Early Riser

by Jasper Fforde
402 pgs

In Jasper Fforde's latest book, he creates an alternate version of earth, in which the Ice Age has persisted to modern day. Because of the inhospitable conditions during winter, 99% of the human population hibernates during it. Just like bears, they gorge themselves in preparation for sleeping through winter, and they're then watched over and protected during their sleep by the Winter Consul, a government agency consisting of those tasked with ensuring their safety and survival during hibernation.

But hibernation is not without its risks. There's the risk of starving to death if you didn't build up enough fats beforehand. There's the danger of being eaten by rats, suffocating from CO2 build up, and the risk of becoming a nightwalker, by waking up too early into a zombie-like condition known as Dead in Sleep.

The wealthy and privileged can afford to take a drug called Morphenox beforehand, which ensures hibernation will be peaceful and dreamless, in order to minimize unnecessary calorie usage during sleep.

Charlie Worthing is a rookie member of the Winter Consul Service who quickly finds himself in over his head. There's an outbreak of viral dreams that affects thousands, there are nightwalkers, monsters known as Wintervolk, and a conspiracy involving HiberTech, a corporation that makes its money from the hibernation industry.

The premise of the story, while good, isn't what makes the book so enjoyable. It's Fforde's wit and mastery of the English language that makes it so good. Fforde's books are never easy to describe, and this one is especially so. But it was a book that I simply enjoyed each sentence it contained.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