Early Riser A Novel Author:Jasper Fforde A funny and deeply imaginative new stand-alone novel from the bestselling author of the Thursday Next series about a world in which humans hibernate and dreams can be fatal — Imagine a cold, dark world where all humans must hibernate through the winter, their bodies dangerously close to death as they enter an ultra-low metabolic state of dreamles... more »s sleep where their pulse drops close to zero and nerve synapses in the brain fire only enough to prevent irreversible brain damage--all humans, that is, apart from the winter consuls, a group of officers who diligently watch over the vulnerable sleeping citizens.
When junior consul Charlie Worthing is stranded in the forgotten outpost of Sector Twelve, the new recruit hears of a conspiracy--a viral dream spreading among those in the hibernational state that causes paranoia, hallucination, and psychotic episodes that can end in murder. Worthing enters the sleepstate and experiences the dream in all its vivid glory, only to realize on waking that all the people who had known about it before have disappeared. More disturbing, Worthing can recall parts of the viral dream, which shouldn't be possible. When the dream starts to merge with reality, Charlie begins to question just what's real...and what isn't. Bestselling author Jasper Fforde delivers a gripping, brilliantly imagined existential thriller in Early Riser, sure to delight his fans.« less