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Awake in the Night Land by [John C. Wright]

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John C. Wright

Awake in the Night Land Kindle Edition

by John C. Wright (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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AWAKE IN THE NIGHT LAND is an epic collection of four of John C. Wright's brilliant forays into the dark fantasy world of William Hope Hodgson's 1912 novel, The Night Land. Part novel, part anthology, the book consists of four related novellas, "Awake in the Night", "The Cry of the Night-Hound", "Silence of the Night", and "The Last of All Suns", which collectively tell the haunting tale of the Last Redoubt of Man and the end of the human race. Widely considered to be the finest tribute to Hodgson ever written, the first novella, "Awake in the Night", was previously published in 2004 in The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-First Annual Collection. AWAKE IN THE NIGHT LAND marks the first time all four novellas have been gathered into a single volume. DRM-free.

John C. Wright has been described by reviewers as one of the most important and audacious authors in science fiction today. In a recent poll of more than 1,000 science fiction readers, he was chosen as the sixth-greatest living science fiction writer.

Print length

310 pages
Language

English
Publication date

April 10, 2014
File size

4826 KB
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00JM98V60
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Castalia House (April 10, 2014)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 10, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 4826 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 310 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #126,222 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,981 in Dark Fantasy Horror
- #2,137 in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #2,357 in Dark Fantasy

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160 ratings

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G in Ohio

Great stories set in a fascinating world

Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2020

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These stories are so inventive, it's hard to know where to begin. I had never read "The Night Land" and paused in the middle of this to read that strange, wild story. After reading it, I could see how it caught Wright's attention for decades and made him want to know more about it so much that he wrote more himself. We all know, I think, how badly that often turns out, but in this case I think he not only did the original justice, but he also managed to write explanations of various aspects of it that seem as if they might have been meant by the author, and to create compelling new stories that seem like part of a long (and I mean LONG) timeline. The essay is very fine, and each of the four stories is interesting in its own way. I particularly like the first and last ones. The first one really drew me in to the world of The Night Land and what it might be like to live there, and the last one is a tour de force of an imagined history of humanity. The cultures, languages, customs, and histories of vanished races throughout millions of years seemed so real, and the message of the meaning of life and how we are to live was, to me, perfectly expressed. But I think, even if one has a different view, it would be a great read and interesting look at how other people think -- and why they see it that way. Definitely worth the trip to the far far far future!

2 people found this helpful

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Benjamin

The only problem with this collection is that I wish it was 1000 pages longer.

Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2017

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To put it simply, I loved this collection of novellas. I originally got turned onto Hodgson's "The Night Land" after reading he was one of the inspirations of Lovecraft. I have reread his original story several times, and I've also even read some of the fiction other authors have written in that setting.
This collection is by far the most worthy of Hodgson's original story. John Wright doesn't lose the morality of the men in the Last Redoubt, nor does he attempt to humanize the dark forces and monstrosities haunting the Night Land. Rather, he embraces some of the failings of the characters and gives them a chance to redeem themselves, and he shows that the horrors of the outside only attempt to humanize themselves to the point where they can attack the Last Redoubt.
If you are a fan of Hodgson's work, then pick up this collection. If you want dark science-fantasy or something of the dying earth genre to read, pick up this collection. Pick up this collection regardless. It is well worth your time.

10 people found this helpful

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David Hallquist

John C. Wright's compendium of novellas are an essential collection for lovers of weird fiction and horror.

Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2015

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"Awake in the Night Land" by John C. Wright is a collection of four dark novellas of the Night Land (by William Hope Hodgson) continue the tales of that dark land, and are a must for any lovers of "The Night Land".

This world features the grim and heroic survivors of humanity struggling to survive in a world gone utterly dark in a physical, supernatural, and moral sense. If Lovecraft's Chtulu, or Elder Things, or Old Ones had actually won on earth, this horror might be what it would have been like. For all of that, though, human determination, heroism, and even love survive.

For lovers of that strange mixture of Horror, Sci-Fi and Fantasy known as ″Weird Fiction″ this book stands well amongst the timeless classics. The sense of supernal foreboding, and grim malevolence of the Night Land comes though every page, making the reader welcome the light by which it is read. Unlike most horror of this type, however, is the steadfast stoic heroism of the brave doomed humans of the Last Redoubt. Rather than simply going mad, or giving up in despair, they struggle ceaselessly to survive against impossible odds, and even challenge the night itself in heroic journeys.

