What would you do if even the simplest of your dreams were a sin? How far would you go to protect someone you love? In the not-too-distant future, a new order raises to power after intelligent machines try to seize power. Now, humans live isolated on small estates, doing what the government - known as the Fraternitatem - says is best. In this new world, dreaming is forbidden. To prevent dreams, the Fraternitatem provides medications to the people, and everyone is encouraged to seek help for family members suffering from the nocturnal ailment. In this dark and repressive scenario live Cassiel and Alexus, two teenagers who just want to get through one more day of hard work on the family's farm, but end up involved in a dangerous political intrigue.

How far will four friends go for immortality? This novel is Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author “Robert Silverberg at his very best” (George R. R. Martin). After Eli, a scholarly college student, finds and translates an ancient manuscript called The Book of Skulls, he and his friends embark on a cross-country trip to Arizona in search of a legendary monastery where they hope to find the secret of immortality. On the journey with Eli, there’s Timothy, an upper-class WASP with a trust fund and a solid sense of entitlement; Ned, a cynical poet and alienated gay man; and Oliver, a Kansas farm boy who escaped his rural origins and now wants to escape death. If they can find the House of Skulls where immortal monks allegedly reside, they’ll undergo a rigorous initiation. But do those eight grinning skulls mean the joke will be on them? For a sacrifice will be required. Two must die so that two may live forever . . . Stretching the boundary between science fiction and horror, Robert Silverberg masterfully probes deeper existential questions of morality, brotherhood, and self-determined destiny in what Harlan Ellison refers to as “one of my favorite nightmare novels.” This ebook features an illustrated biography of Robert Silverberg including rare images from the author’s personal collection.