Publication
Viking (2019), 416 pages
Description
"Imagine a world where all humans must hibernate through a brutally cold winter, their bodies dangerously close to death as they enter an ultra-low metabolic state of utterly dreamless sleep. All humans, that is, apart from the Winter Consuls, a group of officers who diligently watch over the vulnerable sleeping citizens. Charlie Worthing is a novice, chosen by a highflying hero Winter Consul to accompany him to the Douzey, a remote sector in the middle of Wales, to investigate a dream which is somehow spreading amongst those in the hibernational state, causing paranoia, hallucination and a psychotic episode that can end in murder. Worthing has been trained to deal with Tricksy Nightwalkers whose consciousness has been eroded by hibernation, leaving only one or two skills and an incredible hunger; he's been trained to stay alive through the bleakest and loneliest of winters - but he is in no way prepared for what awaits him in Sector Twelve. There are no heroes in Winter, Worthing has been told. And he's about to find out why."--Publisher's description.… (more)
Media reviews
But Fforde brings it around in the end. His relentless imagination and his affection for his characters are contagious and irresistible. If you’re already a fan of his [...], then you don’t need any convincing. If you are not yet familiar with Fforde’s extended universe, a different volume
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would probably be a better place to start. Show Less
Charlie’s confused but determined mundanity is a relatable anchor in this wild winter world, leavened by Fforde’s surrealistic humor.
Charlie’s journey through the especially isolated and dangerous area called Sector Twelve, where there's "always something weird going on," is so absorbing, and Fforde’s wit so sharp, the reveal that the narrative is also a commentary on capitalism comes across as a brilliant twist.
It’s interesting in the end, and full of neat ideas that hold a far-from-flattering mirror to elements of our own existence, but so poorly paced and plot heavy that the remainder is the rub. Similarly, the setting is engrossing and almost criminally original, but Albion is a world built on the
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back of interminable info-dumps and masses of jargon. And all this hangs on a central character who might be witty and well-meaning, but proves so exasperatingly passive that even he might as well be asleep. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Not my favourite by this author, it does feature all of his quirky originality and inventiveness, but somehow never quite seems to manage to make it funny, perhaps because at heart it's not a laughing matter. Also the title bears little if any relation to the plot.
The setting is Wales in a reverse
Our hero is one Charlie Worthing, born facially disfigured, and set for a life of drudgery, his only real blessing is a prodigious memory, and this becomes enough for him to enter the Consoles - some of the very few awake Over Winterers who are needed to solve problems for the benefit of all humanity, respected, feared and generally of short life expectancy. He quickly ends up in the infamous Sector Twelve known to harbour all manner of even weirder than normal stuff and the headquarters of HiberTech the corporation that produces Memorax, a drug enabling dream free hibernation - a process which saves a lot of calories, meaning a greater proportion of humanity survives each year. As with all it's not without side effects, one of which is the occasional loss of mind instead of awakening after a deep sleep, but HIber-Tech can help with these too. Charlie meets various others - all of whom are weird in various ways - awake over this his First Winter, and discovers a few odd co-incidences, which lead him to having to choose sides between the corporation and his company. Several times.
Just trying a bit too hard to be funny, and the whole zombie thing never did much for me (read Feed if you want a good zombie book). Unlike the Thursday Next books there's no explanation of the coincidences that keep solving Charlie's problems for him. The ending is suddenly very rushed, and overal it just doesn't quite work. One for the fans rather than the best place to start reading his work.
As a technical fault the footnotes don't link through in this epub ebook version, and are instead only accessible from the back of the book - even less convenient than in paper.
The setting is Wales in a reverse
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climate change snowball earth, where humanity has adapted to survive by entering hibernation every winter, building up vast fat reserves to do so - supply of sufficient calories is a key survival technique. Within this features one of Jasper's preferred nemesis, - a corporation more concerned with profit than well being, despite superficial concern to the contrary. There are various technological innovations to cope with a lack of electricity and the effects of severe cold, but these are mere whimsy, and I suspect meant to be humerous although frequently failing in this regard. Our hero is one Charlie Worthing, born facially disfigured, and set for a life of drudgery, his only real blessing is a prodigious memory, and this becomes enough for him to enter the Consoles - some of the very few awake Over Winterers who are needed to solve problems for the benefit of all humanity, respected, feared and generally of short life expectancy. He quickly ends up in the infamous Sector Twelve known to harbour all manner of even weirder than normal stuff and the headquarters of HiberTech the corporation that produces Memorax, a drug enabling dream free hibernation - a process which saves a lot of calories, meaning a greater proportion of humanity survives each year. As with all it's not without side effects, one of which is the occasional loss of mind instead of awakening after a deep sleep, but HIber-Tech can help with these too. Charlie meets various others - all of whom are weird in various ways - awake over this his First Winter, and discovers a few odd co-incidences, which lead him to having to choose sides between the corporation and his company. Several times.
