Funny Stuff Is the Russian Sleep Experiment Real
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Four political prisoners living in a 1940s Siberian POW camp volunteer to be Subjects in a Soviet Military experiment. They are promised freedom in exchange for completing the exercise. In return they must endure 30 days without sleep, fueled by Gas 76-IA.
The longer the experimentees endure insomnia, the more they deteriorate. Words and pleasantries break down until they turn on each other.
Researchers look on, neutral, and take notes for the super solider applications possible with th
Four political prisoners living in a 1940s Siberian POW camp volunteer to be Subjects in a Soviet Military experiment. They are promised freedom in exchange for completing the exercise. In return they must endure 30 days without sleep, fueled by Gas 76-IA.
The longer the experimentees endure insomnia, the more they deteriorate. Words and pleasantries break down until they turn on each other.
Researchers look on, neutral, and take notes for the super solider applications possible with this new, wonder drug. One researcher, Luka, stands alone in believing the experiment needs to be stopped before irreversible damage is done but is he too late?
The Subjects no longer want the Gas switched off...
Ever since my brother showed me an article online a few years ago about The Russian Sleep Experiment, I had become obsessed. It sounded so horrifyingly creepy but incredibly interesting all at once. I've been trying to find as much info about it as I can and I'm glad I read this book!
"All subjects awoke by 7:08am, eight minutes after Gas 76-IA was switched on and pumped into two corner holes of their five by seven room. The eight minute delay between drugged sleep and induced wakefulness suggests the dosage was adjusted correctly for the larger room and mammal size. The mice had a seven minute wake time in animal testing."
So they first tested with this experimental gas on small animals and then all of a sudden, worked their way to humans next? Unbelievable.
"It will be informative to watch their relationships develop in the coming days. Animal trials showed a big shift on day four which developed into a quick downward spiral. Perhaps there will be a clearer transition with human subjects?"
At the beginning of this experiment, the four men that were put into a five by seven room together, got along and no violence or ill will had occurred. But as we near the fourth day, things begin to change.
"No violence yet, but subject A is very restless and easily bored. He could be the first to crack."
As the men begin to go mad, they turn into horrific creatures. More monster than man. They turn on each other. They do not feel pain as they rip each other and themselves to shreds. They don't feel anything. Unless the Gas gets shut off. And trust me, you don't want the Gas shut off once it's been done.
"Luka swallowed and shoot his head. "Just hate to see that happen to someone.""
Short note. These men were to be kept awake and in this room, for 30 days. They only made it to 9.
"I looked to my chair and shook my head, knowing I would never sit on it again. It has been claimed now, by the shadows of what we'd done. Those poor men..."
Luka obviously feels massive regret and guilt after the experiment comes to an end at last. He knew it was wrong but was unable to stop it from happening and going on and that will haunt him. But other things are starting to happen to Luka. Monsterous things.
5/5 Stars!
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The author of the creepypasta is sadly unknown, but it still left Holly Ice with some big shoes to fill. For the most part, she filled them. While the original story felt out-and-out scary, this novella just had more of an ominous feel. I read the novella and went right to bed, while the creepypasta kept me awake one night.
I feel like the author should have made the book in to a novel instead of a novella because if she had the book would have benefited from more of the story taking place during the experiment. This part could have been developed more in detail. The good thing about the book is it shows what happens before and after the experiment including what happened to some of the people who held the experiment. A lot of this material never appeared in the original story and it made for an extremely rich reading experience.
I highly recommend this book to horror readers as it's beautifully written and very ominous. To turn a creepy pasta in to a full length novella takes a lot of talent and Holly ice has it!
*Thanks to Almond Press for providing me with a book to honestly review.
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There were two reasons for this. The first is that overall it was too short. There was plenty of scope for more development - especially for the first half of the book. The second major issue was that it was very much a book of two halves. In fact
This was a story that I've been aware of for some time, but never actually gotten round to reading it. When I saw that a novel based on the story had been released I snapped it up. It's a decent read, but didn't quite live up to what I'd heard about it.There were two reasons for this. The first is that overall it was too short. There was plenty of scope for more development - especially for the first half of the book. The second major issue was that it was very much a book of two halves. In fact it reminded me of Full Metal Jacket in that the first half is so good that the second part struggles to shine in comparison. It's not bad by any means, but the experiment itself captured my imagination more than the aftermath - interesting as it was.
The story is written in a simple, almost brutal style that really carries the story well. I also appreciated the fact that it let you get to know the characters as a process rather than dumping in all of the back story.