Like the original ″Night Land″ the sorties also involve love. Not simply the love of one's True Beloved, but also the love of close friends, family, and even a boy's love for a dog are all within. Even against the endless malefic nightmares of the Night, love still endures.

John C. Wright's compendium of novellas are an essential collection for lovers of weird fiction and horror.

7 people found this helpful

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Jeeves

This novel in particular moves into the world of the imagination like few others I have read in recent years

Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2015

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Just discovered John C. Wright and I am blown away. This novel in particular moves into the world of the imagination like few others I have read in recent years. This takes you away into another place, a dark and sunless world where humanity struggles to live on, when the sun is dead and the atmosphere evaporated. A world of legend and mystery. So few works can lift us out of our everyday universe these days. So few authors have the gift. Wright has it. The last of humanity lives in The Redoubt, a great pyramidal city whose energy source seems to be geothermal, manufactures oxygen and water, and an entire world has developed inside. A princess or upper-class scion of a prominent family goes out into the Nightlands in search of her lost warrior brother. It is just gripping. The great creatures out there have been sitting and looking at the Redoubt for thousands and thousands of years, inching slowly closer. The Northwest Watching Thing and the Silent Ones. They do not have proper names because the people in the great pyramidal city believe "naming calls", or, as the folk expression has it, 'speak of the Devil and he will appear'.

This has all the dark beauty and mystery of a true nightmare that is somehow going to end well. Courage and agency are their own reward. Have now started on Count To A Trillion and intend to go on and read every one of his books.

5 people found this helpful

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F.W.

The most unlikely book ever...

Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2020

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A series of connected stories that the author wrote as a tribute to a beloved book from his youth. The result is brilliant and haunting. This book, along with the author's Golden Age trilogy, undoubtedly qualifies as great literature. It might even be Wright's best book, complex and philosophical without being overwhelming.

I read the original THE NIGHT LAND by William Hope Hodgson so as to better appreciate Wright's tribute. It was worth the extra effort.

One person found this helpful

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Fraffyraffy

A welcome return to a memorable universe

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2020

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I'm a big fan of the original novel, a work which is huge in its ambition and level of imagination. So it was wonderful to find that other author's have picked up the mantle and decided to carry it forward. Not only that, but the author has also avoided the tough reading style of the original (which doesn't include a single line of dialogue). There are four stories here, and all are borrowing ideas from somewhere else. There's lots of hard science and greek mythology thrown in, and the universe of the night land is expanded well with respect to the original. Of the four stories, the first three are interesting, though mirror the original novel a bit too much for my tastes (someone goes out in the night land, does stuff, and comes back again). However it's the fourth story, "The Last of All Suns", where the author really spreads his wings. You get a very different setting and premise, and it's all resolved beautifully. If you're a fan of William Hope Hodgson's original work (or the shorter version, "A dream of X") then "Awake in the night land" is a must-read.

robby charters

The Night Land -- John C. Wright, William Hodgson, et al

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 3, 2015

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This is a collection of four novellas based on the world of William Hodgson's The Night Lands. The first novella is available as a free download, which I read before buying the full version. After reading the second one in the series, I went to Gutenberg.com and downloaded William H. Hodgson's book, The Night Lands. I'd say those actions should speak for themselves as to how much I liked John Wright's work.

William Hodgson's Night Lands could be up there with Middle Earth and the Star Wars universe, except that Hodgson's narration of it is so difficult to slough through. John Wright has done a commendable job of moving it into public literary consciousness with his excellent writing -- much easier to read while still using grand literary style.

The premise: it's millions of years in the future, the sun has died, and the earth is in darkness. The thick cloud surrounding the earth also blocks out the stars. A variety of horrific monsters have taken over the landscape, some of which can, not only kill the body, but also consume the soul as well. Humanity is surviving with the help of subterranean heat. Human technology of that time has enabled them to build a 7 mile tall pyramid shaped tower, called The Last Redoubt, capable of holding millions of people -- all that's left of humanity. Each floor is a whole city. For more details of the fascinating world, read the Wikipedia entry.

I never did finish William Hodgson's book. I got more than half way through, which was enough to give me the basic idea of the story. William Hodgson was a Victorian age writer, but he intentionally wrote it in 16th century style, from the narrative point of view of a gentleman living at the time. He falls in love with a young lady named Merdath. They marry, but she dies. During his mourning, he has a dream of the far future, where a reincarnation of himself, a young man, lives in the Last Reoubt. Through highly advanced instruments and his own telepathic powers (which humanity has developed by then), he hears a voice he recognises, that of the reincarnation of Merdath. She's calling from a lesser redoubt at the opposite end of the extremely deep valley in which both redoubts were built. They were built there because the air at the old earth's surface is too thin to breath. Also, in the valley, there are scattered pot holes of lava that are good for warming oneself. The Last Redoubt, itself, is warmed and energised by a large vein of subterranean energy.