Just trying a bit too hard to be funny, and the whole zombie thing never did much for me (read Feed if you want a good zombie book). Unlike the Thursday Next books there's no explanation of the coincidences that keep solving Charlie's problems for him. The ending is suddenly very rushed, and overal it just doesn't quite work. One for the fans rather than the best place to start reading his work.
As a technical fault the footnotes don't link through in this epub ebook version, and are instead only accessible from the back of the book - even less convenient than in paper.
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LibraryThing member MickyFine
It's Charlie's first winter working for the Consul rather than hibernating along with most of the human population. But while on his first assignment with his supervisor, all hell breaks loose and strands Charlie in one of the least desirable regions in Wales and finding himself caught between two
Diving into a new Jasper Fforde-created world is always a fascinating experience and the one he's created here is fascinating. There's a lot of fun things to think about in this alternate reality but there's also moments where it almost feels dystopian (although the world established has been hibernating as long as written record exists, it seems). Charlie is a naive protagonist who sort of bumbles along through his adventures and while the reader may get ahead of him in his investigations at points, there's still several surprises along the way. Recommended if you like Fforde's writing but while it's a stand alone, I'm not sure it's the first sample of his writing I'd recommend.
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dubious women, one working for the consul and the other working for the biggest pharmaceutical in the world who helps generate a drug that guarantees a dreamless hibernation.Diving into a new Jasper Fforde-created world is always a fascinating experience and the one he's created here is fascinating. There's a lot of fun things to think about in this alternate reality but there's also moments where it almost feels dystopian (although the world established has been hibernating as long as written record exists, it seems). Charlie is a naive protagonist who sort of bumbles along through his adventures and while the reader may get ahead of him in his investigations at points, there's still several surprises along the way. Recommended if you like Fforde's writing but while it's a stand alone, I'm not sure it's the first sample of his writing I'd recommend.
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LibraryThing member sensitivemuse
I enjoyed the concept of this one and the world building. It was interesting and definitely something different.
Charlie is your lovable loser who doesn’t have much going for him but has this perfect opportunity to do better. Other characters make the story colorful and engaging (The
The concept of people going into hibernation, and the viral dreams is interesting and makes the world unique and unbelievable but also fun to read. The world building itself in the novel is also interesting. I took a liking to the Villains and their stamp collecting, although they play a small part in the novel, think of them as elegant pirates with a penchant for stamps.
So although the characters and the setting is interesting, the plot itself falls flat and is very slow. There’s sporadic moments to carry the book along, but overall the book in its entirety is slow paced. It did feel a bit of a chore to read for the most part which is unfortunate as there the setting and the characters proved to be promising but the plot could have been better.
This was my first Jasper Fforde book, so I’m willing to give the other books a chance as I’m sure they’re better this one. It’s not that I didn’t like reading it, but it was the slow pace of the plot that nearly compromised my attention and rather affected my reading and enjoyment of the book.
Charlie is your lovable loser who doesn’t have much going for him but has this perfect opportunity to do better. Other characters make the story colorful and engaging (The
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Toccata/Aurora arc is amusing and fun to read). Each character has their own quirks and personality traits which makes the book develop a personality of its own. The concept of people going into hibernation, and the viral dreams is interesting and makes the world unique and unbelievable but also fun to read. The world building itself in the novel is also interesting. I took a liking to the Villains and their stamp collecting, although they play a small part in the novel, think of them as elegant pirates with a penchant for stamps.
So although the characters and the setting is interesting, the plot itself falls flat and is very slow. There’s sporadic moments to carry the book along, but overall the book in its entirety is slow paced. It did feel a bit of a chore to read for the most part which is unfortunate as there the setting and the characters proved to be promising but the plot could have been better.
This was my first Jasper Fforde book, so I’m willing to give the other books a chance as I’m sure they’re better this one. It’s not that I didn’t like reading it, but it was the slow pace of the plot that nearly compromised my attention and rather affected my reading and enjoyment of the book.
