by John Newton

by John Newton

DID RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM WIPE OUT THE GREAT LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA IN THE FIFTH CENTURY?

WHAT IF TECHNOLOGY DID THE SAME TO LIBRARIES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY?

In 1995, signs and portents convinced the Guardians of Wisdom and Knowledge of a new danger to the evolution of human intelligence. Two librarians will meet in the past to embark on a rescue mission, a hero’s journey.

Twentieth century historiographer and academic librarian John Newton has his own problems. The sudden rise of digital technology has spawned an aggressive corporation called Digital World. Their plan to digitize all hard copy books and journals may be a threat to the existence of his university library, even the university itself. Added to that, budget cuts are announced. No wonder he’s seeing things.

John goes back in time and meets Yarrl, the cousin of Hypatia who’s head of the most famous library of all time. Worried, she sends them into the desert to find and secure storage space for scrolls and codices. They meet the Desert Fathers, including Arsenius the Great who helps them learn about desert spirituality. Their lives will never again be the same.