Afterward

by C. Aric Hanley

Four hundred years ago, the world ended. Since that time, the City of Ward has stood as a monument to humanity's will to survive, a safe haven provided by God to those deemed fit to endure; to live in His new paradise. The wall that surrounds the city keeps the wasteland at bay and the citizens safe. It has never been breached. Will Sark is a cleric in the Church of Ward. The Church runs all aspects of life, and crimes against the faith are punished severely. It is Will's job to bring that faith to Wardens of lower breeding, and it is this that takes him on a path that leads from faithful officer, to heretic, to fugitive as Will does what no human being has done in centuries; goes over the wall. Afterward is a speculative fiction novel in the vein of Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Handmaid's Tale and Wool. The story of one man's struggle against a corrupt government and his own dwindling faith. It is a look into the future of humankind, twisted and warped through centuries of abuse and tyranny.

557 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2014