After Hodgson's hero begins hearing the voice of his ancient lover, it becomes apparent that something horrible has happened to the Lesser Redoubt. The first half of the book is the journey through a landscape every bit as full and detailed as Tolkein's Middle Earth -- the difference being that almost everything is hostile and dangerous. He finds her, and the second half covers their journey home, and, I suppose, a bit of their life back at the Greater Redoubt. As I said, I didn't make it to the end, as a lot of that was more like a 16th century romance, with very wordy and detailed descriptions of their love.

When John C. Wright was young, Hodgson's book was in two volumes. Young John had found the first volume, read it up to the part where the hero was on the verge of finding Merdath, and spent the rest of his young adulthood pining for the second volume. Gutenburg.com wasn't around then. His compendium of novellas stays faithful to the world of William Hodgson, including the reincarnation aspect. John C. Wright is a Roman Catholic who doesn't believe in reincarnation, but neither do I believe in witches riding on broomsticks or tiny men who live in holes, but I still enjoy an occasional story or two that feature such things.

The first three stories in Wright's collection are set in the Night Lands as Hodgson knew them. His story of the search and rescue of Merdath, is a part of the history. The fourth is set at the end of the universe as we know it, one that has passed the "Night Lands" phase of human history, but takes a twist that only John Wright can give it, with his brilliant adaptation of the physics of time and space.

My recommendation: discover the Night Lands through John C. Wright's book, and later, if your appetite has been sufficiently whetted, download William Hodgson's book.

4 people found this helpful

Bea Sniper

Eerie

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 23, 2014

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I am a big science fiction books reader. Over the past 10 years or so, the contemporary publications of the genre have started slipping to become ever more boring, too templated, too schematic. So rather than buying new books, I have begun to read backwards in time, back to Asimov, Heinlein, et al. This is slightly paradox, what with science fiction as a genre being orientated, well, towards the future.

Enter John C. Wright. The stories in this book are very much outside the standard contemporary SF template. The world and culture are truly unique, eerie, beautiful but haunting. I acknowledge that the world stems from the 1912 book The Night Land which I haven't read yet, but plan to; so in a way, it is also hearkening back to a classic. It is still modern and definitely very contemporary.

The world is far in the future and entirely different from today's. The sun and moon are extinguished. Humans live in a huge pyramidal fortress called the Last Redoubt, rising over 10000m high above the ground, and continuing more than 100km deep underground. Around the redoubt, the enemies of mankind lurk.

The culture and technology of the future humans is less advanced than today's in some respects, and much more advanced in other respects; Wright (or Hodgson) does not fall into the trap of creating either a throw-back primitive or super technologically advanced civilisation; it is just very different, and entirely suited to the eerie environment. Similarly, Wright avoids the common mistake of post-Tolkien fantasy writers of boring the reader with a too structured genealogy of the races of the land. The various monsters are introduced in the flow of the stories, nothing comes across forced, the reader is taken on a ride that is smooth and entirely credible, despite the incredibly fantastic setting.

I'm not even all the way through the book (halfway), and I am already so fascinated as to be driven to review it. After I'm done, I'll have a hard time deciding whether to start on Wright's other books, or to go back to Hodgson's classic. Probably the former, as I also love Wright's prose in addition to his stories.

2 people found this helpful

Smokey Bacon Jr

Brilliant

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 3, 2016

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I was a big fan of The Night Land in my youth, having bought two volumes through a postal science fiction club. I hadn't thought much about it for ages, until I saw this on Kindle. This is an excellent continuation of the original, capturing the awesome and dreadful spectacle of humankind trapped in their last refuge, besieged by unknowable alien creatures. The language is not as florid as Hodgeson's, but still echoes the original's tone. Recommended for any fan of the original books, but accessible to newbies too. Excellent.

One person found this helpful

L A Mullane

Great addition to The Night Land story

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 28, 2014

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Read most of these on The Night Land website originally, and still bought the book. They fit extremely well into the world of The Night Land, although the writing is a tad more modern than the original! They capture the atmosphere of Hodgson's classic, although the best of the stories here "The Last of All Suns" uses another Hodgson classic, "The House on the Borderland" as it's inspiration. Basically if you like The Night Land, you will also like this.

3 people found this helpful