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The Sleepless Kindle Edition

by Victor Manibo (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 68 ratings
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In a hyper-capitalist near future, a grieving journalist investigates his mentor’s death—while grappling with unintended consequences of biohacking that just might implicate him in it.   A mysterious pandemic causes a quarter of the world to permanently lose the ability to sleep—without any apparent health implications. The outbreak creates a new class of people who are both feared and ostracized, most of whom optimize their extra hours to earn more money.

Journalist Jamie Vega is Sleepless: he can’t sleep, nor does he need to. When his boss dies on the eve of a controversial corporate takeover, Jamie doesn’t buy the too-convenient explanation of suicide, and launches an investigation of his own.

But everything goes awry when Jamie discovers that he was the last person who saw Simon alive. Not only do the police suspect him, Jamie himself has no memory of that night. Alarmingly, his memory loss may have to do with how he became Sleepless: not naturally, like other Sleepless people, but through a risky and illegal biohacking process.

As Jamie delves deeper into Simon’s final days, he tangles with extremist organizations and powerful corporate interests, all while confronting past traumas and unforeseen consequences of his medical experimentation. But Jamie soon faces the most dangerous decision of all as he uncovers a terrifying truth about Sleeplessness that imperils him—and all of humanity.  

 
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  1. Print length
    393 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Erewhon Books
  5. Publication date
    August 2, 2022
  6. File size
    7563 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A tale of insidious, corporate-capitalist implications . . . and the human consequences of a life without dreams.” —Booklist

“Bracing pageturner. . . . blending SF and mystery/thriller tropes with social justice concerns to discuss discrimination, ambition, betrayal, family, memory as defining who we are, and capitalism’s devastating will to power.” —Library Journal’s “Top Fall Debut Novels”

“Manibo neatly dissects the drawbacks of capitalist demands on society in this taut near-future procedural. It’s smart, high-tech noir.” — Publishers Weekly  

“[A] gripping, nightmarish descent into obsession, addiction, and the horrible journalistic pursuit of truth at the expense of literally everything else. . . . [A] deep, introspective reflection on the ways in which productivity has taken over our lives, and the novel crafts a compassionate treatise on what makes people’s lives worth living.” —io9's “Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2022”

“The Sleepless is a thrilling debut with a fresh, edgy voice.” —Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Fittingly titled, as the compulsive plot will keep you turning pages, way past your bedtime. The Sleepless does what only the best science fiction can do: create a world so boldly changed—but so hauntingly true—that it teaches us much about our own.” —Sam J. Miller, author of Blackfish City

“Victor Manibo’s The Sleepless has everything I want in a near-future whodunit: an irresistible ‘what if’ premise, a twisty and desperate murder investigation, and a razor-sharp examination of the chillingly recognizable dark side of a seemingly bright future. The Sleepless delivers on its promise; I could not close my eyes.” —Fonda Lee, author of the Green Bone Saga

“Manibo has crafted a sharp, immersive dose of speculative fiction, a potent blend of science fiction and noir. The Sleepless will prove its name: you won’t be able to put it down, even as bedtime beckons.” —Alex Segura, author of Secret Identity

“A meditative near-future thriller that explores grief, meaning, and time in a world that’s terrifyingly plausible.” —Lincoln Michel, author of The Body Scout

“The Sleepless is an expertly crafted tale of exploitation and deceit set within the eldritch horror of a neverending capitalist grind.” —K. M. Szpara, author of First, Become Ashes

“The Sleepless is just the beginning; Victor Manibo is an author to keep your eye on.” —Lara Elena Donnelly, author of The Amberlough Dossier

 “The best kind of science fiction . . . A knockout of a debut.” —Rob Hart, author of The Warehouse

About the Author

Victor Manibo is a Filipino speculative fiction writer living in New York. A 2022 Lambda Literary Emerging Voices Fellow, he is the author of the science fiction noir novel The Sleepless. His next novel, Escape Velocity, is forthcoming from Erewhon Books in Spring 2024. Find him online at victormanibo.com or on Twitter @victormanibo.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09MT62G5Z
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Erewhon Books (August 2, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 2, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 7563 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 393 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 68 ratings

About the author

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Victor Manibo

Victor Manibo

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Victor Manibo is a Filipino speculative fiction writer living in New York. As a queer immigrant and a person of color, he writes about people who live these identities as they navigate imaginary worlds. A 2022 Lambda Literary Emerging Voices Fellow, he is the author of the science fiction noir novel The Sleepless. His next novel, Escape Velocity, is forthcoming from Erewhon Books in Spring 2024. Aside from fiction, he also spins fantastical tales in his career as a lawyer. He lives in Queens with his husband, their dog, and their two cats. Find him online at victormanibo.com or on Twitter @victormanibo.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
68 global ratings
If you like a fast paced, murder mystery with a side of dystopia--this one's for you!
5 Stars
If you like a fast paced, murder mystery with a side of dystopia--this one's for you!
If you like a fast paced, murder mystery with a side of dystopia--this one's for you!
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Top reviews from the United States

Ruben Fernandez
5.0 out of 5 stars Warning: if you start it, you won’t be able put it down
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2022
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This is a classic page turner, murder mystery best described as a Crichton-esque weaving of science fiction, spy thriller tension, and social commentary on our willingness to expose our lives to big data in exchange for immediate gratification to spin a gratifying yarn. Although some of the dialogue is a bit clunky with the over explanatory speeches typical of a lot sci-fi, the writing is crisp, straightforward, and at its best when about a quarter of the way through the story gets passed the set up and dashes through its reveals and action sequences to the nearly end of the book. Indeed, the title of the book best describes this reader as the narrative became so intense I couldn’t put it down and found myself reading through the night. Like I said, a page turner.