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LibraryThing member adzebill
I tweeted "I’m reading a book where every character talks the same and they all sound like an author who thinks he’s a literary comic genius." Well, it says "literary comic genius" on the cover. The quips and asides and wodges of exposition were pretty grating, until I got used to them; then
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the book became a more-engrossing twisty thriller racing towards conclusion, but the ending seemed unearned. Has the same flaws to me as the Thursday Next books, so I'll be giving the author a break for a while. Show Less
LibraryThing member Othemts
I've been a fan of Jasper Fforde ever since my now defunct book club selected The Eyre Affair way back in 2002. He generally pumps out his humorous, clever, metafictional, and totally original novels about once a year, but this time Fforde Ffans had to wait FIVE WHOLE YEARS for his new book. Early
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Riser is unrelated to any of Fforde's previous series of novels, although it shares some elements of the classic Fforde style. Every Fforde novel, while comical, is set in a dystopia and Fforde's dystopia of choice is the Bureacratic Hell. In this novel, the alternate universe Earth is beset by long, brutal winters, so humanity survives through hibernation. The Winter Consuls, a police force of sorts, stay awake to protect the rest. Charlie Worthing, a Novice Winter Consul, narrates his first winter in this dangerous job.One challenge is that Morphenox, the drug that helps people hibernate, has the side effect of putting people in a state of narcosis. Sometimes they can still perform menial tasks, but if they get hungry, they may also try to eat people. (And if long winters and zombie-like creatures make you think of A Song of Ice and Fire, there are some tangential similarities). Charlie also has to contend with a woman who, dolphin-like, sleeps with only half of her brain at time, and has completely different and conflicting personalities. Then there are dreams that are going viral among the sleepers and even becoming dangerous. And there's a mythical creature called The Gronk, who loves Rogers & Hammerstein musicals and folding laundry, but will also eat peoples' fingers (I doubt Fforde is aware of the New England Patriots football player, but its funny all the same). Fforde novels tend to be high-concept, and Early Riser was the most difficult one for me to comprehend in the early going what exactly are the parameters of this world and getting past the jargon that's sprinkled liberally in the text. I eventually cottoned on. The book is funny, but it feels more grimdark than other Fforde novels. There's an obvious parody of climate change in the novel, but there's also the darkness of peoples' souls in their willingness to exploit others for a little gain. Early Riser is a challenging read, but ultimately a worthwhile one, and a worthy addition to the Fforde ouevre. Show Less
LibraryThing member foggidawn
In an alternate universe where human beings hibernate, those who work to keep the peace during the winter have a difficult and dangerous job. It’s Charlie Worthing’s first winter on the Winter Consulate, and things are about to get weird...
If you’re going to read Jasper Fforde, you need to be
If you’re going to read Jasper Fforde, you need to be
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okay with not really understanding what’s going on for the first several chapters of a book. Reading this one was like getting thrown into a pool of water and trying to learn how to swim. I like Fforde; I find his books hugely imaginative, but this one was a bit much for me. However, if you’re intrigued by the concept and are willing to spend the time and effort puzzling through the confusing bits, or if you’re a diehard Fforde ffan, give this one a try. Show Less
LibraryThing member rretzler
To escape from St Granata’s and continue to have access to the non-dream drug Morphenox, Charlie Worthing takes a job with the Winter Consuls. The Winter Consuls are responsible for the safety of the human population who hibernate to escape the frigid temperatures during the winter months and who
Early Riser is Jasper Fforde’s first book in several years, and I think it was worth the wait, although it is not quite as good as some of the books in his Thursday Next series (but perhaps better than a few.) To me, reading this book was similar to meeting a good friend that I hadn’t seen in a few years; I enjoyed the book and slipped into the writing style effortlessly. In the beginning, I felt shades of Game of Thrones north of the wall meets Never Let Me Go meets Inception, but soon realized this is its own unique world. Fforde is so very detailed in his world-building, even creating advertisements found in the back of the book for promotions by governmental entities, handbooks for fictional quotations for each chapter’s epigraph, and “Hibernatory sponsors” for the website. It is clear that he thinks and cares deeply about each world that he gives life, and he makes me care about his world and his characters, as well. Even more details about the worlds of his books can be found on his website, jasperfforde.com. I’m waiting not so patiently for the “Deleted Scenes” from Early Riser, which will be “Live after USA tour.” I believe Fforde’s humor is decidedly British so not everyone will be appreciative, but I enjoyed it immensely.
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must be protected from the Villains, Nightwalkers, and WinterVolk, in order to wake up safely in the Spring. Charlie’s first assignment takes him into the peculiar Sector Twelve to deliver a Nightwalker to the Consulate there and investigate the rumors of viral dreaming with his mentor, Jack Logan. Unfortunately, Logan is soon killed, and Charlie becomes stranded in Sector Twelve as mysterious things start to happen. As some of the viral dreamers begin to die, Charlie is unsure about who he can trust, and then he starts to dream.Early Riser is Jasper Fforde’s first book in several years, and I think it was worth the wait, although it is not quite as good as some of the books in his Thursday Next series (but perhaps better than a few.) To me, reading this book was similar to meeting a good friend that I hadn’t seen in a few years; I enjoyed the book and slipped into the writing style effortlessly. In the beginning, I felt shades of Game of Thrones north of the wall meets Never Let Me Go meets Inception, but soon realized this is its own unique world. Fforde is so very detailed in his world-building, even creating advertisements found in the back of the book for promotions by governmental entities, handbooks for fictional quotations for each chapter’s epigraph, and “Hibernatory sponsors” for the website. It is clear that he thinks and cares deeply about each world that he gives life, and he makes me care about his world and his characters, as well. Even more details about the worlds of his books can be found on his website, jasperfforde.com. I’m waiting not so patiently for the “Deleted Scenes” from Early Riser, which will be “Live after USA tour.” I believe Fforde’s humor is decidedly British so not everyone will be appreciative, but I enjoyed it immensely.
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LibraryThing member quondame
A story about an naive set loose among harsh people inhabiting a harsher reality who not only survives but unravels the mesh entangling them, though the body count is pretty high.
LibraryThing member ten_floors_up
It's all in the mind - but "do not go gentle into that good night". The author's been able to resist invoking the ghost of Dylan Thomas here except in passing but I've failed, I'm afraid.
