Sleeper Awakes

One of the patriarchs of the science fiction genre, H. G. Wells (1866-1946) produced a vast collection of important works on the topics of scientific progress, politics, history and social commentary. One work in particular marked a watershed moment in the English author's career. With the publication of "e;When the Sleeper Wakes"e; in 1899, later republished under the title "e;The Sleeper Awakes,"e; Wells gave the world its first dystopia novel. The story concerns a Victorian Englishman who falls into a trance, and awakens to find himself in a terrifying London of the future. In what is essentially a story of radical socialism gone bad, this new, mechanized London has been reduced to a highly regimented society of mental and physical slaves under a totalitarian, power-hungry group of elite. His subsequent novels, including "e;The Time Machine,"e; "e;The Island of Doctor Moreau,"e; "e;The Invisible Man,"e; and "e;The First Men in the Moon,"e; continue Wells' exploration of social progress and the dark potential of science and technology.