The Sleep Experiment by Jeremy Bates
The Soviet military promised four political prisoners their freedom in 1954, during the onset of the Cold War, in exchange for their participation in an experiment that required them to stay awake for fourteen days while under the influence of a potent stimulant gas. In the end, the convicts turned to homicide, self-mutilation, and insanity. During the summer vacation of 2018, renowned UC Berkeley psychology professor Dr. Roy Wallis is attempting to repeat the experiment in a campus building that will soon be demolished. He and two student assistants rotate eight-hour shifts to continuously monitor their young Australian test subjects. But, what starts off innocently enough transforms into an unimaginable nightmare that no one could have predicted—possibly with the exception of Dr. Roy Wallis himself.
The Sleep Experiment by Jeremy Bates
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Some of the characters, notably the two minority characters, are somewhat one-dimensional. They aren’t reduced to being exotic, but their race and accents are given a lot of attention. There is an effort to give them some depth, but much of it focuses more on their otherness, to the point where when certain things happen, it doesn’t feel completely authentic. In a way, they resemble the horror movie cannon fodder characters—you know, the ones that are too stupid and blind to do any good?
Jonathan Bates Given the similarities between the two, it is most likely that The Sleep Experiment was inspired by the urban legend known as The Russian Sleep Experiment. In the character-driven story The Sleep Experiment, Dr. Wallis, a handsome psychology professor, seduces the reader. He treats both his dates and his students with chivalry and kindness. The reader, ethics board, and participants of the sleep experiment have incorrect information. Dr. Wallis tells them that although he does not mean to provide evidence, people do not require sleep. He has already conducted the study on rats, and he is confident that he will get the desired outcome using humans.
Another illustration of Jeremy Bate’s complex creative mind is The Sleep Experiment. He does a great job of weaving a large ensemble of characters out of an urban tale. The characters that Bates brings to life like Dr. Frankenstein in The Sleep Experiment leave the reader reflecting. Picture Bates reading The Russian Sleep Experiment on his computer as his imagination creates a complete work of fiction. Similarly, he has handled the most terrifying myths and locations around the globe. Well done, Bates.
Although the reader found the characters and plot to be wonderful, the conclusion was unsurprising and lacked tension. After finishing the novel, the characters stayed in the reader’s mind for days, making it impossible to recall the ending.