Jasper Fforde has, in my opinion, come up with one of the the best and most original thrillers of the inner
As you may have guessed, I'm something of a Fforde fan, and welcome the alt-Welsh setting he's constructed. I suspect that those with a taste for Malcolm Pryce's "Aberystwyth" series will find something to savour in his Cymric deep-freeze scenario.
Jasper Fforde has, in my opinion, come up with one of the the best and most original thrillers of the inner
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world since Philip K Dick's Ubik, but crucially with a far lighter and less paranoid touch. I laughed out so loud here and there that I may have left the neighbours somewhat bemused.... As you may have guessed, I'm something of a Fforde fan, and welcome the alt-Welsh setting he's constructed. I suspect that those with a taste for Malcolm Pryce's "Aberystwyth" series will find something to savour in his Cymric deep-freeze scenario.
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
Jasper Fforde has a reputation for wacky stories and even wackier characters. Whether it is bringing storybook characters to life or filling his novels with puns, his stories are entertaining, unique, and bordering on crazy. While Early Riser certainly has an eclectic cast of characters, the story
I believe the problem is that the ever-present presence of death by cold or starvation puts a pall over the story from which it never recovers. Mr. Fforde tries to have fun with things, through mandatory eating requirements and how the fact that overweight is the new healthy and throws in the promise of mammoths into the mix, but no matter what silly character or scenario he adds, the story still retains its serious tone. The dangers Charlie faces as a Winter Consul in his first winter awake are numerous and frequently reiterated by every new character Charlie meets or with every unexpected action Charlie must take. A chase scene hampered by an invisible mythical beast can be amusing but is decidedly less so when the chase scene occurs in temperatures as low as negative sixty degrees and dropping. While it does up the suspense, it does not necessarily increase the fun.
While Early Riser may not be entirely up to the same madcap levels as Mr. Fforde’s earlier novels, I liked it a lot. I enjoyed Mr. Fforde’s take on climate change and think his vision of mandatory hibernation through the worst of the winter is refreshingly different. I like that hibernation in Mr. Fforde’s world is not as simple as falling asleep, that it involves preparation and danger. I also like the fact that society still functions in spite of the adverse weather. Charlie’s world is not a post-apocalyptic; it is a fully-functioning society that happens to exist either in an alternative universe or in unknown future years from today.
The differences are what make the story fun for me, as does the fact that Mr. Fforde fleshes out his worlds so completely. There appears to be no aspect of this world not covered or considered. This attention to detail is what makes Mr. Fforde’s stories come to life, no more so than in Early Riser, where what should be improbable becomes possible thanks to Mr. Fforde’s thoroughness.
Early Riser might be Mr. Fforde’s more realistic novels, but it still contains his signature style. Fans will rejoice at his zany characters and their goofy antics. Plus, there are as many puns as one can stomach. In other words, Early Riser is most definitely a Jasper Fforde novel.
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is a subdued one for him. Very little about Early Riser is as over-the-top as some of his other stories. There are downright somber sections of the novel. This is not the light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek Jasper Fforde we know. The Jasper Fforde of Early Riser is still trying to have fun, but you can tell he is struggling to do so.I believe the problem is that the ever-present presence of death by cold or starvation puts a pall over the story from which it never recovers. Mr. Fforde tries to have fun with things, through mandatory eating requirements and how the fact that overweight is the new healthy and throws in the promise of mammoths into the mix, but no matter what silly character or scenario he adds, the story still retains its serious tone. The dangers Charlie faces as a Winter Consul in his first winter awake are numerous and frequently reiterated by every new character Charlie meets or with every unexpected action Charlie must take. A chase scene hampered by an invisible mythical beast can be amusing but is decidedly less so when the chase scene occurs in temperatures as low as negative sixty degrees and dropping. While it does up the suspense, it does not necessarily increase the fun.
While Early Riser may not be entirely up to the same madcap levels as Mr. Fforde’s earlier novels, I liked it a lot. I enjoyed Mr. Fforde’s take on climate change and think his vision of mandatory hibernation through the worst of the winter is refreshingly different. I like that hibernation in Mr. Fforde’s world is not as simple as falling asleep, that it involves preparation and danger. I also like the fact that society still functions in spite of the adverse weather. Charlie’s world is not a post-apocalyptic; it is a fully-functioning society that happens to exist either in an alternative universe or in unknown future years from today.
The differences are what make the story fun for me, as does the fact that Mr. Fforde fleshes out his worlds so completely. There appears to be no aspect of this world not covered or considered. This attention to detail is what makes Mr. Fforde’s stories come to life, no more so than in Early Riser, where what should be improbable becomes possible thanks to Mr. Fforde’s thoroughness.
Early Riser might be Mr. Fforde’s more realistic novels, but it still contains his signature style. Fans will rejoice at his zany characters and their goofy antics. Plus, there are as many puns as one can stomach. In other words, Early Riser is most definitely a Jasper Fforde novel.
