When the Sleepers Woke

When the Sleepers Woke

By

1.6666666666667
(3 Reviews)
When the Sleepers Woke by Arthur Leo Zagat

Published:

1932

Pages:

38

Downloads:

1,914

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When the Sleepers Woke

By

1.6666666666667
(3 Reviews)
Only two small groups of people—enemies—survive the vast desolation of the Final War.

Book Excerpt

d merciful blackness welled up in Allan's brain....

* * * * *

A cool liquid was in his mouth. He swallowed instinctively, and warmth ran through his veins. He felt strength flooding back into him--and he remembered horror.

"That's better," a mellow voice said, close above him. "Drink just a little more." The cool liquid came up against Allan's lips again, pungent, and he drank. Once more strength surged warmingly within him. "That's a good fellow. A little more now."

Fingers were on Allan's wrist, life-warm. There was friendliness in the voice that was speaking to him, and solicitude. He dared to look.

A skull-like head was right before him. But seen thus closely, the terror of it was lessened. Fleshless indeed it was. But a parchment skin was tightly drawn over the bones, and Allan could see that its true shade was a sere yellow. It was the bluish light that had given it the green of decay. The deep-sunk eyes were kindly; they gleamed with pleasure as Allan's opened; and th

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20 years after the final war covered the Earth in poison gas, the few survivors--Africans and Asians on one side and white bread Americans on the other--conveniently all meet at the same time in ruined New York City.

The story made me tired. The Africans and Asians were deranged beasts, the Americans were noble and pure. One against forty odds gave the edge to the one American hero.
Truly a nasty piece of work. If you enjoy pre-WWII pulp sf, you learn to expect a certain amount of casual racism and some occasional xenophobia, but this is the first time I've seen quite such a blatant two-fer of villainy: both a sinister Oriental and a brutal, gorilla-like African. And naturally, they both lust after the nubile young white woman. The story culminates in an act of genocide, leaving a devastated Earth to be re-populated by a handful of WASPs. Might have some interest for a student of post-apocalyptic literature, or of the darker side of the 1930s American psyche, otherwise, don't waste your time.