Before you go...
Check Out
The Bestselling Books of All Time
See the List

The Brief History of the Dead

A Novel

By Kevin Brockmeier

By Kevin Brockmeier

By Kevin Brockmeier

By Kevin Brockmeier

Best Seller

Part of Vintage Contemporaries

Part of Vintage Contemporaries

Paperback $15.95

Jan 09, 2007 | ISBN 9781400095957

Ebook $12.99

Feb 14, 2006 | ISBN 9780375424236

All Formats
+
    The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier
    Paperback $15.95
    Jan 09, 2007 | ISBN 9781400095957

    Also available from:

    See All Formats (1) +

    Paperback
    –

    • Paperback $15.95
      $15.95

      Jan 09, 2007 | ISBN 9781400095957

      Also available from:

    Ebook
    +

    • Ebook $12.99

      Feb 14, 2006 | ISBN 9780375424236

      Available from:

    Buy the Ebook:

    About The Brief History of the Dead

    From Kevin Brockmeier, one of this generation’s most inventive young writers, comes a striking new novel about death, life, and the mysterious place in between.

     

    The City is inhabited by those who have departed Earth but are still remembered by the living. They will reside in this afterlife until they are completely forgotten. But the City is shrinking, and the residents clearing out. Some of the holdouts, like Luka Sims, who produces the City’s only newspaper, are wondering what exactly is going on. Others, like Coleman Kinzler, believe it is the beginning of the end. Meanwhile, Laura Byrd is trapped in an Antarctic research station, her supplies are running low, her radio finds only static, and the power is failing. With little choice, Laura sets out across the ice to look for help, but time is running out. Kevin Brockmeier alternates these two storylines to create a lyrical and haunting story about love, loss and the power of memory.

    About The Brief History of the Dead

    From Kevin Brockmeier, one of this generation’s most inventive young writers, comes a striking new novel about death, life, and the mysterious place in between.

     

    The City is inhabited by those who have departed Earth but are still remembered by the living. They will reside in this afterlife until they are completely forgotten. But the City is shrinking, and the residents clearing out. Some of the holdouts, like Luka Sims, who produces the City’s only newspaper, are wondering what exactly is going on. Others, like Coleman Kinzler, believe it is the beginning of the end. Meanwhile, Laura Byrd is trapped in an Antarctic research station, her supplies are running low, her radio finds only static, and the power is failing. With little choice, Laura sets out across the ice to look for help, but time is running out. Kevin Brockmeier alternates these two storylines to create a lyrical and haunting story about love, loss and the power of memory.

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Also by Kevin Brockmeier

    The Ghost Variations
    A Few Seconds of Radiant Filmstrip
    The Illumination
    The View From the Seventh Layer
    The Truth About Celia
    See all books by Kevin Brockmeier

    Also by Kevin Brockmeier

    The Ghost Variations
    A Few Seconds of Radiant Filmstrip
    The Illumination
    The View From the Seventh Layer
    The Truth About Celia
    See all books by Kevin Brockmeier

    About Kevin Brockmeier

    In addition to his most recent work, A Few Seconds of Radiant Filmstrip, KEVIN BROCKMEIER is the author of the novels The Illumination, The Brief History of the Dead, and The Truth About Celia; the story collections Things That Fall from the… More about Kevin Brockmeier

    About Kevin Brockmeier

    In addition to his most recent work, A Few Seconds of Radiant Filmstrip, KEVIN BROCKMEIER is the author of the novels The Illumination, The Brief History of the Dead, and The Truth About Celia; the story collections Things That Fall from the… More about Kevin Brockmeier

    Product Details

    Category: Literary Fiction

    Paperback | $15.95
    Published by Vintage
    Jan 09, 2007 | 272 Pages | 5-3/16 x 8 | ISBN 9781400095957

    Category: Literary Fiction

    Ebook | $12.99
    Published by Vintage
    Feb 14, 2006 | 240 Pages | ISBN 9780375424236

    People Who Read The Brief History of the Dead Also Read

    ‹ ›
    Paprika
    The Measure of the Magic
    Caine's Law
    Hellbent
    Deeper Than Midnight
    Nights of Villjamur
    Shotgun Sorceress
    Raven's Ladder
    In Great Waters
    Poe's Children
    Frostbite
    Wolfbreed
    The Widows of Eastwick
    Norse Code
    Godmother
    Don't Hex with Texas
    The Orphan's Tales: In the Cities of Coin and Spice
    The Silver Bough
    Good-bye, Chunky Rice
    A Secret Atlas
    An Accidental Goddess
    Veniss Underground
    Counting Up, Counting Down
    The Druid King
    The First Men in the Moon
    Irish Fairy and Folk Tales
    The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm All-New Third Edition
    Demontech: Onslaught
    The Best Alternate History Stories of the 20th Century
    Prospero's Children
    Baby Is Three
    The Dreaming Jewels
    Cthulhu 2000
    Specter of the Past: Star Wars Legends (The Hand of Thrawn)
    Distant Blood
    The Seventh Gate
    Uncharted Territory
    The Hollow Man
    From the Earth to the Moon
    Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy
    Favorite Folktales from Around the World
    Life and Loves of a She Devil
    Gulliver's Travels and Other Writings
    The Picture of Dorian Gray and Other Writings
    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, Sir Orfeo

    Inspired by Your Browsing History

    Praise

    “Thrilling. . . . Inventive. . . . Deftly told. . . . Brockmeier does a wonderful job of conjuring up the dead.” –The Washington Post Book World “Brilliant. . . . Brockmeier’s characters are wonderful, and his images are dazzling.”–Detroit Free Press“Extraordinary. . . . Breathtaking. . . . A gracefully written story that blends fantasy, philosophical speculation, adventure and crystalline moments of compassion.”–Milwaukee Journal Sentinel“Striking. . . . Brave. . . . Deliciously disquieting. . . . The Brief History of the Dead will stay alive in the memories of readers for years to come.”–The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

    Back to Top

    Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network

    Brightly

    Raise kids who love to read
    TASTE img

    TASTE

    An online magazine for today’s home cook

    LitFlash

    The eBooks you want at the lowest prices

    Read it Forward

    Read it first. Pass it on!