It is 4 a.m. It is early morning. It is summer and so it is already light. And it is warm. You have everything. Sarah Lang (2007) The Sleep Consultant A story by Robin Sloan In Tokyo, we worked on the demographics thing for five months solid. After the report was done and the government had accepted the most optimistic of our four scenarios, the three of us walked to a jazz bar and drank for two days straight. We commiserated and shared secrets. Jin-soo cried; a sweet surprise. Parting, we all expressed hope we might collaborate again, in some combination, and perhaps for a wiser client next time. Now I’m going to sleep, and my real work will begin. As a university student, I was a heavy sleeper, and though that’s not unique, none of my peers parsed their slumber as finely as I did. Even then, I was constructing a taxonomy of sleep: dark, heavy dozes set against li...