Circadian Algorithms

by Tom B. Night

Those who control dreams control reality.

Madeline wants more time—for her career as a tech startup CEO, for herself, and for her family. Lucky for her, a new and controversial procedure offers to give her just that by reducing how much she needs to sleep. The data is promising, and she’s used to taking calculated risks. It seems like the right decision at the time, even if she hides it from her husband.

While Madeline scaled the corporate ladder and spent half her nights on the road, Darwin traded in dreams of winning the Nobel Prize in neuroscience for the quiet fulfillment of staying home and raising their two daughters. At least, that’s what he told himself.

Initially Madeline excels to new heights. But after a bizarre encounter with a debonair man at the luxurious Stasis Hotel, she starts losing touch with reality and acting increasingly erratic, including filing for divorce. Other high achievers rumored to have undergone the same operation begin disappearing or turning up dead.

Darwin—who has his own troubled history with the procedure—suspects something nefarious is afoot and that he’s among the few who can help. His life and sanity crumble as he uncovers a chilling plot by a powerful group to harness humanity’s dreams for its endgame. Darwin and Madeline must each survive bloodshot escapades through cityscapes and dreamscapes to try and wake up from the nightmare before it consumes the entire planet—and maybe more than that.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Thriller

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 23, 2022

About the author

Tom B. Night is an American-Australian technologist and author whose novels include Where Light Does Not Reach, Circadian Algorithms, and Mind Painter. He grew up in the Pacific Northwest then spent 15 years at tech companies in the Bay Area. He now splits time between Seattle, San Francisco, and various dreamed-up worlds. Get in touch or stay up to date at tombnight.com.

Reviews

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that appears to primarily operate on the relation and interlinking of the waking dreams induced by the psychedelic DMT and what we dream when we actually sleep. There is much more layered on top of that, though for me it was the most fun core concept that Tom B. Night approached within Circadian Algorithms.

Powerful shadow organizations, a world mysteriously thrown into inexplicable disarray, and protagonists whose lives get sharply interrupted and intertwined finding themselves in the center of the developing chaos. Those are the major elements which propels this plot that is shared with many other sci-fi thrillers, though what Night interweaves within it all makes the book highly imaginative and utterly unique regardless.

[Sam Gooch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dreams are fascinating - but in fiction, they are mostly employed only as campy tropes.

CA employs the dreamworld not as a deus-ex-machina but in a compelling, original - and sometimes creepy - narrative. He somehow manages to weave this into an excellent plot line with great characters, good pacing, lots of action and quite a few hilarious jabs at Silicon Valley.

Would definitely recommend to anyone who wants a great quick read (and to actually learn more about how dreams impact us along the way!)

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I read it in 48 hours.

[Mac S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was quite a wild plot.

Warning: spoilers, but only in the second half of this review, and the spoiler section will be clearly marked.

I really enjoyed Circadian Algorithms. I did. The book explores what we might be able to accomplish if we didn’t need as much sleep—and the lengths people would be willing to go to achieve such a dream.

Madeline is the ambitious CEO of a tech startup, while her husband Darwin, a neuroscience graduate school drop-out, raises the kids at home while working on writing a novel. Once Madeline secretly undergoes a medical procedure to halve the amount of sleep she needs, the side-effects begin to overwhelm her. The secrecy creates problems at home, and it seems as if someone is hoping to take advantage of people who have undergone this procedure—whatever the cost.

This book is told through the perspectives of both Madeline and Darwin, chapters alternating between them. I found that I loved reading about Madeline much more than Darwin. Madeline really seems to be a realistic character, and she was written very well. Darwin, on the other hand, just frankly sucks. He’s the stereotype of a mansplaining egotistical scientist, and rather than giving him a personality, his parts of the story are propelled by the characters he just so happens to know. It was too much for me to accept that he happened to have come up with the procedure this tale circles around during graduate school, and he just so happens to be in a one-sided best friendship with one of the richest and most powerful men in the world (who he just so happens to completely ignore). Each time I got to a Darwin chapter, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes just a bit.

One of the ways Night shines here is in his ability to sprinkle in small but enjoyable details throughout the novel. The Lego call-back at the end was a cute way to point out the changes in circumstance (intentionally keeping this broad to avoid spoilers), and made me smile. The themes that popped up in Madeline’s dream journal really painted a remarkable picture to me. Having kept a dream journal myself, I really found Madeline’s depictions of her own dreams to be realistic and fascinating.

The plot in this book is absolutely fascinating! Is it over the top? Sure. But I enjoy that—one of my favorite parts of science fiction is that we don’t have to be constrained by what is “realistic.”

