Five SFF Works Based Around Sleep or Sleeplessness

Be it a supernatural curse or ennui-driven insomnia, messing with
someone's ability to sleep can have dire consequences...

https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-based-around-sleep-or-sleeplessness/
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) writes:

Five SFF Works Based Around Sleep or Sleeplessness

Be it a supernatural curse or ennui-driven insomnia, messing with
someone's ability to sleep can have dire consequences...

https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-based-around-sleep-or-sleeplessness/

Nancy Kress' _Beggars in Spain_ deals with genetically induced sleeplessness.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:29:28 -0000 (UTC), James Nicoll wrote:

Be it a supernatural curse or ennui-driven insomnia, messing with
someone's ability to sleep can have dire consequences...

Why do we need to sleep? It seems to be a vertebrate-only thing.

Migrating birds may fly for days on end. How do they cope with the
need for sleep? As I recall, it seems they put different parts of
their brains to sleep in turn.

Any good SF stories on what a society would be like where people
didn?t need to sleep?

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 7/15/2026 5:55 PM, Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:

On Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:29:28 -0000 (UTC), James Nicoll wrote:

Be it a supernatural curse or ennui-driven insomnia, messing with
someone's ability to sleep can have dire consequences...

Why do we need to sleep? It seems to be a vertebrate-only thing.

Migrating birds may fly for days on end. How do they cope with the
need for sleep? As I recall, it seems they put different parts of
their brains to sleep in turn.

Any good SF stories on what a society would be like where people
didn?t need to sleep?

"Beggars In Spain" by Nancy Kress
https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Spain-Nancy-Kress/dp/0060733489

Hugo winner in 1992, Nebula winner in 1991.

Lynn



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 16 Jul 2026 00:04:48 GMT, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:

On Wed, 15 Jul 2026 22:55:55 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:

Any good SF stories on what a society would be like where people
didn?t need to sleep?

I recall one in Analog some years ago. People mostly decided they
didn't need homes anymore, and once they didn't have homes, didn't
need possessions. I don't think that's how it would work out...

(Not to mention the whole 'work from home' thing was not thought
of).

Reminds me somewhat of George Carlin?s monologue ?A Place For My
Stuff?. Basically your home is a place where you keep your stuff (or
most of it); if we didn?t have so much stuff, we could just walk
around all day.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 7/15/2026 5:25 PM, Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:

On 16 Jul 2026 00:04:48 GMT, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:

On Wed, 15 Jul 2026 22:55:55 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:

Any good SF stories on what a society would be like where people
didn?t need to sleep?

I recall one in Analog some years ago. People mostly decided they
didn't need homes anymore, and once they didn't have homes, didn't
need possessions. I don't think that's how it would work out...

(Not to mention the whole 'work from home' thing was not thought
of).

Reminds me somewhat of George Carlin?s monologue ?A Place For My
Stuff?. Basically your home is a place where you keep your stuff (or
most of it); if we didn?t have so much stuff, we could just walk
around all day.

You mean like our 1,000 times grandparents?

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 7/15/2026 6:55 PM, Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:

On Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:29:28 -0000 (UTC), James Nicoll wrote:

Be it a supernatural curse or ennui-driven insomnia, messing with
someone's ability to sleep can have dire consequences...

Why do we need to sleep? It seems to be a vertebrate-only thing.

Migrating birds may fly for days on end. How do they cope with the
need for sleep? As I recall, it seems they put different parts of
their brains to sleep in turn.

Any good SF stories on what a society would be like where people
didn?t need to sleep?

Sleep seems to exist in some form in every creature with neurons,
all the way down to jellyfish and nematode worms.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_in_animals#Invertebrates

Some animals sleep half the brain at a time. I've seen a
photo to three roosting ducks - the left and right had
the 'outside' eye open, while the other was closed. The
center duck had both eyes closed.

Marine mammals that don't come ashore do this too,
enabling them to surface to breath, and stay in the
pod.

Similarly, birds which fly for long periods do this.
Swifts, for example, fly continuously for up to 10 months
at time, and must sleep in the air.

pt

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:

Any good SF stories on what a society would be like where people
didn?t need to sleep?

I seem to recall one possibly by Robert Sheckley where on a certain
planet the wives stayed only happy if they were put to sleep most of
the time, and only reactivated for dinner and sex.

-is
--
A medium apple... weighs 182 grams, yields 95 kcal, and contains no
caffeine, thus making it unsuitable for sysadmins. - Brian Kantor

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

James Nicoll wrote:

Five SFF Works Based Around Sleep or Sleeplessness

Be it a supernatural curse or ennui-driven insomnia, messing with
someone's ability to sleep can have dire consequences...

https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-based-around-sleep-or-sleeplessness/

I recall a story but don't remember title and verse^Wauthor about
somebody who somehow managed to switch off his involuntary neural
system and had to control everything consciously - like, every five
seconds blink the eyes twice to keep them moist, for one of the
simpler tasks. Seems to me that this condition would have prevented
him from going to sleep ever.

