First published 1979
The year is 4022, and amateur archaeologist Howard Carson crosses an abandoned dig site when the ground collapses beneath him. He tumbles down a shaft and discovers what he believes is an ancient burial chamber from the lost civilization of Usa, destroyed in 1985. A DO NOT DISTURB sign hangs from the entrance like a sacred marker. Carson finds two bodies inside: one positioned on a ceremonial bed before what appears to be an altar for communicating with gods, another resting in a porcelain sarcophagus within an inner sanctum. As Carson excavates and interprets these remarkable finds, he reconstructs an entire picture of this vanished society. His archaeological methods reveal the deep spiritual practices and complex burial rituals of the ancient Americans. Each artifact tells a story of a people whose customs and beliefs Carson must decode from fragments and remains, building a complete understanding of their extraordinary way of life.
Genres: fiction, satire, archaeology, alternate-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: USA
Period: 4022, 1985
96 pages · Paperback · Clarion Books