Insomnia (novel)
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Insomnia is a novel written by Stephen King and first published in 1994. Like It, its setting is the fictional town of Derry, Maine.
The novel deals with Ralph Roberts, a retired widower who begins to suffer from insomnia. As the condition worsens, he begins to see things that are invisible and intangible to others: colorful manifestations of life-force surrounding people, and diminutive white-coated beings he calls "little bald doctors". Roberts becomes perceptive of other planes of reality and their influence upon the "real" world. Eventually, he finds another fellow sufferer, Lois Chasse, who joins him in his efforts to thwart the growing evil and learns the truth about the doctors — they are Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, the Moirae of mythology. The background for the story is an approaching confrontation between women's rights groups and pro-life activists.
The ending, viewed at this time of heightened concerns about terrorism, may give chills to some. In this, a deranged maniac and former neighbor of Roberts and Chasse attempts to crash a light plane into the Derry Civic Center during a heavily-attended rally. His intention is to kill thousands of people in the immediate area.
Of interest to those following King's body of work is the fact that this tale goes some way in explaining the mystical nature of Derry - see, for example, It. Also, some of the metaphysical concepts underlying the Dark Tower series are discussed.
Insomnia was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel in 1994.fr:Insomnie (Stephen King)