Despite my issues with it the story is well worth a read, it's a nice idea that is well written and it's a quick read, so can slip into your TBR easily.
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It's a short book and I read it in two short sessions on a plane. In the last part, despite coming back from Spain and pretty good weather, I was almost shi
Ok, this was disturbing! In a good way. The idea itself is twisted enough to make you think about it hard. We all remember that famous line from Fight Club - "You cannot die from insomnia", but what it might do to your psyche is a whole different story. Add some experimental gas with unknown side effects and you've got yourself some trouble.It's a short book and I read it in two short sessions on a plane. In the last part, despite coming back from Spain and pretty good weather, I was almost shivering from the description of the Siberian winter, and the fact that the character in that part was trying to fight off a fever just added to the unsettling feeling in my stomach. I'd say that's a pretty good statement for a horror story.
I liked the conclusion as well - there was drama, there was a resolution, there was even a glimmer of hope, but not enough to make it a sappy happy ending. The only reason I'm not giving it full 5* is this key moment of the story when the shit hits the fan (quite literally, too) and my rational mind keeps saying "It wouldn't have happened like that", but as far as it works to forward the story - it was great.
*SPOILERS FOLLOW*
I just wondered if anyone else who's read it felt the same way about the moment when they go in to check on the subjects and make a decision to stop the gas.
I thought, first of all, they had microphones in, wouldn't they have heard (or seen shadows, even through the shit-stained glass) what was happening to Mikhail? But let's attribute that to the fact that the gas is obviously making them indifferent to pain.
Next thing, why would the lead scientist announce to the subjects of his experiment - who have obviously taken a really bad turn in this trial and are anything but reasonable humans anymore - that he's changing their conditions, let alone that he wants to do the opposite of what they want. He should've just said yes, closed the door and changed the gas to the initial one they used to put them to sleep. Then once they were asleep, clean up, restrain them, and only then further investigate the situation. It just sounds like a rookie mistake for top secret Russian mad scientists :)
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Russian Sleep Experiment is not a difficult book to make creepy. It is the true story of a horrific trial conducted on real people. The outcomes of the experiment were terrifying and it took no twisting At the end of this book there a message that says, "We hoped you enjoyed this story, that it tormented you in the most pleasant of ways. If this was the case, please consider leaving a review to help future readers make an informed decision." And so, here I am - pleasantly tormented and reviewing.
Russian Sleep Experiment is not a difficult book to make creepy. It is the true story of a horrific trial conducted on real people. The outcomes of the experiment were terrifying and it took no twisting of the facts to make this short novel cringe-worthy.
Even if you are already familiar with the Russian Sleep Experiment, this is an interesting book to read. It begins with the life of those chosen to participate prior to the experiment. It gives some insight as to why anyone would volunteer to be part of an experiment with such a disturbing premise. Then the author delves into the experiment itself, with lots of grizzly details. I would have liked to hear even more details on the trial itself. I certainly don't shy away from guts (literally in this case). The post-trial details were all new to me and I enjoyed reading about the after effects of the experiment. I was left with many questions that I wished had of been satisfied but enjoyed the story that was provided. ...more
Review from HorrorUnderground.org
The Russian Sleep Experiment
Almond Press
Author: Holly Ice
Based on the popular creepypasta, The Russian Sleep Experiment is about four political prisoners in a POW camp in 1940s Siberia. A doctor conducting experiments offers the chance of freedom, something that is not a known idea to these prisoners, in exchange for completing an experiment where they are kept awake for 30 days. The experiment is a test on the new chemical Gas 76-IA, a potential game changer in
Review from HorrorUnderground.org
The Russian Sleep Experiment
Almond Press
Author: Holly Ice
Based on the popular creepypasta, The Russian Sleep Experiment is about four political prisoners in a POW camp in 1940s Siberia. A doctor conducting experiments offers the chance of freedom, something that is not a known idea to these prisoners, in exchange for completing an experiment where they are kept awake for 30 days. The experiment is a test on the new chemical Gas 76-IA, a potential game changer in modern warfare.
As the experiment goes on, the four lab rats begin to experience insomnia, paranoia, anger, and other emotions charged from a lack of sleep, food, and space. Luka, a researcher documenting the behaviour of the experimentees, begins to have second thoughts on the testing and stands as the lone voice of reason in a situation where the experiment is more important than the lives of the subjects.
