Herbie Murray
When the Sleeper Wakes, also known as The Sleeper Awakes, is a dystopian science fiction novel by H.G. Wells, first published in serial form between 1899 and 1903. The story is set in London and centres on Graham, a Victorian man who falls asleep and wakes up 203 years later to a vastly different world—and himself a very different man. The novel explores themes of power, wealth, and the consequences of unchecked technological advancement, offering a compelling narrative that encourages reflection on the potential consequences of societal inequality and unchecked authority.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Genre | Dystopian science fiction |
| Author | H.G. Wells |
| Publication date | 1899 (first published in serial form) |
| Revised edition publication date | 1910 |
| Themes | Power, wealth, social inequality, technological advancement, revolution, unintended consequences |
| Main character | Graham, a Victorian man who falls asleep and wakes up 203 years later |
| Setting | London, year 2100 |
| Antagonists | The White Council, a small elite who rule the world and oppress the common people |
| Protagonists | Ostrog, a rebel leader; Helen Wotton |
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What You'll Learn
- The protagonist Graham falls asleep in 1897 and wakes up 203 years later in the year 2100
- Graham discovers he is the richest man in the world and the legal owner of most of the planet
- The White Council wants Graham dead and attempts to assassinate him
- Rebels led by Ostrog help Graham escape and he reluctantly joins their revolution against the White Council
- Graham becomes a figurehead leader for the rebels while Ostrog retains power
The protagonist Graham falls asleep in 1897 and wakes up 203 years later in the year 2100
In H.G. Wells' dystopian novel, "When the Sleeper Wakes", the protagonist, Graham, falls asleep in 1897 and wakes up 203 years later in the year 2100. Graham, a Victorian man, takes a drug to help with his insomnia. However, instead of a restful sleep, he slips into a coma.
Upon waking up, Graham finds himself in a vastly different London. He is disoriented and alarmed, and those around him are equally shocked by his awakening. Graham soon discovers that he has become the richest man in the world. Due to the magic of compound interest, his wealth has grown exponentially during his long sleep, and he now legally owns most of the planet.
The news of the "Sleeper's" awakening spreads, and a mob gathers, demanding to see him. Rebels, led by the revolutionary Ostrog, help Graham escape from those who would exploit or harm him. Ostrog and his followers want Graham to assume the role of leader in their revolution against the oppressive White Council, which has enslaved the workers. Graham reluctantly agrees, becoming a figurehead ruler while Ostrog holds the true power.
Graham's carefree life comes to an end when he realises that the revolution has changed nothing for the lower classes, who are still dominated and exploited. Ostrog's true colours are revealed, as it becomes clear that he only wanted power for himself and used Graham to achieve his goals. Graham's aerial view of the country from an aeroplane reveals that all agricultural work has been automated and everyone now lives and works in one of four massive, windmill-powered cities.
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Graham discovers he is the richest man in the world and the legal owner of most of the planet
In H.G. Wells' dystopian novel, "When the Sleeper Wakes", Graham, the protagonist, is a Victorian man who falls asleep and wakes up 203 years later. Graham was a chronic insomniac and decided to take a drug that would help him sleep. He slips into a coma, only to wake up in the year 2100. Graham discovers that he is now the richest man in the world. Due to the power of compound interest, his wealth has grown exponentially over the years, and he is now the legal owner of most of the planet.
Upon waking, Graham is disoriented and alarmed, as the people around him did not expect him to wake up. A mob gathers, demanding to see the fabled Sleeper. Graham is placed under house arrest and is unable to get answers to his questions. He soon learns that he is the master of the world and that the White Council, the ruling elite, has invested his wealth to buy up industries and political entities across the world.
Graham escapes with the help of rebels led by Ostrog, who want him to lead the revolution against the oppressive White Council. Graham reluctantly joins them and finds himself in the midst of a burgeoning revolution. During a march, the state police attack the revolutionaries, and in the confusion, Graham meets an old man who tells him about the Sleeper and the evildoings of the White Council.
Graham agrees to become the figurehead leader of the revolution, with Ostrog as the true leader. This suits Graham fine, and he leads a carefree life, taking an interest in airplanes and learning to fly. From the air, he sees how much his country has changed - all agriculture is now automated and run by the cities, and everyone lives and works in one of four massive, windmill-powered metropolises.
Overall, Graham's discovery of his immense wealth and ownership of most of the planet sets off a chain of events that lead him into the heart of a revolution and a confrontation with the powerful White Council.
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The White Council wants Graham dead and attempts to assassinate him
In the year 1897, Graham, a Victorian insomniac, takes a drug that helps him sleep. He falls into a coma and wakes up 203 years later in the year 2100. Graham discovers that he is now the richest man in the world. From a legal perspective, he owns most of the planet.
