By the Waters of Babylon

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"By the Waters of Babylon" is a 1937 post-apocalyptic short story by Stephen Vincent Benét about life after a nuclear holocaust.

[edit] Plot summary

The plot centers around a boy named John who is the son of a priest. The priests of John’s people are inquisitive "scientists" associated with the divine. They are the only ones who can handle metal collected from the homes (called the "Dead Places") of long-dead people whom they believe to be gods. The plot follows John’s self-assigned mission to get to the Place of the Gods. His father allows him to go.

When John gets to the Place of the Gods, he feels the energy and magic there. He sees a statue of a god (a human) that says "ASHING". Completed, the name would be George Washington. He also sees a building marked "UBTREAS" (the Subtreasury Building). After being chased by dogs and sleeping in someone's apartment, John sees a dead god. Upon viewing the visage, he has an epiphany that the gods were simply humans whose power overwhelmed good judgment. After John returns to his tribe, he speaks of the places "newyork" and "Biltmore". These clues show that the Great Dead Place is in fact New York City.

[edit] Analysis

The title is a reference to Psalm 137.