The Glory That Was

by L. Sprague De Camp

First published 2011

Knut Bulnes thought World Emperor Vasil IX was just an odd ruler with strange hobbies. Then the 27th century dictator sealed Greece behind an energy barrier and began making people of Greek ancestry vanish worldwide. When his friend Wiyem Flin's wife disappears, Bulnes agrees to help find her. The two men breach the force wall expecting to find a modern nation under imperial control. Instead they discover Classical Athens in the age of Socrates and Euripides. Soldiers loyal to Perikles hunt them through ancient streets while mysterious enemies with futuristic weapons stalk them from the shadows. Bulnes must navigate the politics of the Golden Age while dodging both ancient spears and modern bullets. His search for one missing woman becomes a fight for survival in a world where past and future collide.

Genres: science-fiction, historical-fiction, adventure, alternate-history

Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: fish-out-of-water, time-travel

Setting: Greece, Athens, Classical Athens

Period: 27th Century, Golden Age

203 pages · Kindle Edition · Gateway

Content warnings: violence

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