When The Sleeper Wakes, Wells, H. G. Herbert George
When The Sleeper Wakes, Wells, H. G. Herbert George
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When The Sleeper Wakes
Dystopian social science fiction alternative history revolutionary struggle tyrannical council labor slavery future London aerial combat political intrigue space opera military action adventure

Author: Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)

Narrator: Sarah Hazin

Unabridged: 8 hr 41 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Sarah Hazin

Published: 04/20/2026


Synopsis

In 1897, Graham fell into a cataleptic trance. He woke up 203 years later to find he owns the world. But in this hyper-urbanized nightmare, being the 'Master of the Earth' is a gilded cage.
'When The Sleeper Wakes' is a high-octane Alternative History and Action & Adventure epic. London has transformed into a vertical labyrinth of glass and steel, powered by the sweat of 'Blue Canvas' slaves. Graham’s inheritance has funded a global tyranny, and now, the mysterious Council wants him silenced.
Rescued by the charismatic Ostrog, Graham is thrust into a Military coup that spans the globe. As he navigates the dizzying Moving Ways and the clinical Hall of the Atlas, he discovers a world on the brink. While the elite dream of Space Exploration and the possibility of Alien Contact, the common man dies in the industrial Under-Galleries.
This is a Space Opera of the soul, where the battlefield is a hyper-industrialized London. Graham must master the art of aerial combat in a desperate attempt to break the Labour Company’s monopoly. From the claustrophobic streets to the terminal peace of the upper atmosphere, his journey is one of corruption, wealth, and the ultimate sacrifice for liberty.
If you are a fan of George Orwell's '1984' or the soaring rebellion of Pierce Brown’s 'Red Rising', you will love 'When The Sleeper Wakes'. Experience the foundational masterpiece of dystopian fiction today.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Henry on August 23, 2023

H.G.Wells is more interested here in preaching about Socialism and its supposed benefits than providing the reader with a plot that tells a story. The year is 2102 a man Graham wakes after sleeping since 1899 caused by sickness but he lacks rest all through the rather inconherent scifi narrative a f......more

Goodreads review by David on July 13, 2016

Wells' Dystopian Vision 13 July 2016 When I started reading Jules Verne a number of years back I became increasingly interested in some of these pioneers of the science-fiction genre, and while many of us have heard of Wells' more well known books, after digging around the internet I discovered that......more

Goodreads review by MJ on December 14, 2015

H.G. wrote this novel at warp speed nine, as evidenced by the bluntest ending ever written and presented in a Penguin Classic. His dystopian vision here, however, is one of the most influential in SF and beyond. Needless, we’d have no 1984 if it wasn’t for this patchy, overtly racist, but workmanlik......more

Goodreads review by John on July 02, 2010

This was Wells's revised version of When the Sleeper Wakes, which was serialized and published in book form in 1899; the version I read was the 2005 Penguin Classics edition, with a Foreword by Patrick Parrinder and useful notes by my old friend Andy Sawyer of the Foundation. On a walking holiday i......more

Goodreads review by Christopher on September 09, 2020

I read this book because of Orwell's discussion of it in The Road to Wigan Pier. That Orwell called it The Sleeper Awakes and not When the Sleeper Wakes may be why I sought out the rarer version (on manybooks)- There is a preface in which Wells virtually disclaims the book. He saw its flaws, but was......more