(In case somebody wants to look for the story and needs additional spoilers, uvf srznyr arvtuobe pbaarpgf n ibbqbb qbyy gb n pbzchgre gb erynk uvz.)

-is


--
A medium apple... weighs 182 grams, yields 95 kcal, and contains no
caffeine, thus making it unsuitable for sysadmins. - Brian Kantor

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Ignatios Souvatzis wrote:

James Nicoll wrote:

Five SFF Works Based Around Sleep or Sleeplessness

Be it a supernatural curse or ennui-driven insomnia, messing with
someone's ability to sleep can have dire consequences...

https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-based-around-sleep-or-sleeplessness/

I recall a story but don't remember title and verse^Wauthor about
somebody who somehow managed to switch off his involuntary neural
system

from: The Man Who Controlled Himself by Thomas Wylde
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, January 1989:

| "The hardest part," he said, after a breathless moment, "is never
| really sleeping."

-is
--
A medium apple... weighs 182 grams, yields 95 kcal, and contains no
caffeine, thus making it unsuitable for sysadmins. - Brian Kantor

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2026-07-15, Lawrence D?Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:

Why do we need to sleep? It seems to be a vertebrate-only thing.

Nope. People keep publishing research papers about sleep in
Drosophilia (fruit flies).

... See Cryptoengineer's more comprehensive answer.

--
Christian "naddy" Weisgerber naddy@mips.inka.de

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Ignatios Souvatzis wrote:

Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:

Any good SF stories on what a society would be like where people
didn?t need to sleep?

I seem to recall one possibly by Robert Sheckley where on a certain
planet the wives stayed only happy if they were put to sleep most of
the time, and only reactivated for dinner and sex.

I think the point was that they didn't age when they slept. So that
after only a few months of marriage (to them) they'd be young and
well-off widows.


William Hyde

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 17/07/2026 08:04, William Hyde wrote:

Ignatios Souvatzis wrote:

Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:

Any good SF stories on what a society would be like where people
didn?t need to sleep?

I seem to recall one possibly by Robert Sheckley where on a certain
planet the wives stayed only happy if they were put to sleep most of
the time, and only reactivated for dinner and sex.

I think the point was that they didn't age when they slept. So that
after only a few months of marriage (to them) they'd be young and well-
off widows.

"A Ticket to Tranai".
Wives were put into a "dersin stasis field" where all activity and aging ceased. All housework was fully automated so a housewife had nothing to
fill in her day so if left out of stasis would seek company other than
that of her husband. The husband had a young woman to look after him in
his old age and as William said, on his demise his still young wife
would have his wealth to begin a new relationship. Only a cruel husband
would condemn a wife to boredom and losing her youth.


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sun, 19 Jul 2026 21:56:26 +1200, Titus G wrote:

"A Ticket to Tranai".
Wives were put into a "dersin stasis field" where all activity and aging ceased. ...

You forgot to mention it was a Robert Sheckley story.

<https://archive.org/details/galaxymagazine-1955-10>

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Lawrence D?Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:

On Sun, 19 Jul 2026 21:56:26 +1200, Titus G wrote:

"A Ticket to Tranai".
Wives were put into a "dersin stasis field" where all activity and aging
ceased. ...

You forgot to mention it was a Robert Sheckley story.

<https://archive.org/details/galaxymagazine-1955-10>

You guys forgot to mention the best part of the story. The President
literally loses his head most violently the instant a temporally
cumulative majority of voters register their dissatisfaction.

In that same storied spirit:

<https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2078870638979137536/vid/avc1/1280x720/7a0pfZLAAY2BrquQ.mp4>

PRISONER OF TIME by Polton Cross is an eariler example of entropic
stasis. The short story's fugly brainiac sends a young, pretty female,
the object of his unrequited love, on a one way trip to eternity.

--
Don.......My cat's )\._.,--....,'``. veritas _|_ telltale tall tail /, _.. \ _\ (`._ ,. liberabit |
tells tall tales.. `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.' vos |


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 20/07/2026 12:43, Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:

On Sun, 19 Jul 2026 21:56:26 +1200, Titus G wrote:

"A Ticket to Tranai".
Wives were put into a "dersin stasis field" where all activity and aging
ceased. ...

You forgot to mention it was a Robert Sheckley story.

<https://archive.org/details/galaxymagazine-1955-10>

Ignatios Souvatzis had already mentioned that earlier but you snipped
his contribution.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 20/07/2026 17:34, Don wrote:

Lawrence D?Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:

On Sun, 19 Jul 2026 21:56:26 +1200, Titus G wrote:

"A Ticket to Tranai".
Wives were put into a "dersin stasis field" where all activity and aging >>> ceased. ...

You forgot to mention it was a Robert Sheckley story.

<https://archive.org/details/galaxymagazine-1955-10>

You guys forgot to mention the best part of the story. The President literally loses his head most violently the instant a temporally
cumulative majority of voters register their dissatisfaction.

The story wasn't being discussed. The subject was SFF Works Based Around Sleeplessness.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)