The Sleeper's Sci-Fi Conundrum: An Intergalactic Adventure

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The Don't Wake the Sleeper trope is a narrative device used in various works of fiction, including sci-fi, where a character who is asleep, usually known as The Sleeper, must not be awakened for a variety of reasons. The major reasons for this include: the sleeper being dangerous and causing havoc if awakened; the sleeper is doing something important in their dreams, such as protecting or defending the world; waking up would be traumatic for the sleeper; and if the sleeper wakes up, a dream apocalypse or a change in reality could occur.

This trope has been explored in various media, including films, novels, comics, video games, and television shows. One notable example is the 1973 sci-fi comedy film Sleeper by Woody Allen, where the protagonist is cryogenically frozen and revived in a future dystopian world. Another example is H.G. Wells' 1899 novel The Sleeper Awakes, in which the protagonist sleeps for 203 years and wakes up in a transformed London, where he has become the richest man in the world.

Characteristics Values
Genre Sci-fi
Sub-genre Dystopian, Comedy, Slapstick, Time Travel, Screwball
Publication/Release Date 1973
Director Woody Allen
Writer(s) Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman
Main Character Miles Monroe
Main Character Description Owner of a health food store in New York City's Greenwich Village
Main Character Action Cryogenically frozen in 1973 and defrosted 200 years later

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The Sleeper is dangerous and will wreak havoc if woken up

The Sleeper is a powerful entity, a force of destruction that must not be unleashed upon the world. Waking the Sleeper would be a grave mistake, for they are an ancient and malevolent force, sealed away for a reason.

In the distant past, the Sleeper was a threat to all life, and only through great effort was it defeated and cast into an eternal slumber. But the seal is weakening, and there are those who would disturb the Sleeper's rest, risking untold destruction and chaos. The Sleeper's power has only grown during its long sleep, and now it awaits the moment of its awakening, when it will wreak havoc on a scale never before seen.

The Sleeper's prison is guarded by powerful guardians, tasked with ensuring that the Sleeper never wakes. These sentinels are vigilant and will stop at nothing to protect the world from the Sleeper's wrath. But their task is becoming increasingly difficult as the seal weakens and the Sleeper's influence begins to seep out, corrupting and twisting the world around it.

Should the Sleeper awaken, it will bring about a Dream Apocalypse, a reality warping cataclysm that will reshape the world in its image. All that will be left in its wake is destruction and despair. The Sleeper's power is immense, and it will stop at nothing to fulfil its dark purpose. It is a force of pure malevolence, an embodiment of the worst nightmares of those who first sealed it away.

The Sleeper's influence is already spreading, even in its slumber. Some have fallen under its sway, becoming agents of chaos and destruction, working to bring about the Sleeper's awakening. They are drawn to the Sleeper's prison, compelled by its dark power, and will stop at nothing to set it free. The world is not prepared for the Sleeper's return, and should it awaken, all will be lost.

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The Sleeper is dreaming a world into existence

The Sleeper is a powerful deity, a god, a king, or a demon prince, who is dreaming up the universe. The Sleeper is asleep and must remain so. Waking them up would be a terrible idea. There are powerful guardians whose job is to ensure that the Sleeper is not disturbed.

In some stories, the Sleeper is dangerous and will wreak havoc if woken up. In others, the Sleeper is doing something very important in their dreams—protecting or defending the world, or even dreaming a world into existence.

In H.G. Wells' 1899 novel, *The Sleeper Awakes*, the Sleeper is a man who sleeps for 203 years, waking up in a completely transformed London where he has become the richest man in the world. In the Woody Allen film *Sleeper*, a health food store owner is cryogenically frozen and wakes up 200 years later in a dystopian future.

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The Sleeper is doing something important in their dreams

The Sleeper is doing something very important in their dreams. They are protecting something, defending the world from something, or perhaps even dreaming a world into existence.

In the 1910 novel, *The Sleeper Awakes*, by H.G. Wells, the Sleeper is Graham, an Englishman who falls into a coma in 1897 after taking drugs that induce insomnia. He wakes up in 2100 to find that he has inherited huge wealth and that his money has been put into a trust. Over the years, the trustees, the "White Council", have used his wealth to establish a vast political and economic world order.

