Laila Lalami’s new novel, “The Dream Hotel,” imagines a dystopian future where even our dreams are under surveillance. AI tools can scan our dreams to determine whether we’re likely to commit a crime, then we’re sent away to so-called “retention centers” to be monitored in the name of “safety.” Mina sat down with Lalami in April at Night of Ideas in San Francisco to talk about the timeliness and inspiration behind her story about a Los Angeles mother, caught in a web of government surveillance, detainment without charges and AI tools. We’ll hear that conversation.
Night of Ideas: Author Laila Lalami on her Dystopian 'Dream Hotel'
Laila Lalami’s acclaimed fiction and nonfiction often deal with outsider perspectives and what it means to be a citizen. She joined Mina as part of the 2025 Night of Ideas at San Francisco Public Library, and we listen back to their conversation.
Mina Kim talks to author Laila Lalami at Night of Ideas (Photo courtesy of Estefany Gonzalez)
Guests:
Laila Lalami, author of the new novel, "The Dream Hotel;" she’s the author of five other books including "The Moor’s Account" and "The Other Americans"<br />