In a nearby VA hospital, Iraqi war veteran Patrick “Shep” Shepherd is recovering from an explosion that took his arm and the memories of his estranged wife and daughter, whom he has not seen in eleven years since the war began. The planned trilogy begins with “GRIM REAPER: END OF DAYS” in which microbiologist Mary Klipot develops a bio-defense weapon for the Defense Department called “Scythe,” a modern-day version of the Black Plague which “God” commands her to release in Manhattan. The monumental task of weaving these concepts into a modern day story that meticulously parallels “Inferno” took author Steve Alten two full years to complete. Modern day story set in Manhattan, New York, draws frightening parallels between the lack of morality that corrupted Europe preceding the Black Death (France, 1347) and the present day greed, deception, and cruelty that has mired our own society in economic collapse, two endless wars and our own self-destruction. Author Steve Alten takes us on a classic hero’s journey of good versus evil, transformation and redemption.

Divided into three distinct parts (Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven) the poem describes Dante’s journey through Hell, depicted as nine circles of suffering. BY NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR STEVE ALTEN A MODERN DAY EPIC SERIES INSPIRED BY DANTE’S CLASSIC “INFERNO”įour time New York Times Best selling author Steve Alten pens a new series titled “GRIM REAPER: END OF DAYS” (VARIANCE, October 2010) inspired by Dante’s “Divine Comedy”, one of the most revered works in literature.

Purgatory steve alten