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LibraryThing member breic
I always like Fforde's books more in theory than in practice. His ideas tend to be brilliantly imaginative, but the execution—putting them together into a story—tends to fall a little flat. And he doesn't know when to stop, always throwing in more and more random ideas, and drawing out the
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story. This book is amusing, but it is also more of the same. Maybe the execution is slightly better, and I liked the allusions to climate change and Big Pharma, but the ideas are also less original. (Dreaming in this way has been done before.) Show Less
LibraryThing member JBD1
Pretty odd, even for a Fforde book. A pretty fascinating idea, but the uneven world-building made it a strangely tough book to get into. But I'm very glad to see him back in action and look forward to whatever's coming next!
LibraryThing member CatherineMarie
I was very disappointed in this book. I've really enjoyed this author's books in the past, but, (pun kind of intended) this one left me cold.
LibraryThing member Eoin
Delightful and satisfying.
Fforde is easy to describe as a genre author, dealing in alternative history. There is a clear premise or narrative dare, in this case winter is 100x more severe and requires hibernation. The plot and world are interesting and simple to comment on. It is enough to say
More difficult is describing the exuberance, creativity, and fun of the worlds he makes. There is a boundless, enthusiastic joy radiating from the work that is a great pleasure to read (and seems like a great pleasure to write). As a fan of his work, this one is a wonderful addition. Here's hoping there are more in this world (AFTER we get more Shades of Grey).
Fforde is easy to describe as a genre author, dealing in alternative history. There is a clear premise or narrative dare, in this case winter is 100x more severe and requires hibernation. The plot and world are interesting and simple to comment on. It is enough to say
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this book has an interesting premise, well realized.More difficult is describing the exuberance, creativity, and fun of the worlds he makes. There is a boundless, enthusiastic joy radiating from the work that is a great pleasure to read (and seems like a great pleasure to write). As a fan of his work, this one is a wonderful addition. Here's hoping there are more in this world (AFTER we get more Shades of Grey).
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LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
Jasper Fforde is back with another absurd world to explore - one in which humans hibernate and Wales is subject to extreme cold most of the year. Charlie is our guide through the customs and perils of Winter. Oh and zombies. It's a fun read.
LibraryThing member wdwilson3
I've read all of Fforde's books, and like this one the least. As always, his premise is clever, having humans hibernate through the winter, but he brings in many peripheral concepts and gimmicks. Some of them work, some of them don't, but they have the effect of cluttering up the narrative.
LibraryThing member mojomomma
In the future, winters become so cold that most humans hibernate as the best means to survive. Main character is a young woman who joins the paramilitary that stays awake through the winter. Great book to read during a blizzard!
LibraryThing member write-review
Winter Is Here
What if the Ice Age never went away and humanity in the northern climes had to evolve to withstand bitter winters? Would we have a nice coating of insulating hair all over our bodies? Would we have developed a system that allows us to work and play in the spring, summer, and fall, and
Enter Jasper Fforde’s Early Riser with the answers. For herein he has created such a world, where the population slumbers away winter in dormitoria, tall circular buildings heated by nuclear pots, staffed by porters to ensure no mishaps, with the whole winterscape protected by a cadre of Consuls, sort of a marshals service. It’s a world like ours that shares a similar history, but unlike ours in that it has a steampunk quality to it and a population that uses its waking hours to fatten up for winter hibernation (oh, wouldn’t we enjoy that!). If all this intrigues you, and you enjoy fantasy and dystopian fiction, you’ll want to add Early Riser to your reading list. Make that your summer reading list, as the novel takes place in the dead of winter when all is quiet but for Consuls, rebels, mythical creatures, and general mischief makers.
Charlie Worthing is a foundling who joins the Consul corps and faces his first winter awake. He’s pared with an old hand, and soon enough all manner of intrigue and mayhem ensue. In this world of long sleep, dreams have been suppressed by a drug called Morphenox. Dreams, goes the theory, lead to an increase in unsuccessful hibernations, as they sap the body’s food stores. However, rumors float about that a new, improved iteration is in development.
Morphenox, it seems, goes only to the select, so many dream. And the problem facing the Consuls and Charlie is that people are sharing a dream which involves a blue Buick, and that seems to turn people into nightwalkers, dead who roam in constant need of food. HiberTech, which makes Morphenox, also turns many of these dead into useful workers, who do things like drive golf carts, and the like. (Okay, that makes the suspicious minded wonder, doesn’t it?) The Consul wants to find out the source of this blue Buick dream plague. The novel, then, concerns itself with the acclimation of Charlie to his new life, a fitful and funny affair, and the twisting and turning search for the cause of shared dreaming.
While chasing around for 400 pages in search of a cause can get a bit tedious, and one can take only so many narrow escapes, Fforde enlivens things with his special brand of wit and humor, and a cast of characters who will hold your interest. Fforde is Welch, so the novel takes place in Wales, which many will find a real plus, as he blends geography and some history into the tale. Not a novel for everybody, but for those into fantasy, alternate realities, and action, it seems tailor made.
