his descriptions seemed to be accurate.

The book is also very funny, with warmly drawn characters mostly trying to do the best they can in insane circumstances. Truly an epic.

Same Bed Different Dreams is a hard novel to review but not so if you think Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Remember when you picked it up and was like what am I reading but then after a few pages your were like I just want to read books like this. I felt the same way with Ed Park's novel. It starts our as a novel about writers and books and then turns into segmented history lessons of North and South Korea, all pushed into a novel about a book. It's a not novel for everyone so I'll be honest about that. But if you are looking for something different to read that will expand your mind then this book is for you. Just take the chance you won' regret it. I can't wait to see what he does next. So exciting! Thank you Random House for the ARC. Just bought my own physical copy because I want to read again in physical form

Soon Sheen works at the international technology company GLOAT, and finds an unfinished book detailing a revisionist history. Famous people and bit players are all interconnected, working to bring Korea together.

The Korean Provisional Government had formed to protest the Japanese occupation of their country and had been dissolved after Japan's defeat in World War II. In this novel, however, the KPG remained intact, working toward a unified Korea. The three main POVs of this novel are interconnected, which isn't immediately obvious when you begin the story. We start with Soon and other Korean literary types discussing books and history, and in a very meta point, Soon begins to read Echo's book "Same Bed Different Dreams." KPG members were part of the resistance, and there were "secret members" apparently so secret they didn't know they were members. Or "founding members" that had died before the KPG was even formed. This book is written in a microessay format, going through history and tying figures together with the goal of gaining Korean independence. There is another thread of a different author writing a sci-fi series of novels and his family life, then the people working to make it into a game.

This literary novel has multiple nested books and plots, which admittedly made it harder for me to get attached to any of the characters. We find them in the middle of their problems and dreams, then cut to the book. Then at the end of a book section, we move to different characters and their problems. With the threads weaving in and out of each other, it starts getting more interconnected as the manuscript pushes forward to the present. The microessays start relating the history of figures with multiple names, and some of them we start to recognize. The connections are layered, with meaning given to each one in code, until we get to the conclusion of the book. I'm not sure if I like the characters, because it feels more like a history text than a novel, and often we don't get insight into how they feel. Korean history is the core of the story and the unifying component underlying it all. The different meanings people give it are the different dreams for Korea and heritage.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Same Bed, Different Dreams is an unconventional and ambitious novel which follows, among other things, tech employee Soon Sheen, who comes into possession of a mysterious and unfinished book.

I'm always a fan of a weird novel, and Same Bed, Different Dreams is no exception. Through his masterful application of craft, Ed Park takes us on a whirlwind journey through worlds we know and worlds we don't, who we are and who we might be. This book is at turns artful, ridiculous, twisty, complicated, peaceful, and overall a true masterpiece. Though it will undoubtably not be everyone's cup of tea, I think anyone who approaches this book with the right amounts of whimsy and determination will absolutely adore it.

This highly imaginative story is, at its core, a quirky and frankly vertiginous lesson in how foreign governments shaped the fate of Korea and one group’s secret struggle to undo the damage. It is infused with sci-fi elements, real and invented history, and a concocted account of the Korean Provisional Government formed in 1919 when Japan occupied Korea.

The novel opens with a scholarly discussion about the nature of history. One scholar claims history to be the message from a genius, ruined by the rain. This is the warning shot for readers, as the adventure unfolds through three intersecting storylines with a host of characters and some wacky cameos. The main points of view are that of tech worker Soon Sheen, Korean War veteran and sci-fi novelist Parker Jotter, and, most challenging, the text of a book—Same Bed Different Dreams—written by the “Scourge of Seoul” Echo.

This wonderful book requires more tracking and juggling skills than I possess, but for those who enjoy puzzles, escape rooms, and treasure hunts, it might be your book.

“In 1904, as war erupts between Japan and Russia, Syngman is granted an early release. The conflict spells a death sentence for Korea. The two neighbors want her, each for its own purpose: Japan for a foothold on the continent, Russia for access to warm-water ports. Horace or Homer sermonizes: Same bed, different dreams.”

Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park is such a unique book. It is told in a variety of voices and several different narratives. The writing was excellent--a great blend of wit and satire, with plenty of detail and interesting characters. I feel like a good chunk of this book went over my head since I do not have a good grasp of Korean history so I didn't know what was true and what was imagined. This book was interesting but did feel a bit long to me. I think this will be a hit with a certain group of readers for sure, especially those interested in metafiction or Korea.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

It took me months to read this book. I was so intrigued by the blurb, but I kept coming up against my ignorance of Korean history, which I've been reading around the edges of for the past nearly ten years. Not enough.

Reading this book was like peering through a sliver in a curtain, just to find that there was a kaleidoscope right up against that sliver, and as soon as I made some sense of a pattern, the writer would give it a crank and all the pieces would gyrate wildly into a new pattern. Maybe this is a book that, despite being written in English, is about Asians, for Asians?

Anyway, there is a lot of glimpses into Korean history here, but a lot of it is alternate history. Science fiction, metafiction, satire (it's shot through with humor) and speculation abound. It's a remarkable book, about which one can say, truly, that publishers do NOT publish "the same old thing." There is nothing like this one out there!

Since we have to do stars, which I truly hate, I'll give it a three because the book was over my head, and it did take forever to read. But that's on me.

This was an intricate, mind-bending story that spans centuries and follows multiple plot lines. Everything came together perfectly and the slow reveals and realizations throughout created a wonderfully tense atmosphere that built suspense and kept me reading. The true and alternate histories blend together so well; I enjoyed learning more about the history of Korea. All of the characters are memorable. I also thought that the format of the "Dreams" sections was smart--it made organization easy and was engaging to read. The last line brought everything together in such a perfect, fulfilling way. This book was an ambitious undertaking, and it delivers on everything it promises.

Although this was my first time reading it, I can tell that this is definitely one of those books that become better with each re-read. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in history and literature, as well as anyone who appreciates the multiple ways a story can be told.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

There is no good way to describe this book without giving everything away.

Let’s start with well drawn, humorous characters. Add in a story within a story that is fun, thought-provoking, and exciting. The pacing, the plot, the descriptions, all of it made for a terrific read.

Now I’m off to learn more about Korean history. Thanks, Mr. Park for piquing my interest!

A big (long) and challenging read which is likely to be hit or miss with readers. Is it better to know something about the history of Korea before starting down this path? Hard call because I'm not well versed in it and therefore wasn't at all clear what was real and what is alternative. And then there's the sci-fi elements. On balance, this became more work than pleasure for me and I DNF at about 30 percent. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of literary fiction and those with a lot of patience.