Broken into three parts, the first part of the book introduces us to the four captives that will be selected for the experiment. We see how they interact and what the conditions are like for the prison. Nothing scary here at all. The background of each character is well done and keeps the interest up despite the fact that nothing happens as we can clearly tell that the narrator will be selected. The first person perspective is a bit of a giveaway and steals some of the tension towards the end of the section.
In part two, the 30 day experiment begins and tension and anger begins to boil up. This is also where the story begins to lose me. Everything is written a bit too easy and good reasoning is lacking for the events that unfold. The climax of the second part happens rather abruptly. The four men are certainly agitated and are becoming a bit looney, but their actions come out of nowhere, especially when things become very dire as the extremes appear with almost no context for their sudden actions and planning. You could say that the writing at this point is rushed, but I think a lack of direction and narrative is what really kills the plot and momentum.
Part two also introduces us to the character Luka, who switches narrating duties. In part three, Luka becomes the main driving character in what feels like an epilogue of epic length. The third and final segment of this novella is one of the most needless things I have read in years. There is a severe lack of focus on this story, mainly because there is not enough to make even a novella. Stretching a short story into 128 pages is a bad call, especially when nothing really scary or terrifying ever happens. The scariest segments of this book come in the form of Daniel Tyka's creepy as illustrations. If only the books had equalled the scarce images.
Holly Ice displays a talent for description and drama, but certainly not for horror. As the story lacks any form of tension or gore, horror really does not seem to be her strong suit. I would definitely give another horror story from her a chance, but I certainly wouldn't seek it out.
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Personal Response:
I wasn't a really big fan of this story. I thought it was way too short, and I didn't like how it just focused on the gore until it just randomly switched gears at the end and got all philosophical.
Plot:
Russia has some Prisoners of War, and they're doing experiments on them by holding them into a cell and pumping experimental gas in the air that doesn't let them sleep. As they go on without sleep they start to
Personal Response:
I wasn't a really big fan of this story. I thought it was way too short, and I didn't like how it just focused on the gore until it just randomly switched gears at the end and got all philosophical.
Plot:
Russia has some Prisoners of War, and they're doing experiments on them by holding them into a cell and pumping experimental gas in the air that doesn't let them sleep. As they go on without sleep they start to horribly mutilate themselves. They are hospitalized but refuse to fall asleep. Many soldiers who guard them commit suicide. Then one of the prisoners talks to the guard and tells him that he's as much of an animal as the prisoner is.
Characterization:
The prisoners go from normal people to flesh eating violent monsters. Other than that the author didn't really take any time to actually let the characters develop.
Impact of Setting:
The story takes place during WWII in Soviet Russia where torture and horrific experiments on captured soldiers were more common than they are today. Soviet Russia's violence and disregard for human life during this time period is evident in how brutal the experiments are.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this to boys and girls older than 15 that like extreme gore, because that's all this story really offers.
Now if you excuse me, all this talk about sleep... The book is written based on the known story of Russian sleep experiment but once you live through this in first person, trust me you'd think twice about sleep ("to be or not to be" kind of thing but with sleep)
Now if you excuse me, all this talk about sleep... ...more
I believe that the first part of the book was good, but the last part I have to admit underwhelmed me. I liked the book, but it was too short, and it didn't focus on the main event, rather the aftermath, which CAN be good, I just don't think it was, it introduced characters, that you simply got the name of, because they were only created to kill off.
I believe that the first part of the book was good, but the last part I have to admit underwhelmed me. ...more
The story is mostly told from one of the prisoners points of view but later we get the Doctor's POV added in wh I've had this book on my shelves for over a year and finally decided to read it. I initially picked it up because the cover looked creepy as hell and then the synopsis just added to the creep factor. I'd never heard of the book nor the author but I'm so glad that I gave it a chance. The book doesn't have any chapters, just breaks, and this helps to keep it flowing and keeps you reading.
The story is mostly told from one of the prisoners points of view but later we get the Doctor's POV added in which I thought was brilliant along with extracts from the Doctor's official paperwork and reports of the experiment. Being able to 'see' the experiment from other angles and opinions added to the horror of what was happening.
The first part of the book covered the prisoners in the concentration camp, their relationships, backgrounds, and then the initial recruitment for the experiment.
The 'main' action, the side effects from the drug experiment, felt like it started all of a sudden with only a small build up and it was very graphic and gory. However, the gory horror stuff is why I purchased this book and unfortunately I felt that it was rushed and over with too quickly.
