The Man Who Awoke

The Man Who Awoke

"The Man Who Awoke" is a science fiction novel by Laurence Manning. It was initially serialised in five parts during 1933 in "Wonder Stories" magazine. Later it was published as one complete novel in 1975 by Del Rey/Ballantine.

Norman Winters puts himself into suspended animation for 5,000 years at a time. The stories detail his ensuing adventures as he tries to make sense of the societies he encounters each time he wakes.

Plot summary

* 5000 A.D. Humanity staggers to save itself amid the world's littered, stagnant wreckage after what has become know as the great "Age of Waste".
* 10,000 A.D. The world is dominated by "the Brain" - the immovable in purpose super computer that knows all, sees all, and feels nothing. Thanks to its cradle-to-grave supervision, human life is easy and comfortable, but what will happen when The Brain realizes people are superfluous?
* 15,000 A.D. People can now program their choice of dreams and sleep their lives away. Winters awakes to find the sleeping outnumber the living. He cannot stop the implosion of civilization by himself.
* 20,000 A.D. After an abused Age of Freedom came an Age of License. Genetic experiment heralded the terrifying "Age of Anarchy". Each Individual had his own mobile "City" that provided for all his needs, resulting in a society where people had no need for each other and were incapable of cooperating, resulting in nearly all interpersonal encounters being small wars.
* 25,000 A.D. Scientists discover the secret sought through the centuries – immortality. But is Mankind ready for it? Immortality is frightfully boring without a purpose. Humanity scatters to the far corners of the cosmos seeking knowledge and experience, leading to a quest toward "the meaning of it all."

The novel might be easily dismissed as standard pulp fare if it had not presaged concepts popularized decades later: the sexual revolution, green consumerism, strong AI, full-immersion virtual reality as a surgical procedure (like The Matrix), desktop molecular manufacturing, global warming, and stem cell therapies. Many of these have only appeared in most peoples' worldview in the 21st century. This book was recently re-released.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • The Young and the Restless minor characters — The following are characters from the American soap opera The Young and the Restless who are notable for their actions or relationships, but who do not warrant their own articles. Contents 1 Current Characters 1.1 Genevieve …   Wikipedia

  • The Birds (film) — The Birds Theatrical release poster Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Produced by …   Wikipedia

  • The Battle Hymn of the Republic — is an American abolitionist song written by Julia Ward Howe in November 1861 and first published in The Atlantic Monthly in February 1, 1862 that was made popular during the American Civil War. HistoryThe tune was written around 1855 by William… …   Wikipedia

  • The DemonWars Saga — is a series of seven novels written by R.A. Salvatore. The series is set in the world of Corona, principally in the kingdoms of Honce the Bear and Behren, and amongst the nomadic To gai ru. The Saga is separated into two trilogies bridged by a… …   Wikipedia

  • The Last Wish (book) — The Last Wish   Cover of the American edition of The L …   Wikipedia

  • The Disappearing Floor —   …   Wikipedia

  • The Library Policeman — is a novella by author Stephen King. It is the third story in his anthology series, Four Past Midnight . It tells of Sam Peebles and his battle against an age old fear.Plot summarySam Peebles is a realtor and insurance salesman in Junction City,… …   Wikipedia

  • The Black Company — is a series of fantasy novels by author Glen Cook. The series combines elements of epic fantasy and dark fantasy as it follows an elite mercenary unit, The Black Company, through roughly forty years of its approximately four hundred year history …   Wikipedia

  • Before the Golden Age — infobox Book | name = Before the Golden Age title orig = translator = image caption = author = Isaac Asimov illustrator = cover artist = country = USA language = English series = genre = Science fiction anthology publisher = Doubleday release… …   Wikipedia

  • The Others (2001 film) — The Others The Others film poster Directed by Alejandro Amenábar Produced by Fernando …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”