The Descent: A Novel

Jeff Long

Nov 1999 · Sold by Crown

About this ebook

We are not alone. Some call them devils or demons. But they are real. They are down there. And they are waiting for us to find them.

In a cave in the Himalayas, a guide discovers a self-mutilated body with a warning: Satan exists. In the Kalahari Desert, a nun unearths evidence of a proto-human species and a deity called Older-than-Old. In Bosnia, something has been feeding upon the dead in a mass grave. So begins mankind’s most shocking realization: the underworld is a vast geological labyrinth populated by another race of beings.

With all of Hell's precious resources and territories to be won, a global race ensues. Nations, armies, religions, and industries rush to colonize and exploit the subterranean frontier. A scientific expedition is launched westward to explore beneath the Pacific Ocean floor, both to catalog the riches there and to learn how life could develop in the sunless abyss. But in the dark underground, as humanity falls away from them, the scientists and mercenaries find themselves prey not only to the savage creatures, but also to their own treachery, mutiny, and greed. One thing is certain: Miles inside the earth, evil is very much alive.

Ratings and reviews

An innovatively dark and, ' intoxicatingly suspenseful journey into the terrifying unknown. Do Not confuse this book with the travesty of the movie by the same name. Jeff Longs ability to make your hair stand up due to the goosebumps caused by the creepiness he just made u feel off of one short paragraph is nothing short of phenomenal. A true experience for those who love horror and the best part is that they're at least two sequels that I know of for sure that are even more amazing than the first.

An incredible novel!! This book has everything a reader could want, from terror and mystery, to compassion and love. The monsters are horrifying, but so are the humans who are exploring the subterranean world. I found myself becoming sad as I neared the end of the book, only because the story is so enthralling I didn't want it to end.

Fantastic book, Mr Long ties together so many historical myths and facts so as to lure the reader into a mental creation that seems as real as the world around you

About the author

Jeff Long is a New York Times bestselling author and veteran climber and traveler in the Himalayas. He has worked as a journalist, a historian, and an elections supervisor for Bosnia's first democratic election. His other novels include Deeper, Year Zero, and The Wall, among others. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.