Year Zero A Novel

In describing Jeff Long's stellar brand of storytelling, Jon Krakauer (Into Thin Air) found fit to pull out all the marquee names: "Equal parts Ray Bradbury and Robert Stone, Michael Crichton and T. C. Boyle." And in praising The Descent, Long's blistering fourth novel, Booklist cranked up the buzz a few more notches: "It's been a long time since an adventure novel this original, this well-developed, this genuinely exciting came along." On a remote Greek island, a wealthy artifact collector pries open a relic--and unwittingly releases an ancient airborne plague, a virulent threat primed to obliterate all life on earth. Nathan Lee Swift is an anthropology grad student who, at the behest of his corrupt mentor, has committed the ultimate sin and become a high-priced grave robber. As the plague begins its rampage, Nathan sees his chance for redemption and embarks on a quest to save humankind. Meanwhile, young science genius Miranda Abbott is summoned to Los Alamos to join a world-class cabal of scientists working to stop the plague. Miranda's plan: Clone people from the year zero--those who were immune to the plague 2,000 years ago--and use them as lab rats to find the cure. As Nathan and Miranda's perilous endeavors gain speed, Jeff Long steadily ratchets up the tension, stretching our imaginations to the limits and, in the final instant, drawing us back to marvel at the resilience of the human soul.Long, Jeff is the author of 'Year Zero A Novel', published 2002 under ISBN 9780743406116 and ISBN 0743406117.