Then we move on to the ending of the story and I felt this was quite drawn out. I felt like I was waiting to see what happens as if there must be a shock or twist to the end. And there was but it wasn't as 'big' or exciting as it could have been. I think the ending would have been better if it had been left on a cliffhanger or with a big shock.
But overall I did really enjoy the book and am happily giving it 4 stars. ...more
PS. You want to really freak yourself out? Look up "Russian Sleep Experiment" on Google or whatever search engine you use. Read some articles, watch a couple of those YouTube videos. Pretty scary and freaky.
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If you're a fan of creepypasta, horror tales that you can find floating around the Internet, you've probably read The Russian Sleep Experiment. The basic premise of the story is that a small group of Russian prisoners are promised to have their sentences lifted if they take part in the eponymous experiment. This task consists of placing the prisoners in a sealed room with a gas that is meant to keep them from sleeping. But as you ca
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.If you're a fan of creepypasta, horror tales that you can find floating around the Internet, you've probably read The Russian Sleep Experiment. The basic premise of the story is that a small group of Russian prisoners are promised to have their sentences lifted if they take part in the eponymous experiment. This task consists of placing the prisoners in a sealed room with a gas that is meant to keep them from sleeping. But as you can imagine, things go horrifically wrong...
Ice's novella succeeds in developing this premise and expanding short story into a better tale. The story provides characterization for both the prisoners and the authorities running the experiment, providing more emotional weight for the reader when the experiment does go awfully awry with increasingly horrific consequences. It's been awhile since I read the original story, but from what I can remember this novella tweaks and expands the horror that this experiment unleashed. All in all an enjoyable novella and a quick read for fans of horror, dark fiction, and creepypasta.
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Was this supposed to be a "nightmare"? I thought it was an interesting story, but I was kind of bored. I was expecting something a lot more exciting. I wasn't creeped out or disturbed in the least. Maybe I've read too many books that were over the top, but this just did not do it for me. I'd love to see what some other authors could do with this plot. This had so much potential, but ultimately was just one big letdown.
The writ
"If you are promised freedom, how long would you endure a nightmare?"Was this supposed to be a "nightmare"? I thought it was an interesting story, but I was kind of bored. I was expecting something a lot more exciting. I wasn't creeped out or disturbed in the least. Maybe I've read too many books that were over the top, but this just did not do it for me. I'd love to see what some other authors could do with this plot. This had so much potential, but ultimately was just one big letdown.
The writing was okay, but I did have some issues with certain parts. The scientific reports section didn't feel authentic at all. For anyone who has worked in the scientific field and knows what actual reports contain, these would seem silly.
I don't recommend this one unless you can get it for free and just really feel a need to read it. There are a lot of better books out there. That being said, I will probably watch out for more from Holly Ice and see if her work improves. I can't argue that this was a creative idea. It just needed a lot more work.
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The first part of the book was actually pretty good. The writing style was a little outside of my preferences, but the story was interesting and I was looking forward to reading more. It was after the first part that things started going downhill.
What could have been an exciting and interesting story fell flat with a lack of description and very little imagery. Even the pictures that occur in the book
I received this book as part of a Goodreads Giveaway. Below is an excerpt from my Tumblr review.The first part of the book was actually pretty good. The writing style was a little outside of my preferences, but the story was interesting and I was looking forward to reading more. It was after the first part that things started going downhill.
What could have been an exciting and interesting story fell flat with a lack of description and very little imagery. Even the pictures that occur in the book at random intervals didn't always match up with the descriptions given in the story. Furthermore, there was a change in perspective that just didn't work.
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Decent start, but it jumped to the climax way early. This was more loosely inspired by the Creepypasta story than in any meaningful way true to it. I kinda wish I could get a refund. Not worth the $3 in the least, and frankly the author should be ashamed, for she obviously obviously counted on the inspiration material to help sell this pap.
Don't expect any CreepypastaDecent start, but it jumped to the climax way early. This was more loosely inspired by the Creepypasta story than in any meaningful way true to it. I kinda wish I could get a refund. Not worth the $3 in the least, and frankly the author should be ashamed, for she obviously obviously counted on the inspiration material to help sell this pap.
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The author takes the story a bit further in another creepy way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is based on the novella, "The Russian Sleep Expeiment."
The author takes the story a bit further in another creepy way. ...more
She lives in the countryside not far from Bristol, England with two adopted, part maine coon cats, a boyfriend of many years, and an overactive imagination.
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Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26124482-the-russian-sleep-experiment
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