SPOILERS AHEAD:

That said, there was just too much that I couldn’t get past. How Darwin is able to undergo an entire experimental operation in one day, in a hotel room, without any pain other than a bloody nose and a hangover, is entirely beyond me. How Darwin is able to keep the captivated interest of the Tzar of a new naval nation without ever returning his text messages, is beyond me. How the CCP pirates plan to invade this new naval nation exactly at the same time as Darwin shows up, is beyond me. How this Tzar is able to vet Darwin’s companion in no time, but failed to do so to the people updating the wifi for his entire nation, again, beyond me. I’m fine with a few coincidences here and there, and I’m fine with a few sections feeling unbelievable if there’s a good reason for them. Like the fact that Madeline was able to communicate with the other women she was held captive with, enough for them to understand her plan and designate her their leader, without really being able to talk to them? I can get past that. But the events surrounding Darwin are just too unfathomable for me.

Despite groaning a bit at each Darwin chapter, I really did enjoy this book! It was a fun science fiction thriller, and seemed to strike a good balance between scientific plausibility and a fun story. Overall, I’d give this book 3.5/5 stars, but I’ll round up. I’m excited to see what Tom B. Night writes next!

[Sofi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Circadian Algorithms" by Tom B. Night is a riveting exploration of the intricate relationship between our biological rhythms and cutting-edge technology. Night masterfully delves into the science of circadian rhythms, presenting complex concepts with clarity and engaging prose. His innovative approach to integrating algorithms with natural cycles offers profound insights into optimizing productivity, health, and well-being. This book is a must-read for tech enthusiasts, health aficionados, and anyone curious about the future of bio-optimized living. Night's work stands out as a groundbreaking contribution to both the scientific and tech communities, promising to reshape our understanding of daily life.

[Kristie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the concept of this ! I got a little bored at about 3/4 way through, too much “action” and would have liked more explanation/exploration of the concept/simulation world that was set up. I also would have enjoyed a little more on the aftermath of the whole situation as well. Overall enjoyable read !

[Sheila Roop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intellectual ride!

I love it when an author treats readers like they have a brain but can still take you on a thrill ride! True Science Fiction. Loved it!

[Ashley Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read! Two reasons for four stars versus five. It was slower to get rolling than I wanted, and I REALLY wanted to know more about the dream crawlers/harvesters.

[Chloe Langley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This concept of this book is really cool, our dreams being controlled by something or someone else. If enough people’s dreams are under the control of some other source, those dreams seem to be reality. I guess kind of like when you’re having a dream and wake up and SWEAR it was real. My issue with this book is that for me, it was hard to follow. I think a lot of the science behind this book is a bit over my head so I struggled to understand completely. I also wasn’t a fan of Darwin and Madeline. Madeline was too focused on work and was always away from her family. Darwin was a close-minded know-it-all. Both of their communication skills sucked when it came to their marriage. I think if this book was made into a movie, I would better understand due to the visuals. I’m putting this book between a 3 and a 4.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the premise of the book was intriguing but I did find it hard to keep track of what was reality and what was a dream. It was scary to think how far some people would go to get a few extra "active" hours in their day and how that desire could so easily be exploited. This would be a good book for anyone who wants to see what might be possible in the future and easily technology can be used to the advantage of a few and the destruction of many.

[Daz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
An interesting near future sci-fi thriller that explores the idea of dreaming and reality.

Well worth a read!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it a lot! Read it in less than a week.

[Amy Reynolds · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt entirely too slow. Honestly it kinda went over my head a bit

[Janet Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really should have read a blurb about this book before I dove into it but I enjoy picking up a title and just cracking the cover, with only the knowledge that someone really recommended it. Sometimes that works out but in this case, it didn't.

This story focuses a lot of its content on dreams, and I really can't stand that. To me, dreams are usually bogus filler...so, you can imagine my draining interest and then annoyance when dreams and reality began mixing. Where is the nearest window to chuck this book through?

Honestly, it was an interesting premise: what if you could have an operation that would allow you to sleep fully in 4 hrs and not 8? Great idea! But things don't work out so well as readers will learn.

I read only about 1/3 of this book before slamming it shut in disgust. My bad. If you like dream sequences, you'll love this story but definitely not for me!

[Nica Clesceri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable ride into the dream world

I liked the ideas of the book and found it took me to surprising places and thought a lot more about why and how we dream. I didn't like how often the author used stupid, boring, and other uninteresting ways to describe how the characters felt about things. Sometimes it seemed like I was reading a teenage boy's thoughts. This is why I went with three stars. I would have enjoyed richer vocabulary and more sophisticated writing to replace those instances.

[Jessica Pait · Rating 4 out of 5]

AI promises to make you a more effective and successful person after a procedure that results in sleeping less with promises of accomplishing great things, would you do it? There are certain parts that ramble on a bit but I enjoyed it.

[AMAO · Rating 5 out of 5]

✍🏽💫✍🏽💫✍🏽💫

[Lauren Anastasi]

DNF—read about 1/3 of the book and still wasn’t into it