The Sleeper Awakes

"The Sleeper Awakes" (1910) is a dystopian novel by H. G. Wells about a man who sleeps for two hundred and three years, waking up in a completely transformed London, where, because of compound interest on his bank accounts, he has become the richest man in the world. A fanatic socialist and author of prophetic writings, the main character awakes to see his dreams realized, and the future revealed to him in all its horrors and malformities.

The novel, originally published as "When the Sleeper Wakes" in 1899, was re-written in 1910, its original form having proved unsatisfying for Wells. "Like most of my earlier work", says Wells, "it was written under considerable pressure; there are marks of haste not only in the writing of the latter part, but in the very construction of the story".

ynopsis

The story follows the fortunes of a late nineteenth century Englishman identified only as Graham. After a struggle with a highly unusual case of insomnia, Graham falls into a strange coma referred to by Wells as a "trance." He awakens two hundred years later to find that he has inherited sizeable wealth. During that time, his money was put into a trust which managed Graham's money in his name. Over the years, the members of that trust used Graham's unprecedented wealth to establish a vast political and economic order that spans the entire world.

Upon first awakening, Graham is extremely confused and suffers from severe culture shock. The individuals who had been charged with minding him during his sleep react to his awakening with surprise and alarm. No one had seriously expected Graham to ever arise from his slumber. Somehow, word spreads to the general populace that the sleeper has awakened. This leads to a great deal of distress among Graham's stewards which only increases when large mobs begin crowding around the building housing Graham. They shout and chant demands to see the fabled sleeper.

All of this confuses Graham and his naturally inquisitive nature is compelled to ask questions of everyone in sight. The people around him are reluctant to give him answers and act very evasive. They only explain that the society in which they live is upset by troubles, and elaborate no further. They keep Graham from leaving and insist that, for his own well-being, he stay in the quarters provided for him.

Graham is effectively under house arrest, able to understand the society of the future mainly through books and other media in his quarters and by what little information he can get from those allowed to see him. Eventually, he has a brief audience with the White Council, the trust that rules the world in Graham's name. He learns around this time that he is, by the order of things, the legal owner and master of the world. He also learns that a rebellious figure known as Ostrog seeks to overthrow this established order.

After returning to his quarters, Graham is liberated by individuals who identify themselves as agents of Ostrog. They briefly explain that the people of the world are preparing to stage a revolt against the White Council and require his leadership. Uncertain about their story but unwilling to remain a prisoner, Graham leaves with them.

After a perilous journey over the rooftops of future London and a mad flight from aeroplanes searching for him, Graham arrives at a massive hall where the workers and underprivileged classes have gathered to prepare for the revolution. It is at this time that Graham meets Lincoln, Ostrog's brother. Ostrog himself, Lincoln explains, is busy making the final preparations for the revolt. The assembled workers chant the Song of the Revolution and begin to march against the White Council. Graham is caught up in the mob, which soon engages in a battle with the state police.

In the ensuing confusion, Graham is separated from the revolutionaries and wanders the streets of London alone. London itself is in a panic as the revolt spreads across the world. The power is cut and order begins to dissolve as the fighting intensifies.

Eventually Graham makes his way to the mysterious figure of Ostrog, who explains to him that the revolution is a success. All that remains is to accept the surrender of the White Council, which appears to have been caught completely unprepared for the revolt.

Graham is hailed as the savior of the people and is nominally restored to his rightful place as master of the world. He is given comfortable quarters and his every pleasure is fulfilled on a whim. The governorship of society is left in Ostrog's hands. Graham contents himself with learning as much about this new world as he can. He especially takes an interest in aeroplanes and insists on learning how to operate the flying machines.

His carefree life soon comes to an end when a young woman named Helen Wotton explains that the people are suffering as badly under Ostrog as they did under the White Council. For the lower-class, the revolution has changed nothing. Inspired by Helen's words, Graham begins to ask Ostrog questions about the condition of the world. Ostrog admits that the lower-classes are still dominated and exploited but defends the system. It is clear that Ostrog has no desire to change anything, the revolution was merely an excuse to toss the White Council out and seize power himself, using Graham as a puppet.

After pressing Ostrog, Graham learns that, in other cities, the workers have continued to rebel even after the fall of the White Council. To suppress these insurrections, Ostrog has used African shock troops from Senegal and South Africa to get the workers back in line. Graham is furious to learn of this and demands that Ostrog keep the Africans out of London. Ostrog agrees and promises to help Graham assume direct control over the world's affairs. In the meanwhile, Graham decides to examine this new society for himself.

Graham and a valet travel through London in disguise and examine the daily life of the average worker. London is portrayed as a dehumanized, industrialized quagmire caught in perpetual darkness. The lower-classes are forced to work day and night in the factories, having nothing more to look forward to than some cheap amusements. As he examines this grim scene, Graham learns that Ostrog has ordered the African troops to London to disarm the remaining revolutionary workers.

The workers rise up once more and Graham makes his way back to Ostrog, who attempts to subdue Graham. With the help of the workers, Graham escapes Ostrog. He runs into Helen who, it is revealed, was the one who learned about Ostrog's treachery and made it public. With her by his side, Graham oversees the liberation of London from Ostrog.

Ostrog himself manages to narrowly escape London. He joins the air fleet carrying the African troops to London. While most of London is secure, Ostrog's men still hold a few staging areas that can be used as a rallying point for the African soldiers. The workers find antiaircraft guns Ostrog had built for his own use and intend to turn them against the African air fleet. However, they need time to set up the weapons. To delay the air fleet, Graham decides to fly the one remaining aeroplane in possession of the revolutionaries against Ostrog and his air force. He bids farewell to Helen and departs.

Over the skies of London, Graham uses his aeroplane as a battering ram to knock down several of the aeroplanes in Ostrog's fleet. Down below, the revolutionaries manage to get the antiaircraft guns in place and begin shooting down the air fleet. Graham successfully manages to take down Ostrog's personal aeroplane, causing it to crash in a fiery explosion. However, Graham's aeroplane is critically damaged in the process and he plummets to earth, confident in the knowledge that the people's revolution will triumph. As the story closes, Graham's fate is left uncertain.

Trivia

Owing its premise to Washington Irving's story, "Rip Van Winkle", Wells' book in turn provided inspiration to Woody Allen's film, "Sleeper".

A more immediate inspiration may have been Edward Bellamy's American best seller, "Looking Backward" (1888) which was also permeated with socialist ideas similar to those of the Fabians. The protagonist in that book becomes comatose in 1887 Boston and awakes in the year 2000 in a socialist America.

Harry Stephen Keeler's short story "The John Jones Dollar" (1914) also uses the plot device of world socialism created by an investment's growth through compound interest.

In the "Red Dwarf" episode Me², Holly plays a joke on Lister based upon the novel: not only is Lister the richest man on Earth thanks to compound interest, but the second richest organization is the NORWEB Federation, whom he owes several billion pounds because he left a light on in his apartment.

The financial situation the protagonist finds himself in is also an inspiration for the Futurama episode, A Fishful of Dollars.Indeed, the concept of waking up in the future laid out in the story inspired the plot of the entire Futurama series.

In the Warcraft 3 video game by Blizzard Entertainment the Crypt Fiend cites the title of Wells' book.

External links

*