“What Dreams May Come” is a novel by Richard Matheson, published in 1978. The story delves into themes of life after death, love, and the nature of the afterlife. It follows the journey of a man named Chris Nielsen, who dies in a car accident and finds himself in a heaven-like afterlife. However, when his wife, Annie, commits suicide and ends up in a different, darker realm, Chris sets out on a journey through the afterlife to reunite with her, even though it means facing immense challenges.
The novel was adapted into a 1998 film starring Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Annabella Sciorra. The movie is known for its stunning visual effects, which depict the afterlife as a vivid and surreal landscape, and it explores deep emotional and philosophical questions about life, death, and the power of love.
The title itself is a reference to a line from Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet,” where Hamlet contemplates the unknowns of the afterlife in his famous “To be, or not to be” soliloquy.