Reviewed by lovelybookshelf on
Whoa, what a world Brand has created in Life After Sleep! In many ways, its society is similar to ours, but working long hours, being busy, and socializing via technology has gone to extremes. Glimpses into our own culture's habits and behaviors are stark, moving, and sometimes distressing.
How Sleep and the Beds work are slowly revealed over the course of the novella. This left me content with the science, without ever feeling bogged down by technical minutia.
Of all the characters, I found new parents Max and Jess most compelling. Parents of babies and toddlers can't use the Beds. They have to rely on traditional sleep, yet are expected to continue to function in a day-to-day life that is too long and extended. When I started to realize how impossible this was going to be without Sleep (can you imagine the sleep deprivation new parents face lasting years?!) it was overwhelming. All of the normal, typical feelings and stresses of new parenthood are magnified, all because they now have to sleep (lowercase "s") instead of Sleep.
For most of the book, the four vignettes almost felt like separate short stories with an unusually strong unifying theme. Toward the end, however, all threads came together, giving this novella the satisfaction and feel of a full-length novel.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 13 October, 2013: Finished reading
- 13 October, 2013: Reviewed