Nod

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Paul is an etymologist – his life revolves around the exploration of words and their origins, and writing books about their history and transformation. This is certainly a book of unanswered questions, and most frustratingly of all, the protagonist, Paul, doesn't seem interested in what any of the answers are. He rarely questions anything; why is his book coming to life? Why is this happening? What does his dream mean? How is he connected to the Sleepers when most others aren't? Consider the books Nausea by Jean-Paul Satre and The Girl With All The Gifts by MR Carey. This book could be the ... I won't say love-child ... let's say 'biological consequence of an abusive tryst'. For anyone who has suffered from insomnia, the idea of a world with no sleep is an unsettling place as it feels so real. The thought of having to drag yourself to work after a night with no sleep is bad enough, but what about two nights, or three, or four? Society will crumble if everyone missed five meals in a row, but what would happen if we all missed five nights of sleep? If you end up in the land of Nod, we are all in trouble.

As it starts out you could be mistaken for believing you're going to get a high octane end-of-the-world novel with zombie analogues. Actually while it could easily have gone that way it turns more toward the navel-gazing, deconstruction of personality, relationships and society. But it's very well done. That’s the premise of Adrian Barnes’ debut novel Nod: A world in which suddenly nobody sleeps anymore. Or almost nobody: One out of about every 10,000 people still sleep.The second half of this novel seemed to switch in direction and take the reader on a more abstract and fantastical journey. I continued to appreciate the gorgeously lyrical writing style, as well as the overall ingenuity, but I longed for a return to the somewhat simpler initial stages of the novel. Nod is a book for dreamers who have become scared to dream, making it a delightful bit of horror." Starburst

I have never read anything quite like this book. It’s the perfect blend of heady existentialism and dystopian nightmare. The grand scope of the many ideas and themes, including anti-establishment, anti-consumerism, and the very nature of good and evil, is balanced out by fast-paced events that play on a micro-level...Nod is horror born of the unflinching and uncompromising detail that dissects what it means to be human.” -Dread Central The protagonist was so deeply and utterly unlikeable that I honestly hoped he'd die a horrible death at some point. His girlfriend considers him to be a 'geek', going by a few scenes-- this is one of the author's many, many shortcomings. Debut author Barnes has written a completely original twist on the subject of insomnia. His apocalyptic thriller will appeal to fans of ChristopherGalt’s Biblicaland other dystopian and sf thrillers as well as readers with an interest in mythology”– Library Journal Despite the tail of the book being a little flatter than the start, it is still an outstanding read, if just for the first half alone. Barnes is able to write a horrifying novel without the reader even knowing that they are reading horror. It is not the beasties that go bump in the night that scare you, but the demons that live inside your head; with Nod Barnes has just reached into your skull and given their bellies a rub. Nod works brilliantly on several levels; as a nerve-shredding horror, a timely cautionary tale, and a study of a man’s life being stripped away. --Sci-Fi NowAh I so wanted to like this more. The excellent premise lured me right in, but sadly the slumber was not as restful as I would have liked. There is a plot, of course, but I found it so sparse on actual story and so heavy with experimental tangents that I couldn't connect with what was going on. It's obviously very clever and you can feel the author's style consistently throughout, but it almost felt like this is a book for a certain elite and if that's not you, you're left right out. As awful as a night without sleep makes you feel the next morning, imagine what life would be like if you could never sleep again. If the night before was the last time you ever slipped into unconsciousness. If your mind and body never again got its eight—or even four or three or any—hours of necessary rejuvenation. Imagine that it’s not that you don’t need sleep—you do need sleep, you desperately do—and you long for sleep more than you’ve ever wanted anything in your life. The problem is that you can’t ever sleep again. Initially, I thought I had found what I was looking for in the previous two books within this volume. I was desiring to read a thrilling and horrifying tale depicting the eventual breakdown of mind and body, community and society. The first half of this book does a brilliant job in recreating these events, within a limited time-frame that added tension to the piece. I felt the danger that lurked within each individual come increasingly to the surface as sleep continued to evade them.

There are some fantastic Dystopian Worlds to discover; try Sand by Hugh Howey or Railhead by Philip Reeve. Satan a la Mode: A Devilish Piece of Good News (Rossland, British Columbia: The Poor Tree Press, 2006) [illus/pb/Charlene Barnes] I have never read anything quite like this book. It's the perfect blend of heady existentialism and dystopian nightmare. The grand scope of the many ideas and themes, including anti-establishment, anti-consumerism, and the very nature of good and evil, is balanced out by fast-paced events that play on a micro-level...Nod is horror born of the unflinching and uncompromising detail that dissects what it means to be human." - Dread CentralHonestly, that's a solid setup. It was enough to convince me this novel was worth the price of admission. Watch this.’ He turned and faced the angel-watchers, smiling grimly. Cupping his hands around his mouth, and without even bothering to try to sound like he meant it, he yelled, ‘Holy shit! Those aren’t angels. They’re devils!’