The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman
The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman, also known as The War of Dreams, is a novel by Angela Carter, first published in 1972. The novel is heavily influenced by surrealism and has affinities with magic realism.
Set in an unspecified Latin American country, the novel features Desiderio, a government minister in the main city when it comes under attack from Doctor Hoffman's machines, which gradually distort reality. He is sent to find Hoffman's former physics teacher and later falls in love with Albertina, who he believes to be male but is in fact a woman. Eventually, Desiderio find Hoffman's castle and destroys the doctor, restoring reality.