What if the Ice Age never went away and humanity in the northern climes had to evolve to withstand bitter winters? Would we have a nice coating of insulating hair all over our bodies? Would we have developed a system that allows us to work and play in the spring, summer, and fall, and
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sleep away the long winter? And just how would we do this? And who would protect us from mishap? Enter Jasper Fforde’s Early Riser with the answers. For herein he has created such a world, where the population slumbers away winter in dormitoria, tall circular buildings heated by nuclear pots, staffed by porters to ensure no mishaps, with the whole winterscape protected by a cadre of Consuls, sort of a marshals service. It’s a world like ours that shares a similar history, but unlike ours in that it has a steampunk quality to it and a population that uses its waking hours to fatten up for winter hibernation (oh, wouldn’t we enjoy that!). If all this intrigues you, and you enjoy fantasy and dystopian fiction, you’ll want to add Early Riser to your reading list. Make that your summer reading list, as the novel takes place in the dead of winter when all is quiet but for Consuls, rebels, mythical creatures, and general mischief makers.
Charlie Worthing is a foundling who joins the Consul corps and faces his first winter awake. He’s pared with an old hand, and soon enough all manner of intrigue and mayhem ensue. In this world of long sleep, dreams have been suppressed by a drug called Morphenox. Dreams, goes the theory, lead to an increase in unsuccessful hibernations, as they sap the body’s food stores. However, rumors float about that a new, improved iteration is in development.
Morphenox, it seems, goes only to the select, so many dream. And the problem facing the Consuls and Charlie is that people are sharing a dream which involves a blue Buick, and that seems to turn people into nightwalkers, dead who roam in constant need of food. HiberTech, which makes Morphenox, also turns many of these dead into useful workers, who do things like drive golf carts, and the like. (Okay, that makes the suspicious minded wonder, doesn’t it?) The Consul wants to find out the source of this blue Buick dream plague. The novel, then, concerns itself with the acclimation of Charlie to his new life, a fitful and funny affair, and the twisting and turning search for the cause of shared dreaming.
While chasing around for 400 pages in search of a cause can get a bit tedious, and one can take only so many narrow escapes, Fforde enlivens things with his special brand of wit and humor, and a cast of characters who will hold your interest. Fforde is Welch, so the novel takes place in Wales, which many will find a real plus, as he blends geography and some history into the tale. Not a novel for everybody, but for those into fantasy, alternate realities, and action, it seems tailor made.
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LibraryThing member souloftherose
"I could talk about loyalty and the cold, Tunnocks Teacakes and the desolate beauty. Of the code that glues us winterers together, or the loneliness of the souls who call it home. But I think the one thing that struck me is that the Winter isn't a season - it's a calling."
Jasper Fforde is back! And
Jasper Fforde is back! And
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in his usual feat of imagination taking us into the deep of winter in an alternate Wales where temperatures get so low the only way the human race can survive is by the majority of the population hibernating for the winter. In Fforde's usual way there's so much background and detail to the world-building and jokes that I'm sure I missed things on my first read (as I often found I did with Pratchett's books) but whilst this isn't my favourite of Fforde's books it was a lovely return to form and I'm very happy he seems to be writing again. Show Less
LibraryThing member jnmegan
Jasper Fforde, author of the popular Thursday Next and Nursery Crime series employs his signature wit and creativity in the new standalone novel, Early Riser. This fantastical story presents an alternate reality in which people hibernate during the winter every year. In order to ensure survival
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during this time, they prepare by adding weight and taking medications to make sure they do not regain consciousness too early. A small number of individuals are selected to remain awake to keep things running smoothly and protect the sleepers from the many strange creatures that might prey on them. The biggest threat is from those who wake too early and are caught between states- the Nightwalkers that transform into cannibalistic zombies. The narrator of Fforde’s imaginative story is Charlie, a young man embarking on his first waking winter season. He is serendipitously recruited to enter a special fast-track management program due to his excellent memory and rash willingness to risk almost certain death. Charlie is a witty character, a real “fish out of water” who bumbles his way into an awkward adventure. He tries to cope after he is stranded in a remote district that is subject to extreme weather and assaults by creatures thought only to exist in myth. In trying to learn his way, follow his conscience and simply survive, Charlie uncovers a secret conspiracy that could endanger the world and enslave many of its people. He unwillingly becomes the expected hero and his efforts and reflections are hilariously unspooled by Fforde’s great writing. Early Riser is at times confusing and rambling, but always entertaining and engaging. A truly unique story with endearing characters, Fforde’s new offering provides a fun ride that will thrill fantasy fans from start to finish. Show Less
LibraryThing member bexaplex
Early Riser is set in an alternate reality where the earth gets colder over time, and humans evolved to hibernate during the winter. A few intrepid souls stay awake through the coldest months to protect the slumberers.
