Publisher's Synopsis
The Quiet Ones: A Novel of Silent Survival
In a world where silence is salvation, and memory is the most dangerous weapon, what would you risk to remember who you are?
The apocalypse didn't end with a bang, but with a hum. For centuries, the Quiet Ones have embraced the Stillness, a profound, almost spiritual absence of hurried motion and frantic thought. Their existence is a tranquil counterpoint to the chaotic "Loudness" that once defined humanity, a peace born from the ashes of a world consumed by its own relentless energy. They absorb sustenance directly from the earth, communicate in resonant hums that convey complex emotions and ideas, and believe their unique way of life represents the ultimate evolution of consciousness. They are living monuments to a different kind of endurance, their bodies slowly becoming one with the earth, their minds settling into a profound, almost meditative calm.
But beneath this serene veneer, a chilling truth pulses like a hidden heartbeat: this peace is a gilded cage, its intricate bars woven from forgotten dreams, muted desires, and the very essence of individuality. It is enforced by an insidious, pervasive force-a microscopic, alien peace parasite carried on fungal spores-that seeks the complete erasure of all individual resonance, dissolving memories and will, leaving behind only a blissful, unthinking apathy. This is not merely a lack of noise; it is a cosmic hush, a terrifying nullity that swallows thought itself, a perfect tranquility that comes at the ultimate cost of self.
Enter Zeke, the ancient historian, whose carefully curated narratives of the past, meticulously preserved in moss-scrolls and carven thoughts, are suddenly shattered by unsettling discoveries that defy the Stillness doctrine. His world, once a clear, tranquil hum, becomes a cacophony of doubt. And Junie, a "Loud One" from a desperate human bunker, a survivor hardened by a world of constant threat and scarcity, is thrust into the very heart of the Stillness. Alone and unarmed, she is forced to confront everything she thought she knew about monsters and survival, discovering that the lines between enemy and ally are far more blurred than she ever imagined. As their disparate worlds collide, a young Quiet One named Liddy, restless and curious, finds herself inexplicably drawn to the forbidden echoes of human memory. Her burgeoning defiance, fueled by Junie's stories of a vibrant, "fast world," ignites a quiet rebellion that threatens to shatter centuries of enforced tranquility and expose the fragile foundation of their peaceful existence.
"The Quiet Ones" is a hauntingly imaginative journey into a post-apocalyptic landscape unlike any other. Lucifer Morningstar masterfully weaves a philosophical thriller where the true enemy isn't the shambling dead, but the seductive allure of oblivion. This is a story of profound questions:
What if peace is merely the most insidious form of control?
What if the greatest rebellion is simply to sing again, even if the song is off-key?
Can fractured echoes of history reclaim a forgotten self from the vast, consuming quiet?
Prepare to be absorbed by a world where every thought is a battleground, every memory a defiant act, and the quietest hum can spark a revolution. If you crave speculative fiction that challenges your perceptions and lingers long after the final page, step into the Stillness.
Read "The Quiet Ones" and remember what it means to truly exist.
