The Brief History of the Dead
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Author | Kevin Brockmeier |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Archie Ferguson |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy, Adventure novel |
| Publisher | Pantheon Books |
| Released | 2006 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 252 pp (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-375-42369-9 (first edition, hardback) |
The Brief History of the Dead is a fantasy and adventure novel by Kevin Brockmeier.
Contents |
[edit] Plot introduction
The story takes place in two realms concurrently in the middle of the 21st century: On earth in the United States and Antarctica, and in a place beyond death called The City. The people in The City are there only as long as someone who remembers them are still alive on earth. They arrive, usually with the realization that they have died, and become members of the community there in ways similar to when they were alive.
On earth things have continued on the trajectories predicted at the beginning of the century: The polar ice caps are melting and terrorism is a major societal concern, especially the development of infectious diseases. The Coca-Cola Company is trying to make the best of both developments, however, by planning to use water from Antarctica in its softdrink, and publicity stunts using people's fears to build brand interest. They send a team of scientists to Antarctica to research the feasibility of using the "freshest water on earth", thus isolating them from a deadly virus which spreads around the world.
There is no direct communication between the two realms. Those still alive know nothing of The City. Those in The City can only learn of events on earth by interviewing new arrivals, and indirectly through speculation on the reasons for the growth and decline of the The City.
[edit] Plot summary
 |
This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it. |
[edit] Characters in "The Brief History of the Dead"
- Laura Byrd
- Luka Sims
- Minny Rings
- The Blind Man
- Coleman Kinzler
- Phillip & Marion Byrd
- Michael Puckett
- Robert Joyce
[edit] Allusions/references to other works
The author quotes James Loewen's Lies My Teacher Told Me at the beginning of the book. The quote describes the belief by many African tribes that humans can be divided into three categories: Those still alive on earth, the recently departed (sasha), and the dead (zamani). When people die they are sasha while people are still alive who remember them. When the last person remembering them dies, they go to the zamani and are then revered and recalled by name only.
[edit] Release details
- 2006, United States of America, Pantheon Books ISBN 0-375-42369-9, hardback
