When the sleeper wakes

Imagine you wake up hundreds of years into the future. The world has been turned into an industrial hellscape, ruled over by the authoritarian White Council. And to your horror, you discover that this regime's figurehead--the mythical 'sleeper'--is you! This is the nightmare which greets Graham, the main character in H.G. Wells' "When the Sleeper Wakes". Graham must choose whether to remain part of the new world order, or join the revolution. Exploring similar themes to Orwell's "1984", this is a gripping science fiction tale from one of the genre's masters. H.G. Wells (1866–1946) was an English author often called the "father of science fiction". His work popularised some of the genre's most abiding concepts, such as time travel and parallel universes, while also exploring social issues of the day. Among his most famous books are "The Time Machine", "The Island of Doctor Moreau", "The Invisible Man" and "The First Men in the Moon". Wells was also one of the first writers to imagine an alien invasion. In "The War of the Worlds" he depicts a devastating attack by Martians, who stalk the earth in huge metal tripods. Orson Welles famously created an American radio version in the 1930s, panicking some listeners who thought it was a real news bulletin. The book has been adapted for the screen many times, including a movie starring Tom Cruise and a BBC television series.