A page-turning debut in the tradition of Michael Crichton, World War Z, and The Martian, Sleeping Giants is a thriller fueled by an earthshaking mystery—and a fight to control a gargantuan power.A girl named Rose is riding her new bike near her home in Deadwood, South Dakota, when she falls through the earth. She wakes up at the bottom of a square hole, its walls glowing with intricate carvings. … walls glowing with intricate carvings. But the firemen who come to save her peer down upon something even stranger: a little girl in the palm of a giant metal hand.
Seventeen years later, the mystery of the bizarre artifact remains unsolved—its origins, architects, and purpose unknown. Its carbon dating defies belief; military reports are redacted; theories are floated, then rejected.
But some can never stop searching for answers.
Rose Franklin is now a highly trained physicist leading a top secret team to crack the hand’s code. And along with her colleagues, she is being interviewed by a nameless interrogator whose power and purview are as enigmatic as the provenance of the relic. What’s clear is that Rose and her compatriots are on the edge of unraveling history’s most perplexing discovery—and figuring out what it portends for humanity. But once the pieces of the puzzle are in place, will the result prove to be an instrument of lasting peace or a weapon of mass destruction?
Praise for Sleeping Giants
“As high-concept as it is, Sleeping Giants is a thriller through and through. . . . One of the most promising series kickoffs in recent memory, [and] a smart demonstration of how science fiction can honor its traditions and reverse-engineer them at the same time.”—NPR
“Neuvel weaves a complex tapestry with ancient machinery buried in the Earth, shadow governments, and geopolitical conflicts. But the most surprising thing about the book may just be how compelling the central characters are in the midst of these larger-than-life concepts. . . . I can’t stop thinking about it.”—Chicago Review of Books
“A remarkable debut . . . Reminiscent of Max Brooks’s World War Z, the story’s format effectively builds suspense.”—Library Journal (debut of the month)
“This stellar debut novel . . . masterfully blends together elements of sci-fi, political thriller and apocalyptic fiction. . . . A page-turner of the highest order.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Don’t miss any of The Themis Files by Sylvain Neuvel:
SLEEPING GIANTS | WAKING GODS | ONLY HUMAN
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Last night our book club discussed Sleeping Giants. I thought the book was an interesting fast-paced read with a compelling concept. A girl falls into a hole in the ground and *gasp* lands on a huge robot hand. Years later as an adult scientist, she leads the team to find the rest of the body parts, and figure out where this robot came from.
Most people in our book club didn’t love the book — lots of plot holes, the oral history format didn’t work for everyone, flat characters, too many unanswered questions — but a lot of people agreed that it was entertaining. I think if you are looking for a lot of aliens, you will be disappointed. If you are cool with a thriller that tackles global political relations and interpersonal conflicts, you will be pretty happy with this!
Finished Sleeping Giants on the train back from NYC this weekend. It’s written in the style of World War Z and The Martian, a narrative told through interviews and journal entries, etc. For me, this one didn’t really work though. I feel like there has to be a reason to use that type of narrative technique that supports the story and there wasn’t really any reason to tell this story that way.
I also enjoy those types of narratives way better as audiobooks, so maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I listened to it! The story itself is cool…
Has anyone else read it?
I just bought this! The publisher’s description is giving me Iron Giant vibes (arguably the finest vibes of all) and the cover design is so pretty.
Sleeping Giants
A novel by Sylvain Neuvel
Presented as an collection of interview transcripts, journal entries and mission logs, “Sleeping Giants” evokes a realism that many an author would envy. Add to that the dry wit of the “interrogator” and the irascible personality of Kara Resnik and you have pieces of storytelling that will quickly draw any reader in and hold their interest to the last word.
If thrills, intrigue and unpredictability are what you seek in science fiction, “Sleeping Giants” is a book you should not miss.
Suffice it to say I loved every page and look forward to the next installment of “The Themis Files.”
It’s Rose’s birthday, and she is eager for her little guests to leave, so she can ride her new pink bicycle! As she is riding along, she suddenly drops through a glowing hole in the earth. Walls of engravings surround her. Strange! Even stranger is what her rescuers see: little Rose is lying in the palm of a giant hand!
Years later, Rose is physicist and heading a team, trying to find answers. What is the significance of that hand? As more discoveries are made, Rose realizes that each breakthrough is of utmost importance to the safety and survival of everyone on the earth.
This story is told primarily in the form of interviews of the very realistic characters by a seemingly all-powerful, but unknown interviewer. This format leads the reader to discover for him/herself what is happening in the story. This is a mysterious way for a story to unfold, but it is also a powerful one! As the mysterious and otherworldly story unfolds in this way, the reader can actually experience the same confusion and incredulity that the characters are feeling. In this way, the reader becomes part of the story. Wonderfully done, this book would make an amazing movie!
I’ve recommended this book at other times, but for “read in one sitting” this is a perfect example. Nonstop plot, very good characters, great story. Can’t wait for the second installment.
An unexpected entry into the giant robot/ mecha genre, with a twist I didn’t see coming. Highly recommend.
Sleeping Giants is a perfect example of me buying a book solely for its cover and back cover description. The trilogy is called “The Themis Files” and it asks the question, “What if we found a gigantic alien robot head in the black hills of South Dakota?” (My home State, by the way!)
The story is told in a series of quick-reading interviews between the characters and a mysterious agent of some sort. I highly recommend if you like grounded sci-fi.
X-Files meets the Iron Giant in a great story told through interview sessions and audio recordings. Very clever and unique
Sleeping Giants (and its sequels Waking Gods & Only Human) are told via diary entries, mission debriefings and incident reports. This can be a jarring experience for some readers as the main mechanics of the story are entirely done via dialogue.
The plot intrigued me, but the style of it worried me, so I tackled this tale through audiobook. I’m glad I did. Hearing the action scenes play out with the characters’ voices in my ear versus on the page was a powerful experience. And the voice actors all do fantastic jobs too.
This trilogy feels like a mash-up of the X-Files and Pacific Rim. Giant robots, alien invasions, ancient civilizations and civil war all mix to create a fun sci-fi tale.
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The concept sounds interesting, but I couldn’t work my way past the way that the book is written, as in the way that the story is presented. Give it a shot and if you are OK after a few chapters, you may end up happy.
Fully written in recordings of interviews. Takes some getting used to.
I really enjoyed this book. Entertaining and scary.
Just OK. Good enough that I finished it. Not good enough to get me to read the sequel.
WOW! Such a great book. I loved the simplicity of how the story was told. Genius! Witty! It’s rare, no matter how much I love a book, that I can’t put it down. But this caught my attention on page one and I couldn’t wait to get to the end. The second book cannot come fast enough. Thank goodness I only have to wait a couple of days. Great timing on my part.
Intriguing premise. Fun read – must read the whole series.
The story was drawn out in a very interesting manner through interviews of the main characters. The punchline at the end has me strongly considering continuing the series…
The writing, pace, and decanter of the intervîew format were engaging. The plot surmised an “arrival-esque” flavorful experience pertaining to the first hand witness reports regarding the discovery of and recovery of scattered remnants of a giant robot in the modern era vis a vis a thick investigative documentia inquiry
I am looking forward to reading the sequel. I liked the journalistic format. It made it seem more real
Likeable and unforgettable characters in an unusual, page turning format. You’ll want to read the whole series.
I never knew what to expect, one page to the next. Great book – drives you to read the next and the next…you get the idea.