Adrian Barnes - Nod (Titan Books)

Dawn breaks over Vancouver and no-one in the world has slept the night before, or almost no-one. A few people, perhaps one in ten thousand can still sleep, and they've all shared the same golden dream. A handful of children still sleep as well, but what they're dreaming remains a mystery. After 6 days of absolute sleep deprivation, psychosis will set in. After 4 weeks, the body will die. In the interim, panic ensues and a bizarre a new world arises in which those previously on the fringes of society take the lead. Paul, a writer, continues to sleep - and the new world swallows the old one whole. Shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke Award.