The Sleeper Awakes
H. G. Wells
Editorial: The Ebook Emporium
Sinopsis
"He went to sleep a commoner and woke up the master of the world." In 1897, a man named Graham falls into a profound trance that lasts for 203 years. When he finally awakens in the year 2100, he discovers that his modest bank account has grown through the power of compound interest into the greatest fortune in history. He is now the "Sleeper," the legal owner of half the world. But while he slept, a shadowy "White Council" has ruled in his name, turning London into a tiered megacity of technological marvels and crushing inequality. Thrust into the heart of a violent revolution led by the charismatic Ostrog, Graham must decide if he is a savior, a puppet, or a tyrant. The Birth of the Megacity: Wells' vision of the future is startlingly modern. He imagines a world of "Aeropiles" (flying machines), kinetic advertising, and a globalized economy. The London of 2100 is a city-state where the natural world has been paved over, and the population is controlled through sensory stimulation and the "Labour Company"—a corporate entity that has effectively re-established slavery through debt. A Prophecy of Revolution: Unlike Wells' more optimistic utopias, The Sleeper Awakes is a gritty exploration of power. It examines how populist movements can be co-opted by new dictators and how the "working man" is often traded from one master to another. Graham's journey from a bewildered Victorian to a revolutionary leader is a gripping study in the responsibility of wealth and the difficulty of true liberation. Witness the dawn of the corporate dystopia. Purchase "The Sleeper Awakes" today and see the future that H.G. Wells feared.
