This book deals with a crisis in the city state of Oolong Morblock. The crisis involves the ethnic majority, the norms (aka the Xalbardoz) and the ethnic minority, the astrals (aka the Gedahedda).
        The key value of Qid Hartha, the religion of the norms, is order. By contrast, the key value of Jaznaria, the religion of the astrals, is disorder, the quasi-ritualized expression of which is referred to as "carnival". Given that the astrals value disorder, and given that terrorism is an expression of disorder, many norms see the astrals as being natural terrorists.
        Unsurprisingly, the Xalbardoz, the norms, view the astrals, the Gedahedda, as eternally disruptive. As the Xalbardoz see it, beer parties, firework sessions, street dancing and terrorism are all part of one and the same spectrum of disruptive anarchy, that spectrum of lawlessness and chaos constituting the core of astral culture.
        A complicating factor is that a certain proportion of the astrals have the innate capacity to glorst, that is, to cause themselves to explode. They are, in other words, living human bombs, capable of detonating without warning on a bus, in a subway train or in a shopping center somewhere near you. These glorst-capable astrals are sometimes referred to as simply "capables". Certain fanatical astrals adhere to the messiah theory. They believe that one of their number is possessed of godlike powers but is unaware of his (or her) true capabilities. This godlike entity, who is sleepwalking through life thinking that he (or she) is an ordinary human being, is referred to as the Dreamer.
        There is an astral tradition which holds that the Dreamer can be wakened to consciousness if a sufficient number of astrals glorst in massacre mode, killing "the enemies of the astrals" , which in practice means norms. As matters reach crisis point in Oolong Morblock, astrals do begin to glorst.
        The fanatics believe that the Dreamer, the hidden messiah, if awakened to consciousness of his (or her) true identity, will overthrow the power of the norms with the result that the astrals (only two percent of the population) will dominate the city state of Oolong Morblock.
        Against this background, Ibrahim Chess, an astral of moderate views, a reasonable man who wants to live at peace with his neighbors, finds himself increasingly involved in the crisis which is gripping the city state.
        Ibrahim is not in favor of suicide bombing. And yet, at the same time, Ibrahim does not see suicide bombing as motiveless malignity in action. He does not believe that the motivation justifies the act, but knows that the motivation is real: he is conscious of the negatives involved in being a member of a minority community.
        Ibrahim, very naturally, defends the values of his religion, which makes him the enemy of those norms who take the view that any sane astral should wholeheartedly reject his (or her) religion and traditions. At the same time, because Ibrahim does not (cannot, will not) endorse terrorism, he is seen as an enemy by fanatics amongst his own people.
        Ibrahim, then, faces the tricky task of trying to steer a sane, rational and moderate course in a world of extreme views in which the middle ground is fast disappearing. The story of To Find and Wake the Dreamer is, in large measure, the story of how Ibrahim deals with this challenge.