Mary and her teenage son, Jase, survive by their wits in a post-plague Earth. On the run from a vicious gang, they are saved by Bishop, a man with mysterious powers who just may be the Dead Man, the legendary hero of the Fall of Earth. But Bishop's dark past catches up with them all, forcing Bishop to choose between his love for Mary and Jase, or revenge against the men who killed his family.

"A unique, post-apocalyptic blend of The Road Warrior and X-Men" from a multi-award winning writer.

"All that you want in a sf short story is here from powerful characters, to action, mysterious happenings, and a dark, violent, but excellent tale. ... A bittersweet ending adds to the power of the story. (A++)" —Fantasy Book Critic

"Shows off Smith's flair for the cinematic. ... Smith plans to write a novel about the Dead Man...I do look forward to reading it." —Strange Horizons

"Has echoes of Stephen King wandering about its post-apocalyptic narrative." —Quill and Quire

"A wonderful example of the places this author is unafraid to go." —SF Crowsnest Reviews

"Would make a great movie...a unique, post-apocalyptic blend of The Road Warrior and X-Men. Bishop's powers are well thought-out and explained, and Mary is a sympathetic and effective narrator." —Tangent Online

"The style and subtleties of the storytelling kept me firmly on the edge of my seat. ... The characters were what really impressed me, though—by a few lines into meeting each one you had a clear and definable presence in your mind." —SF Crowsnest Reviews

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Douglas Smith is a five-time award-winning author described by Library Journal as "one of Canada's most original writers of speculative fiction."

His latest work is the multi-award-winning YA urban fantasy trilogy, The Dream Rider Saga (The Hollow Boys, The Crystal Key, and The Lost Expedition). His other books include the urban fantasy novel, The Wolf at the End of the World; the collections Borderlanz, Chimerascope, Impossibilia, and La Danse des Esprits (translated); and the writer's guide Playing the Short Game: How to Market & Sell Short Fiction.

Published in 28 languages, Doug is a 4-time winner of Canada's Aurora Award, most recently for The Hollow Boys, as well as the juried IAP Award for the same book. He's also been a finalist for the Astounding Award, CBC's Bookies Award, Canada's juried Sunburst Award, the juried Alberta Magazine Award for Fiction, and France's juried Prix Masterton and Prix Bob Morane.

His short fiction has appeared in the top markets in the field, including The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Amazing Stories, InterZone, Weird Tales, Baen's Universe, Escape Pod, On Spec, Cicada, The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, and The Year's Best Canadian Fantasy & Science Fiction (vol.2).

Doug lives near Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

"The man is Sturgeon good. Zelazny good. I don't give those up easy." —Spider Robinson, Hugo and Nebula Awards winner

"A great storyteller with a gifted and individual voice." —Charles de Lint, World Fantasy Award winner

"His stories are a treasure trove of riches that will touch your heart while making you think." —Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo and Nebula Awards winner

"Stories you can't forget, even years later." —Julie Czerneda, multi-award-winning author and editor