''Hot Sleep: The Worthing Chronicle'' (1979) is a

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

novel by American writer

Orson Scott Card Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for both ...

, part of his

the Worthing series The Worthing series is a series of science fiction works by American writer Orson Scott Card. It consists of two anthologies and two novels. The first three books in this series are currently out of print. Books in the series *''Capitol'' (1979 ...

. Card's novel ''

The Worthing Chronicle ''The Worthing Chronicle'' (1983) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, part of The Worthing series. This book by itself is out of print having been published along with nine short stories in the collection ''The Worthi ...

'' (1983) covers some of the same ground. ''Hot Sleep'' was Card's first novel-length published science fiction story. ''

A Planet Called Treason ''A Planet Called Treason'' (1979) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card about a ''radical regenerative'' named Lanik who is banished from his kingdom and travels to different regions of the planet, discovering the powe ...

'' followed. The short story collection ''

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

'' was published earlier that year.

Plot summary

The book follows Jason Worthing, also known as Jazz, who is a boy growing up on Capitol, the capital planet of the Empire. Jas has "the swipe", which is a

genetic trait Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar working in ...

that allows for

telepathy Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic W ...

. The swipe is feared in the Empire, so those who possess it are executed. After being found out as a swipe, Jas tries to escape, which leads to his capture by Abner Doon, who helps him rise to prominence as a space pilot. Eventually, Abner sends Jason away as the head of a colony so that the swipe would become more widespread, but when his ship reaches the planet he is attacked, and the memories of all but one of the 333 colonists are destroyed and two-thirds of the colonist are killed or damaged beyond awakening. Jason prevails, however, leading to the survival of the colony. Jason guides the development of the new culture over multiple generations by using a substance called Somec, which allows humans to sleep long periods of time without aging. Eventually, Abner Doon comes and sees how Jason has done, and after Doon leaves, Jason takes his ship to the bottom of the ocean.

Title

The title arises from the operation of ''somec'', the life extension drug forming the foundation of the interstellar Empire. Somec creates an unbearable, torturous burning sensation throughout the body while pushing the patient to

suspended animation Suspended animation is the temporary (short- or long-term) slowing or stopping of biological function so that physiological capabilities are preserved. It may be either hypometabolic or ametabolic in nature. It may be induced by either endogen ...

. However, the somec process exterminates the user's memory, and so these memories are recorded and stored separately shortly before they go under, to be returned to the body after they have awakened, and so the memory of the process itself cannot be retained. Thus, each somec patient experiences the panic of burning hot sleep "for the first time" (as far as their memory goes) no matter how many times they have taken somec before.

Other publication

''Hot Sleep'' was re-released as a

serialized novel In literature, a serial is a printing or publishing format by which a single larger work, often a work of narrative fiction, is published in smaller, sequential instalments. The instalments are also known as ''numbers'', ''parts'' or ''fascicle ...

in the first issue of Card's ''

Intergalactic Medicine Show ''InterGalactic Medicine Show'' (sometimes shortened to ''IGMS'') was an American online fantasy and science fiction magazine. It was founded in 2005 by multiple award-winning author Orson Scott Card and was edited by Edmund R. Schubert from 20 ...

'' in October 2005.

External links

Publication information for ''Hot Sleep'' available from Card's website

The novel ''Hot Sleep'' from Card's website IGMS
{{OrsonScottCard 1979 American novels Novels by Orson Scott Card 1979 science fiction novels

Plot summary

Title

Other publication

See also

External links