The White Council, a small elite group that rules the world, wants Graham dead. They attempt to assassinate him, but rebels led by the revolutionary Ostrog help him escape. Ostrog and the rebels want Graham's leadership in their fight against the oppressive White Council. Graham reluctantly agrees to join them, but he is unsure who to trust.
During a march against the White Council, the revolutionaries are attacked by the state police. In the chaos, Graham gets separated from the group and meets an old man. The old man tells Graham about the Sleeper, a figure whose wealth the White Council invested to gain control of industries and political entities worldwide. The old man is skeptical that the Sleeper exists, believing him to be a symbol used by the Council to brainwash the population.
Graham eventually reunites with Ostrog and the rebels. They want the Sleeper to assume the role of leader, and Graham agrees to become a figurehead ruler, with Ostrog as the true leader. Graham leads a carefree life, developing an interest in airplanes and learning to fly. From the air, he sees how much his country has changed—all agriculture is now automated and run by cities, and everyone lives and works in one of four massive, windmill-powered metropolises.
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Rebels led by Ostrog help Graham escape and he reluctantly joins their revolution against the White Council
In "When the Sleeper Wakes", Graham, the protagonist, is a Victorian man who falls asleep and wakes up 203 years later. He discovers that he is now the richest man in the world and the most powerful man from a legal perspective. However, he is disoriented and under house arrest. Word spreads that the "Sleeper" has awakened, and a mob gathers, demanding to see him.
The White Council wants Graham dead and attempts to assassinate him. Rebels led by Ostrog help Graham escape, and he reluctantly joins their revolution against the White Council. Ostrog tells Graham that the people need his leadership to rise against the White Council. Graham is unconvinced but goes along with them to escape his imprisonment.
Graham arrives at a large hall where the workers have gathered to prepare for the revolution. They march against the White Council but are attacked by state police. In the confusion, Graham gets separated from the revolutionaries and meets an old man who tells him about the Sleeper. The old man explains that the White Council invested the Sleeper's money to buy up industries and political entities across the world, resulting in a plutocracy that abolished the existing world order.
After the police attack, the revolutionaries gain the upper hand, and Graham and Ostrog reunite. They want the Sleeper to assume the role of leader, and Graham agrees, even though he is just a figurehead and the true leader is Ostrog. This arrangement suits Graham, and he leads a carefree life, taking an interest in aeroplanes and learning to fly. From the air, he sees how much his country has changed—all agricultural work has been automated and moved to cities, and everyone now lives and works in one of four massive, windmill-powered metropolises.
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Graham becomes a figurehead leader for the rebels while Ostrog retains power
In H.G. Wells' dystopian novel, When the Sleeper Wakes, Graham, a Victorian man, falls asleep and wakes up 203 years later in a transformed London. Graham discovers that he is now the richest man in the world, having accrued wealth in his bank accounts over two centuries. This newfound wealth makes him the most powerful man in the world from a legal perspective, and he technically owns most of the planet.
Upon waking, Graham is met with a mob demanding to see the "Sleeper". He is placed under house arrest, but rebels led by the revolutionary "boss" Ostrog help him escape. Ostrog and the rebels want Graham to assume the role of leader in their revolution against the oppressive White Council, who have invested his money to buy up industries and political entities worldwide. Graham is reluctant but joins the rebels in their march against the White Council.
During the march, Graham is separated from the group and meets an old man who tells him about the Sleeper and the White Council's evildoings. The old man is skeptical that the Sleeper exists, believing him to be a symbol created by the Council to brainwash the population. Despite this, the rebels continue to see Graham as their figurehead leader, while Ostrog retains power behind the scenes. Graham leads a carefree life, pursuing his interest in aeroplanes and learning to fly.
From his aerial perspective, Graham sees the extent of the changes in his country. All agricultural work has been automated and moved to cities, and everyone now lives and works in one of four massive, windmill-powered metropolises. Ostrog's true motives are eventually revealed: he has used the revolution and Graham to gain power for himself.
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Frequently asked questions
'When the Sleeper Wakes' is a dystopian novel by H.G. Wells, first published serially between 1899 and 1903. It tells the story of Graham, a Victorian man who falls asleep and wakes up 203 years later in a very different London. Graham discovers that he is now the richest and most powerful man in the world, and gets caught up in a revolution against the oppressive ruling elite, the White Council.
The novel explores the consequences of unchecked power, wealth, and technological advancement. It also highlights social inequality and the stark division between the wealthy ruling class and the impoverished common people.
No, 'When the Sleeper Wakes' is a standalone novel and not part of a series.
'When the Sleeper Wakes' was the original title of the novel when it was first published serially in 1899. When the book was reprinted in 1910, Wells changed the title to 'The Sleeper Awakes' as he had rushed the ending of the original and wanted to make a number of excisions and alterations.