The tone is very jumpy in this book; some sections are darkly creepy and some are
The tone is very jumpy in this book; some sections are darkly creepy and some are
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madcap silly; I guess that's Fforde's version of macabre. Show Less
LibraryThing member bragan
This is set in an alternate reality in which apparently the last ice age never ended, but instead got worse and worse, so that now the winters are far too harsh to easily survive, and humans have evolved to hibernate through them. The story is told from the point of view of young Charlie Worthing,
None of which remotely captures just how weird this novel is, although if you've read some of Jasper Fforde's other stuff, you might have an idea. One thing I find particularly interesting about it is that there's clearly been a lot of thought put into the details of how this world works and how this alternation to human biology and society would affect all kinds of things -- the author really seems to be having a lot of fun with that -- and yet, the story also features mentions of or appearances by real-world historical figures and celebrities and various (slightly altered) works of culture. This is an approach that bugged me when Fforde used it in the fantasy world of The Last Dragonslayer, but it actually worked for me just fine here. Possibly because everything else in the novel is so weird that it's easy to just shrug and say, "Sure, why not." Plus, really, a lot of the story and worldbuilding elements in this thing feel like a very, very deadpan joke, which, somehow, all works much better than it seems like it really ought to.
And, hey, the plot is a lot of fun, too.
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who takes a job, almost on impulse, as one of the few people designated to stay awake trough the winter to watch over the hibernating populace, only to get drawn into a complicated conspiracy plot involving dreams and hibernation drugs and kind-of-sort-of zombies.None of which remotely captures just how weird this novel is, although if you've read some of Jasper Fforde's other stuff, you might have an idea. One thing I find particularly interesting about it is that there's clearly been a lot of thought put into the details of how this world works and how this alternation to human biology and society would affect all kinds of things -- the author really seems to be having a lot of fun with that -- and yet, the story also features mentions of or appearances by real-world historical figures and celebrities and various (slightly altered) works of culture. This is an approach that bugged me when Fforde used it in the fantasy world of The Last Dragonslayer, but it actually worked for me just fine here. Possibly because everything else in the novel is so weird that it's easy to just shrug and say, "Sure, why not." Plus, really, a lot of the story and worldbuilding elements in this thing feel like a very, very deadpan joke, which, somehow, all works much better than it seems like it really ought to.
And, hey, the plot is a lot of fun, too.
Show Less
LibraryThing member LyndaInOregon
Fforde’s parallel-Earth romp mixes humor, science fiction, fantasy, and mystery in pretty well equal measure, with an undercurrent of menace that’s late to emerge but which gets steadily darker.
This Earth, locked in a perpetual Ice Age, is populated by humans who have adapted to the harsh
Things move along pleasantly enough, as Fforde has some fun with the notion of a culture where fat is good and a declining population is enhanced by children birthed specifically for adoption and reared in communal pools by the Sisters of Perpetual Gestation (Sister Zygotia, Sister Conceptia, Sister Placentia, et al), all under the stern eye of Mother Fallopia.
Charlie’s own good-heartedness gets him into hot water almost from the get-go, and he’s quickly up to his ears in trying to track down a shared dream which is creating chaos, madness, and death, and which has something to do with the pharmaceutical giant, HiberTech. The company formulated and markets a substance guaranteed to produce a safe and restful hibernation, except in those few poor souls who emerge from their winter nap minus most brain function.
This is where things start to get dark, and much of the rest of the book is devoted to Charlie and his friends (or are they?) gallivanting around through various blizzards trying to get to the bottom of a mystery which becomes increasingly malevolent.
There are also scores of subplots, from romance to self-sacrifice to social commentary to the search for possibly mythical monsters in the snow, so this winter night may be long and dark, but it’s never boring.
This Earth, locked in a perpetual Ice Age, is populated by humans who have adapted to the harsh
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climate by simply hibernating through the worst of it. Since 1236, most of the population have retired to “dormitoria” in late October, emerging in late February, thinner and older, but alive. The only people active during Winter are those few charged with servicing the sleepers, maintaining order, responding to emergencies, and generally keeping civilization toddling along in low gear during the annual hiatus. Charlie Worthing is about to embark on a career as one of those people, joining the Winter Consul, a “committed but mildly unhinged group of misfits who are responsible for ensuring the hibernatory safe passage of the sleeping masses.”Things move along pleasantly enough, as Fforde has some fun with the notion of a culture where fat is good and a declining population is enhanced by children birthed specifically for adoption and reared in communal pools by the Sisters of Perpetual Gestation (Sister Zygotia, Sister Conceptia, Sister Placentia, et al), all under the stern eye of Mother Fallopia.
Charlie’s own good-heartedness gets him into hot water almost from the get-go, and he’s quickly up to his ears in trying to track down a shared dream which is creating chaos, madness, and death, and which has something to do with the pharmaceutical giant, HiberTech. The company formulated and markets a substance guaranteed to produce a safe and restful hibernation, except in those few poor souls who emerge from their winter nap minus most brain function.
This is where things start to get dark, and much of the rest of the book is devoted to Charlie and his friends (or are they?) gallivanting around through various blizzards trying to get to the bottom of a mystery which becomes increasingly malevolent.
There are also scores of subplots, from romance to self-sacrifice to social commentary to the search for possibly mythical monsters in the snow, so this winter night may be long and dark, but it’s never boring.
