Robert Harris's 'The Second Sleep' takes a surprising post-apocalyptic turn

The latest novel by famed thriller writer Robert Harris is an adventure story that asks deep questions about the nature of society.

Robert Harris is unlikely to need much introduction if you read thrillers. With a back catalogue including Fatherland, Enigma and An Officer And A Spy, Harris has long bridged the, at times, gaping void between popular and literary fiction with elegant, taut fiction that is pretty much guaranteed to keep a reader on the edge of his/her seat.

His latest work, The Second Sleep, is not likely to disappoint his already significant following. What may come as more of a surprise is the mixing of genres. Historical fiction or science fiction? An unlikely confusion? Well, normally, yes – but in The Second Sleep that is exactly what Harris achieves. Let me explain.