In the 1973 film *Sleeper*, directed by and starring Woody Allen, the Sleeper is Miles Monroe, a jazz musician and owner of the "Happy Carrot" health-food store in New York City's Greenwich Village. He undergoes a routine operation in 1973, which goes wrong, and he is cryogenically frozen for 200 years. When he is defrosted in 2173, he becomes involved with an underground rebellion against the police state that the United States has become.

In the fantasy adventure starring Zethari, she is hired to protect a temple from a villain who is trying to end the world by waking up the Sleeper, a man who is eternally asleep and dreaming up the universe.

In the Donald Duck comic, Donald and his nephews have to stop the villain from waking up a Cthulhu-like monster, as the world as they know it is controlled by the monster's dreams.

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Waking the Sleeper will be traumatic for them

There are several reasons why The Sleeper must remain asleep, and one of them is that waking up would be traumatic for them. The Sleeper could be experiencing a nightmare, and while it may seem counterintuitive to not wake them, doing so would be a bad choice for both the Sleeper and the protagonist. The Sleeper could also be a sleepwalker, and waking them would be traumatic.

In some cases, the Sleeper is doing something very important in their dreams, such as protecting something or someone, defending the world from danger, or even dreaming a world into existence. Waking them would not only be traumatic but could also have disastrous consequences for the world.

In the 1973 film *Sleeper*, Miles Monroe is a health food store owner who is cryogenically frozen in 1973 and defrosted 200 years later in a dystopian future. In H.G. Wells' 1899 novel *The Sleeper Awakes*, the protagonist Graham sleeps for 203 years, waking up in a transformed London where he has become the richest man in the world. He is disoriented and alarmed by his new surroundings, and his awakening leads to a revolution against the oppressive ruling class.

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The Sleeper is a child who will cry loudly if woken

In this scenario, the Sleeper is akin to a sleeping infant who will inevitably start crying if disturbed. The task of ensuring the Sleeper remains asleep falls to their guardians, who must employ stealth and quietness in their surroundings to avoid rousing the Sleeper. Any loud noises or disturbances could trigger the Sleeper's cries, leading to chaos and panic.

The Sleeper's guardians must be vigilant and quick-thinking, employing creative strategies to navigate their environment without making a sound. They must tiptoe around, avoiding any objects that could make noise and potentially wake the Sleeper. Every step must be calculated, and any mistakes could lead to disastrous consequences.

The Sleeper's guardians might also have to contend with external threats or challenges that could inadvertently wake the Sleeper. For example, an enemy could intentionally create loud noises to trigger the Sleeper's cries, using the ensuing chaos to their advantage. Alternatively, the guardians might encounter obstacles or puzzles that require careful navigation, all while ensuring they don't make any noise that could disturb the Sleeper.

The tension and stakes are high in this scenario, as the consequences of waking the Sleeper are unknown but potentially catastrophic. It is a race against time, as the guardians must act quickly and efficiently to achieve their goals while maintaining absolute silence. Their success hinges on their ability to remain quiet, and any mistakes could lead to disastrous results.

Frequently asked questions

The Sleeper must remain asleep, and there may even be powerful guardians in place to ensure they are not disturbed. Waking them would be catastrophic and is therefore something that must be avoided at all costs.

The Sleeper could be dangerous and wreak havoc when awakened, or they may be doing something important in their dreams, such as protecting or defending the world. Waking the Sleeper could also be traumatic for them, and may even result in a Dream Apocalypse.

In the 1973 film "Sleeper", Miles Monroe is cryogenically frozen and defrosted 200 years later. In The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Link must wake the Wind Fish but all the dungeon bosses try to stop him as they are sharing the same dream.

In the Looney Tunes short "Roman Legion-Hare", Bugs Bunny tries to sneak past a cage full of sleeping lions. In the video game Super Mario 64, the player must walk slowly around sleeping Piranha Plant enemies so as not to wake them.

"The Sleeper Awakes" by H.G. Wells features a man who sleeps for 203 years and wakes up in a transformed future London. Aspects of the novel's storyline are similar to the 1973 film "Sleeper".

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