When the Sleepers Woke

Zagat, Arthur Leo, 1896-1949Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 65K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.When the Sleepers Woke by Arthur Leo ZagatAuthor: Zagat, Arthur Leo, 1896-1949,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jul 5, 2009

Editor's review

This work is a representative novella or short story by early science fiction writer Arthur Leo Zagat, built around the core premise of "the sleepers waking" and bearing the distinct style of early twentieth-century popular science fiction. The author is skilled at quickly establishing suspense within a limited space and drawing readers into a strange future world full of oppressive pressure; the plot moves briskly and the imagination is bold. For readers studying the genealogy of early science fiction, this book offers a sample of the tastes of science fiction writing before the Golden Age: technological imagination interwoven with adventure narrative, characters' actions driving the plot, and plain, forceful language. As a public-domain e-book from Project Gutenberg, it is easy to read through quickly on screen and also suitable as introductory material for English science fiction short stories. While reading, note how the author handles the relationship between "temporal rupture" and "civilizational rebuilding," and how such premises were later inherited and rewritten by more mature science fiction.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the genealogy of early British and American science fiction
Science fiction fans who need English short stories for reading practice
Readers of popular fiction who like suspense-driven, briskly paced stories

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting contemporary hard science fiction's technical detail and rigorous worldbuilding
Readers who prefer long-form, deep character portrayal and literary narration

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the plot, then revisit how the opening setup serves the later text.
Read alongside other early science fiction short stories to observe different treatments of similar motifs.
The original English text is not long; read it in two or three sessions and jot down questions as they arise.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What language is this book in, and is it hard to read?

The original is in English, a popular science fiction short story from the early twentieth century with relatively plain syntax and not overly difficult vocabulary. Readers with reading ability around CET-4 can get through it with a dictionary; it is not long and suitable as an entry attempt at original English science fiction.

What is special about the "sleepers waking" premise?

The premise has the protagonist face a drastically changed world after a long sleep, creating cognitive dislocation and survival pressure. Through this the author unfolds an imagination of civilizational continuity and the rebuilding of social order; it is a common and effective narrative device in early science fiction, and readers may note how it drives the plot rather than remaining a conceptual display.

How should the e-book be read?

This is a public-domain e-book released by Project Gutenberg, openable on a computer, tablet, or e-reader. It is advisable to use reading software with adjustable font size and to use bookmarks to mark key setup passages, for easy cross-reference and note-taking.

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About the author

Zagat, Arthur Leo, 1896-1949 Author · American · 1896–1949

Arthur Leo Zagat (1896–1949) was an American writer of popular magazines, active during the pulp magazine era in the first half of the twentieth century. Public information about him is limited, and details of his life remain largely unknown; his surviving works, however, show that he excelled at horror and fantasy, producing a considerable number of short stories marked by atmospheric tension and suspenseful plotting that appealed to the popular readers of his day. Two of his works are held in this collection. His representative titles, When the Sleepers Woke and The Great Dome on Mercury, draw respectively on the spectacle of a mass awakening and a science-fictional setting beneath a dome on Mercury, displaying a range that crosses horror, fantasy, and early science fiction and reflecting the genre-blending character common to pulp-era genre literature.