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LibraryThing member JessBass87
Absolutely astounding. Once again Jasper Fforde has exceeded my expectations. I want to live inside his brain.
LibraryThing member write-review
Winter Is Here
What if the Ice Age never went away and humanity in the northern climes had to evolve to withstand bitter winters? Would we have a nice coating of insulating hair all over our bodies? Would we have developed a system that allows us to work and play in the spring, summer, and fall, and
Enter Jasper Fforde’s Early Riser with the answers. For herein he has created such a world, where the population slumbers away winter in dormitoria, tall circular buildings heated by nuclear pots, staffed by porters to ensure no mishaps, with the whole winterscape protected by a cadre of Consuls, sort of a marshals service. It’s a world like ours that shares a similar history, but unlike ours in that it has a steampunk quality to it and a population that uses its waking hours to fatten up for winter hibernation (oh, wouldn’t we enjoy that!). If all this intrigues you, and you enjoy fantasy and dystopian fiction, you’ll want to add Early Riser to your reading list. Make that your summer reading list, as the novel takes place in the dead of winter when all is quiet but for Consuls, rebels, mythical creatures, and general mischief makers.
Charlie Worthing is a foundling who joins the Consul corps and faces his first winter awake. He’s pared with an old hand, and soon enough all manner of intrigue and mayhem ensue. In this world of long sleep, dreams have been suppressed by a drug called Morphenox. Dreams, goes the theory, lead to an increase in unsuccessful hibernations, as they sap the body’s food stores. However, rumors float about that a new, improved iteration is in development.
Morphenox, it seems, goes only to the select, so many dream. And the problem facing the Consuls and Charlie is that people are sharing a dream which involves a blue Buick, and that seems to turn people into nightwalkers, dead who roam in constant need of food. HiberTech, which makes Morphenox, also turns many of these dead into useful workers, who do things like drive golf carts, and the like. (Okay, that makes the suspicious minded wonder, doesn’t it?) The Consul wants to find out the source of this blue Buick dream plague. The novel, then, concerns itself with the acclimation of Charlie to his new life, a fitful and funny affair, and the twisting and turning search for the cause of shared dreaming.
While chasing around for 400 pages in search of a cause can get a bit tedious, and one can take only so many narrow escapes, Fforde enlivens things with his special brand of wit and humor, and a cast of characters who will hold your interest. Fforde is Welch, so the novel takes place in Wales, which many will find a real plus, as he blends geography and some history into the tale. Not a novel for everybody, but for those into fantasy, alternate realities, and action, it seems tailor made.
What if the Ice Age never went away and humanity in the northern climes had to evolve to withstand bitter winters? Would we have a nice coating of insulating hair all over our bodies? Would we have developed a system that allows us to work and play in the spring, summer, and fall, and
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sleep away the long winter? And just how would we do this? And who would protect us from mishap? Enter Jasper Fforde’s Early Riser with the answers. For herein he has created such a world, where the population slumbers away winter in dormitoria, tall circular buildings heated by nuclear pots, staffed by porters to ensure no mishaps, with the whole winterscape protected by a cadre of Consuls, sort of a marshals service. It’s a world like ours that shares a similar history, but unlike ours in that it has a steampunk quality to it and a population that uses its waking hours to fatten up for winter hibernation (oh, wouldn’t we enjoy that!). If all this intrigues you, and you enjoy fantasy and dystopian fiction, you’ll want to add Early Riser to your reading list. Make that your summer reading list, as the novel takes place in the dead of winter when all is quiet but for Consuls, rebels, mythical creatures, and general mischief makers.
Charlie Worthing is a foundling who joins the Consul corps and faces his first winter awake. He’s pared with an old hand, and soon enough all manner of intrigue and mayhem ensue. In this world of long sleep, dreams have been suppressed by a drug called Morphenox. Dreams, goes the theory, lead to an increase in unsuccessful hibernations, as they sap the body’s food stores. However, rumors float about that a new, improved iteration is in development.
Morphenox, it seems, goes only to the select, so many dream. And the problem facing the Consuls and Charlie is that people are sharing a dream which involves a blue Buick, and that seems to turn people into nightwalkers, dead who roam in constant need of food. HiberTech, which makes Morphenox, also turns many of these dead into useful workers, who do things like drive golf carts, and the like. (Okay, that makes the suspicious minded wonder, doesn’t it?) The Consul wants to find out the source of this blue Buick dream plague. The novel, then, concerns itself with the acclimation of Charlie to his new life, a fitful and funny affair, and the twisting and turning search for the cause of shared dreaming.
While chasing around for 400 pages in search of a cause can get a bit tedious, and one can take only so many narrow escapes, Fforde enlivens things with his special brand of wit and humor, and a cast of characters who will hold your interest. Fforde is Welch, so the novel takes place in Wales, which many will find a real plus, as he blends geography and some history into the tale. Not a novel for everybody, but for those into fantasy, alternate realities, and action, it seems tailor made.
Show Less
ISBN
0670025038 / 9780670025039