This a great read and tremendous first novel. Congratulations Mr. Manibo, you are a writer that I will be following.
2 people found this helpful
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Ellie Blackwood
4.0 out of 5 stars Slow build but compelling mystery
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2023
In a world where a quarter of the world’s population has lost the ability to sleep, journalist Jamie Vega finds his boss dead in his office. Suspecting foul play, Jamie must investigate the true cause of death — and in the process, he discovers the sinister truth behind how he himself became Sleepless.

I loved the premise of this story, and I’m also a sucker for science fiction mysteries, so this was right up my alley! The hints of how the epidemic of Sleeplessness has changed the way the world works made me feel immersed in the story. It gives the sense of a world slipping toward dystopia, especially with some of the reveals toward the end.

This book was quite slow paced, but I also don’t know if it could have been any other way. I loved that the reader experiences the events on the night of the murder the same way Jamie did, so there’s a sense of solving the mystery along with him when he realizes his perception of what happened might not match with reality. Still, this book took me ages to read — partly because I was busy with college, and then hit a reading slump, but the pacing definitely didn’t help.

The big mystery was of course solved by the end, but a lot was left open about the future of Sleeplessness and Jamie’s health. However, I’m learning that I quite like books that don’t tie everything up neatly — it makes the world feel more expansive and realistic if not everything can be tied up in a neat little bow.
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Kayla
3.0 out of 5 stars If you could choose not to sleep ever again, would you?
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2022
This is a choice our main character gets and it's a whirlwind from there! The story is a lot more mystery heavy than I thought it would be but that was fine. The author did a good job at keeping me interested throughout the whole story with the pacing and reveals. I also felt like most of the relationships between the main and side characters were good with a few exceptions where people seemed to show up more for convenience's sake. I might recommend this book to someone that liked Altered Carbon based on the sci-fi mystery. There are some other parallels that I don't want to risk getting into to avoid spoilers.
Overall I felt like this was a successful book and I would definitely read more from this author.
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Linda Keller
5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating and Brilliant
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2023
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Grabs you from the first page and the author weaves a brilliant tale. Beyond worth it, brilliant, intriguing, and good for all audiences, not just scifi. The book itself is also beautiful and feels great when holding it. Buy it, what are you waiting for??
2 people found this helpful
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Denise Crawford
4.0 out of 5 stars Unique and absorbing science fiction thriller.
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2022
When the global pandemic struck in 2033, the panic and confusion it created started a massive world shift. The condition did not actively kill -- it produced sleeplessness. Since no one understood where it came from or the vector or the mode of transmission, those affected were hauled to quarantine as scientists scrambled for answers. Things settled down in the ensuing decade, but Jamie Vega is a bit envious of those who are now sleepless. They have a lot more time in their lives to work, to pursue all sorts of hobbies or talents. The lure of becoming sleepless makes Jamie do something really daring.

Jamie is now finally sleepless and working as a journalist for a huge media company in the midst of a corporate takeover. He's living his best life and doing hard core investigative journalism when he finds his mentor, Simon Parrish, dead in the office right before a big board vote. Not believing in the line that this was a suicide, Jamie gets caught up in something that changes everything he believed about hyperinsomnia and has to face the consequences of how what he did was more than dangerous.

This was so much fun and I really enjoyed it. The character of Jamie is well-developed and certainly an unusual protagonist. I do not understand the emphasis in advertising the book about it being queer genre as that is such a small part of the narrative that it was inconsequential to any part of the story and certainly should need keep anyone from picking up this book to read. The science fiction part, the condition of hyperinsomnia or sleeplessness, was quite an interesting theme to explore with how all of those with it must consume so many resources and how they count time. It gave me lots to ponder and the plot, though a bit typical with good vs evil and someone being tasked to save the world, was entertaining. I liked the author's writing style and the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for the e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.
2 people found this helpful
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ProudBookWorm
5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging mystery!
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2023
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Greatly enjoyed reading this. A bit slow at first, but the start sets the stage and then its a true who done it. Very interesting view of technology and who we are with and without it as well as a page turner. Look forward to more from this author.
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Top reviews from other countries

Suzy
5.0 out of 5 stars My new FAVORITE book!!!
Reviewed in Germany on October 19, 2022
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LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT including the Author! Can't recommend it enough.
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Katzundmaus
1.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful concept so badly executed
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 13, 2023
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In the near future, a mysterious pandemic has rendered a significant minority of the world’s population sleepless. After overcoming an initial wave of prejudice, the Sleepless have adapted economically and socially, in a world only too happy to exploit the extra hours of consumption or productivity offered by the condition of hyperinsomnia.

A LeGuin, an Asimov or Heinlein would have gratefully accepted this wonderful premise and succinctly crafted the critique of capitalism, consumerism and instant gratification that this strives to be.

Sadly, this novel fails spectacularly. Indeed, I find it difficult to describe just how bad it is, other than to say I have highlighted passages against the possibility that I need ever to demonstrate how not to write dialogue or how not to avoid cliche.

At moments during its seemingly never ending 453 (!) pages, I fervently hoped that any of Manibo’s characters might not feel the need to fire yet another monologue at the protagonist, Jamie Vega, explaining exactly how they have come to be in the story, frame him for murder, experience a deep desire to cure him of his memory loss, explain why capitalism feeds on exploitation or whatever, only to be consistently disappointed.

I seriously query whether any meaningful editing was done on the text, so riddled is it with tedious and overlong description, clunking cliches and wildly unrealistic dialogue.

Such a shame, as the concept is good, and in flashes the author reveals some authorial flourishes. A better author and editor partnership might have told a story worth reading in 250 pages.
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