Early Riser

Where to begin? Early Riser is part science fiction, part mystery, definitely parody and all fun! Jasper Fforde always creates different realities for his stories and this time, he's outdone himself.

This is a world in which people survive a dangerous winter by bulking up, then hibernating. Sleep, perchance to dream--no, no, that's no good: dreams supposedly waste too much energy, too many calories. To increase the chances of surviving the winter, people take an expensive drug called morphenox, designed by a greedy corporation called HiberTech. Those who can afford or gain access to it, that is. And it may cause side effects, such as becoming a nightwalker, or one who never really wakes up (Nightwalkers are scary when they're hungry).

The protagonist of this zany novel is Charles Worthing, who has decided to join the Winter Consul to gain access to morphinox. It's a dangerous job that involves staying up during the winter to protect the general population against crimes. Cannibalistic nightwalkers, villians (some of them scary philatelists), and Wintervolk, oh my!

Basically, that is the world which forms the backdrop for this story. No spoilers, then-- go with it! It's a fun ride with lots of little twists and turns and won't get dull.