Black Moon

By: Kenneth Calhoun

Narrated by: Neil Shah

Insomnia has claimed everyone Biggs knows. Even his beloved wife, Carolyn, succumbed before disappearing into the quickly collapsing world. Yet Biggs can still sleep, and dream, so he sets out to find her. He ventures out into a world ransacked by mass confusion and desperation, where he meets others struggling against the tide of sleeplessness. Chase and Jordan are devising a scheme to live off their drug-store lootings; Lila is a high school student wandering the streets in an owl mask; Felicia abandons the sanctuary of a sleep research center to try to protect her family and perhaps reunite with Chase, an ex-boyfriend. However, Biggs persists in his quest for Carolyn, finding a resolve and inner strength that he never knew he had.

©2014 Kenneth Calhoun (P)2014 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Critic reviews

"Calhoun’s depiction of the collapse of language, reason, and love in a world without sleep is unflinching, and - scariest of all - it feels brilliantly contemporary." ( Publishers Weekly)

Starred review. "Calhoun’s literary dystopia, which features beautiful writing, arresting imagery, and powerful metaphors, will appeal to fans of Karen Thompson Walker’s The Age of Miracles... A deeply lyrical exploration of humanity at the extremes.” - Library Journal

"Surprising and unpredictable... In his first novel, Calhoun paints an all-too-believable landscape... His dark tale is allegorical and relevant in today’s zombie-infatuated zeitgeist. This clever twist on the dystopian formula is a standout." - Booklist

"Surreal... Calhoun’s premise is brilliant." - Kirkus

"Black Moon is the kind of book I envy as a writer, and seek out as a reader - a novel of ideas wrapped in a gripping, expertly constructed story, full of feeling and intelligence." - Charles Yu, author of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

"Black Moon is tremendous: smart, beautifully written, and artfully plotted. Kenneth Calhoun’s story is so engagingly told that it would be easy to overlook how finely crafted it is. And he manages to pull off that essential feat: he makes us care – deeply - for ordinary people trapped in a very extraordinary world." - Scott Smith, author of The Ruins and A Simple Plan

"A thrilling, deeply intelligent portrait of catastrophe brought on by mass insomnia, by the wreckage that occurs when we lose our ability to close our eyes and escape into dreams. The dystopian landscape is absorbing, the prose electric, but the burning core of this novel is the heartrending and unforgettable story of a man’s quest to save the woman he loves." - Laura van den Berg, author of The Isle of Youth

"Calhoun’s epidemic, this new and improved insomnia, sinks us into a world where ‘sleepers’ are the target of violent rage. Here we see the erosion of the everyday ruses that allow us to soldier on, the ugly truths we run from gaining ground. Black Moon is a powerful, beautiful debut." - John Brandon, author of Citrus County and A Million Heavens

I Guess Some Stories Don't End

I loved the idea of this book. While listening, I loved hearing the insomniacs' speech. I wanted to know even more about the sleeplessness.

What drives me crazy is that nothing was resolved. I think this is a trend. The book kind of peters out. Some of the character's stories are resolved and some are left hanging. So. I would have given this book more stars if it actually got resolved.

A World Without Sleep

I enjoyed this book, as brief as it was. The end of humanity, wrecked by sleep deprivation and insanity, somehow seems apropos to our times.
The narration work done by Shah is excellent.
Definitely recommend.

Excellent book!

What made the experience of listening to Black Moon the most enjoyable?

The concept of insomnia-ridden "zombies" is intriguing

What was one of the most memorable moments of Black Moon?

The girl with the mask

Have you listened to any of Neil Shah’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, this was the first one but I would listen to others

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Sleep-walkers